Films of chemically disordered face-centered cubic Ni3Al were synthesized via the vacuum evaporation of Ni3Al onto room temperature and liquid nitrogen temperature substrates. X-ray diffractometry and transmission electron microscopy showed the material to be single phase with an average grain size of about 4nm. The formation of the equilibrium L12 ordered phase occurred simultaneously with grain growth at temperatures above 350C. Differential scanning calorimetry provided ordering enthalpies of 7 and 9kJ/mol for material evaporated onto room temperature and liquid nitrogen temperature substrates, respectively.

Chemically Disordered Ni3Al Synthesized by High Vacuum Evaporation. Harris, S.R., Pearson, D.H., Garland, C.M., Fultz, B.: Journal of Materials Research, 1991, 6[10], 2019-21