12. Alloy preparation

On the whole, the data selected are those obtained from the purest metals, which is the case of the most recent publications, and those in which contamination from the atmosphere or the crucible in which the alloy is made is the lowest.

After production, alloys must undergo homogenization annealing and, if necessary, extensive wrought-ironing, to reduce diffusion distances and increase the number of defects, which accelerates diffusion, but also to induce recrystallization, which activates atom mobility and can also refine the grain, thus facilitating certain subsequent transformations.

The difficulty of obtaining states as close as possible to equilibrium often necessitates the use of indirect manufacturing methods. Instead of solidifying liquid alloys, it is often safer and quicker, when the risk of contamination is not too great, to anneal...