Genesis software

After processing in the temperature gradient, the sample rods were cut longitudinally, ground with SiC paper up to 4000 grit and polished with a suspension of 3 µm diamond particles. A Zeiss Axio Imager light microscope (LM) was used for microstructure analysis and the composition was measured using energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). A Zeiss EVO 40 scanning electron microscope in combination with an EDAX Sapphire Si(Li) detector was used, the measurements were performed with a voltage of 40 kV. For quantification of the EDX spectra, the EDAX Genesis Software with ZAF corrections was used. A Bühler Isomet 500 was used for cutting slices (disks with spherical footprint and a thickness of ~ 1 mm, representing isothermal section) out of the rods, a Bruker D8 Discover with CuKα radiation was utilized for X-ray diffraction measurements for phase determination. Vickers hardness was measured with a Shimadzu HMV-2000 hardness tester, differential scanning calorimetry was carried out using a Mettler Toledo TGA/DSC 1.

High-angle annular dark-field annular
scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM) is a technique
with chemical sensitivity and has high spatial resolution. The samples
were analyzed on a JEOL-JEMARM200F (with a resolution of 78 pm) electron
microscope operating at 200 kV, with a CEOS corrector for the condenser
lens. Z-contrast STEM images were recorded simultaneously in the BF
and HAADF modes. Images were recorded with a condenser lens aperture
of 40 μm (angle of convergence 32–36 mrad). Chemical
analyses were performed with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy
(EDS) and EELS. EDS analysis was performed by EDAX. Spectral line
scanning and chemical maps were obtained by using EDAX Genesis software.
A probe size of 7C (75 pA) and a Cl aperture size of 40 μm were
used for EDS analysis. The probe size used was 6C (145 pA), and the
aperture size was 40 μm, with a camera length of 6 cm.