Direct evidence that an apparent splitting pattern of γ′ particles in Ni alloys is a stage of coalescence

High-resolution electron microscopy is used to determine the translation order domains of γ′ particles in arrangements formed during Ostwald ripening in the alloy Ni-12 at.% Al. Such arrangements have been often identified with the operation of a mechanism of particle splitting in the late stages of the coarsening process, that is when the elastic strain contribution becomes predominant. It is shown that the translation order domains are not identical in such a particle array. This leads to the conclusion that particle splitting is not necessarily the mechanism responsible for the formation of such characteristic particle arrangements. Instead, particle migration can also be considered to be the responsible mechanism for the formation of such a correlated γ′-particle spatial distribution observed in Ni-based alloys.