Abstract: A high density of {110} shear planes has been observed in the R-phase (Al5CuLi3)following phase transformation from the AlCuLi icosahedral Phase. The Present paper shows that the atomic arrangement in the vicinity of the shear planes can be described as a two-dimensional periodic array of atom clusters with 5-fold symmetry. This result is obtained by projecting along the [1. 618...01] direction of the atomic positions from four adjacent lattice planes that cross the shear plane. The projection reveals that the shear plane consists of pentagonal arrangements of double triacontahedra,each pentagon incorporating 606 atoms. The calculated diffraction pattern from the pentagon has approximate 10-fold symmetry characteristic of a quasicrystal.

Key words: shear plane, R-phase symmetry, double triacontahedra