Structure-induced microalloying effect in multicomponent alloys

• Published in: Materials & design 2016-08, Vol.103 (C), p.308-314
• Main Authors: Guo, Gu-Qing, Yang, Liang, Wu, Shi-Yang, Zeng, Qiao-Shi, Sun, Cheng-Jun, Wang, Yin-Gang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Absorption; Alloys; Bulk metallic glass; Clusters; Counting; Diffraction; Glass formation; Glass-forming ability; MATERIALS SCIENCE; Microalloying; Monte Carlo simulation; Short-range ordering; Synchrotron radiation
• ISSN: 0264-1275; 1873-4197
• DOI: 10.1016/j.matdes.2016.04.084

In this work, the microalloying effect on glass-forming ability (GFA) has been investigated from the structural aspect, by performing synchrotron radiation X-ray diffraction and absorption measurements coupled with simulations in the NiNbZr ternary system. By sorting out the preferred Voronoi clusters, we propose a new structural parameter which counts the fraction of the five-connected shell atoms in clusters and find it is strongly associated with the GFA. In particular, this structural parameter has the highest value in a composition where the best GFA is achieved. The present work provides an in-depth understanding of microalloying-induced high GFAs in multicomponent alloys. [Display omitted] •Microalloying Zr in the NiNb alloy leads to the enhanced glass-forming ability.•We propose a new parameter which counts fraction of the five-connected shell atoms.•Such structural parameter is closely associated with the glass-forming ability.•It is a new criterion to evaluate the GFA of metallic glasses from the atomic structure perspective.