Design of new Zr–Al–Ni–Cu bulk metallic glasses

• Published in: Journal of alloys and compounds 2009-01, Vol.468 (1), p.432-437
• Main Authors: Cai, An-hui, Xiong, Xiang, Liu, Yong, An, Wei-ke, Tan, Jing-ying, Pan, Ye
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bulk metallic glasses; Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Equations of state, phase equilibria, and phase transitions; Exact sciences and technology; Glass transitions; Glass-forming ability; Physics; Specific phase transitions; Zr–Al–Ni–Cu
• ISSN: 0925-8388; 1873-4669
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jallcom.2008.01.016

Five new Zr–Al–Ni–Cu bulk metallic glasses were designed by the average conduction electron concentration e/ a and average atomic radius R a criteria on the condition of the weak constraint condition of melting heat Δ H m. We investigated the relationships between critical dimension Z max and such parameters as e/ a, R a, difference in atomic radius Δ R, Δ H m, under-cooled liquid region Δ T x, reduced glass transition temperature T rg, K gl and γ. The results show that e/ a, R a, Δ R and Δ H m are all strongly related to glass-forming ability (GFA) of alloys. Zr 62.5Al 12.1Cu 7.95Ni 17.45 owns best thermal stability and GFA among five new Zr–Al–Ni–Cu bulk metallic glasses. K gl, and γ are better than Δ T x and T rg at the point of the description of GFA of alloys. In addition, the compositions of glass-forming alloys with best GFA do not locate at but near to eutectic point.