Mechanical properties of partially crystallized aluminum based metallic glasses

Nucleation kinetics model for primary crystallization in Al-Y-Fe metallic glass

The high density of aluminum nanocrystals (>10²¹ m^-3) that develop during the primary crystallization in Al-based metallic glasses indicates a high nucleation rate (∼10¹⁸ m^-3 s^-1). Several studies have been advanced to account for the primary crystallization behavior, but none have been developed to completely describe the reaction kinetics. Recently, structural analysis by fluctuation electron microscopy has demonstrated the presence of the Al-like medium range order (MRO) regions as a spatial heterogeneity in as-spun Al₈₈Y₇Fe₅ metallic glass that is representative for the class of Al-based amorphous alloys that develop Al nanocrystals during primary crystallization. From the structural characterization, an MRO seeded nucleation configuration is established, whereby the Al nanocrystals are catalyzed by the MRO core to decrease the nucleation barrier. The MRO seeded nucleation model and the kinetic data from the delay time (τ) measurement provide a full accounting of the evolution of the Al nanocrystal density (N_v) during the primary crystallization under isothermal annealing treatments. Moreover, the calculated values of the steady state nucleation rates (J_ss) predicted by the nucleation model agree with the experimental results. Moreover, the model satisfies constraints on the structural, thermodynamic, and kinetic parameters, such as the critical nucleus size, the interface energy, and the volume-free energy driving force that are essential for a fully self-consistent nucleation kinetics analysis. The nucleation kinetics model can be applied more broadly to materials that are characterized by the presence of spatial heterogeneities.

Collective behaviour of a glass-forming film of pure aluminium

The previously discovered features of the temperature behaviour of four-point spatial correlators allow us to study transitions to metastable states. Similar integral characteristics simultaneously study microscopic effects (vortex formation and clustering) and the effect of these phenomena on the thermodynamics of the whole system. It is shown that spatial and temporal behaviour of correlators in supercooled liquid samples determine the signs of the glass transition in a system before its relaxation. After the liquid sample is supercooled below a certain boundary, particle motion correlations on the coordination spheres sharply increase, similar to the situation in a crystal. The study was carried out using the embedded atom method model of aluminium using the molecular dynamics method.

Melt fluxing to elevate the forming ability of Al-based bulk metallic glasses

Salt-fluxing treatment is an effective technique to improve the glass-forming ability (GFA) of bulk metallic glass (BMG)-forming melts, as demonstrated before in Pd- and Fe-based systems. However, it has been challenging to develop similar fluxing protocol for more reactive melts, such as Al-rich BMG-forming systems. Here we design new fluxing agents, from a thermodynamics perspective that takes into account combined effects of physical absorption and chemical absorption (reaction) between the fluxing agents and oxide inclusions. MgCl₂-CaCl₂ composite salts were selected, and their fluxing effects were systematically studied on an Al₈₆Ni_6.75Co_2.25Y_3.25La_1.75 alloy, the best BMG-forming composition reported thus far for Al-rich alloy systems. The oxygen content was found to continuously decrease in the master alloy with increasing cycles of salt-fluxing treatment, with chlorate products on the surface suggesting concurrent physical absorption and chemical reaction. The fluxing treatment developed has enabled a record critical size (diameter) of 2.5 mm for Al-based BMGs. Our finding is thus an advance in developing highly desirable Al-based BMGs, and also provides guidance for designing processing protocol to produce larger-sized BMGs in other reactive systems.

Abrasive Wear Resistance of Bulk Metallic Glasses

This paper reviews work on the wear of metallic glasses in general, as well as reporting recent results on the abrasive wear of bulk metallic glasses. The distinctive mechanical properties of metallic glasses make their wear resistance of fundamental interest. Metallic glasses, and the partially or fully crystalline materials derived from them, can have very good resistance to sliding and abrasive wear. Standard wear laws are followed, with behaviour similar to that of conventional hardened alloys. The microhardness and abrasive wear resistance are measured for four bulk metallic glasses (based on La, Mg, Pd or Zr). The hardness and wear resistance correlate well with the Young's modulus of the glass.

Glass Formation and Nanostructure Development in Al-Based Alloys

Al-Sm and Al-Y-Fe alloys with a high number density of nanocrystalline fcc-Al homogeneously dispersed within the amorphous matrix have been synthesized by devitrifying the precursor metallic glasses produced by rapid solidification. The kinetics of metallic glass formation and the development of the nanostructure during devitrification are discussed in terms of the rate limiting mechanism. The glass transition temperature of the two metallic glasses has been successfully assessed with the application of the modulated-temperature differential scanning calorimetry (DDSC). In addition, the formation of quenched-in nuclei was investigated by a comparison study on the cold-rolled and melt-spun Al92Sm8 amorphous samples. Furthermore, the enhancement of the particle density of the fcc-Al nanocrystals in the amorphous matrix after devitrification has been demonstrated by the incorporation of nanosize Pb particles.

Deformation-Induced Nanocrystallization in Al-Rich Metallic Glasses

Deformation-induced nanocrystallization has been investigated in a marginally Al88Y7Fe5 glass forming alloy. Conventional calorimetry and microstructural analyses of materials that have been subjected to high pressure torsion straining (HPT) at room temperature indicate the development of an extremely high number density of small Al nanocrystals. The nanocrystals appear to be distributed homogeneously throughout the sample without any evidence of strong coarsening. Moreover, the comparison between nanocrystallization caused by the application of either HPT, cold-rolling or in-situ TEM tensile straining yielded the identification of the probable mechanisms underlying the formation of nanocrystals. These results form the basis for the development of advanced processing strategies for producing new nanostructures with high nanocrystal number densities which allow increased stability and improved performance.

Metallic Glasses

Amorphous metallic alloys, relative newcomers to the world of glasses, have properties that are unusual for solid metals. The metallic glasses, which exist in a very wide variety of compositions, combine fundamental interest with practical applications. They also serve as precursors for exciting new nanocrystalline materials. Their magnetic (soft and hard) and mechanical properties are of particular interest.