Determination of the Partial Structure Factors of the Metallic Glass Fe80B20

Abstract

By X-ray diffraction and neutron diffraction using the isotopic substitution method, the partial structure factors /SFeFe, SFeB, and SBB well as SNN, SCC, and SNC were determined for the metallic glass Fe80B20. The Fourier-transforms yielded the pair correlation functions Gij from which the atomic distances and the partial coordination numbers were calculated. The partial coordination numbers are in good agreement with those of the metastable Fe3B-phase, which is the first crystallization product formed during annealing of the metallic glass Fe80B20. The chemical short range order parameter amounts to 100%, thus indicating perfect chemical order.