Effect of Ag addition on local structure of Cu–Zr glassy alloy

Abstract

The effect of Ag substituting Cu on the structural features of the Cu55Zr45, Cu45Zr45Ag10, and Cu35Zr45Ag20glassy alloys was studied using the real-space pair distribution and radial distribution functions. The experimental x-ray diffraction data obtained in a synchrotron beam were used to derive pair and radial distribution functions through Fourier transformation processing. These results suggest that a certain degree of medium-range order in this alloy is maintained up to about 2.5 nm distance. It is suggested that the addition of Ag causes formation of a more homogeneous local atomic structure compared with that of a binary Cu–Zr alloy, which could be considered as a reason for the improved glass-forming ability of this alloy.