In Situ Crystallization Measurements on Fe-Zr Glasses Using an Automated High-Temperature Diffractometer with a Position Sensitive Detector

Abstract

Metallic glasses are mostly produced by fast quenching from a melt. The glass forming composition range in binary materials is thereby restricted to the area around eutectics. The production of metal-metal binary glasses in a much wider composition range is possible by employing a technique called 'mechanical alloying'. Using this technique the metallic class is produced as a powder which can be manufactured into any shape to make use of the properties the material exhibits in the amorphous state. During compacting, and also in some applications of the finished product, the glass has to endure elevated temperatures which might cause devitrification. Since this crystallization of a metallic glass usually results in the loss of properties essential for a certain application it is necessary to investigate this crystallization behaviour and thus receive information about a material's prospective performance in a particular application.