Minor alloying upon non-isothermal crystallization kinetics of a Cu-based bulk metallic glass: a comparative investigation

Abstract

This paper reported the alloying effects in the non-isothermal crystallization of as-cast bulk metallic glasses. Three kinds of Al, Ni and Si elements with minor quantity of 0.5 at% were individually added into a base Cu55Zr37Ti8 bulk metallic glass. Differential scanning calorimetry was utilized to characterize the crystalline processes during heating, and Johnson–Mehl–Avrami equation was adopted to determine and evaluate the crystallization kinetic parameters. The results disclose that alloying processing with 0.5 at% of Al, Ni and Si elements altered the crystallization kinetic behaviors. Alloying with 0.5 at% of Ni performs more remarkable constraint on the nucleation and growth of the crystallization with regard to alloying with the same quantity of Al and Si elements in the base bulk metallic glass and favors the suppression of crystallization.