Room-temperature pressure-induced phase separation in glassy alloys

Abstract

Understanding the structural evolution of glass-forming alloys (metallic glasses) under high pressure conditions is important, on one hand, for elucidating their phase stability, and on the other, for manipulating their structure and properties. In this study, we investigate the unique pressure-induced effect leading to the phase separation phenomenon in glassy alloys, the effect which was not observed in the earlier works. By subjecting the system to various levels of external isostatic pressure, we observed the emergence of a distinct phase-separated structure within some glassy alloys. Our results shed light on the underlying mechanisms of phase separation in glassy alloys under extreme pressure conditions, providing valuable information for possible control of their structure and properties. This demonstrates that pressure can be used along or instead of temperature to produce nano-structured polyphase metallic glasses.