Thermodynamic study of bulk metallic glass: Zr_41.2Ti_13.8Cu_12.5Ni_10.0Be_22.5

Abstract

Recently, multicomponent glass forming alloys have been found which exhibit extraordinary glass forming ability and cooling rates of less than 100 K/s are sufficient to suppress nucleation of crystalline compounds and consequently form a bulk metallic glass (BMG). The thermophysical properties of liquid metals and alloys in the undercooled state is become great interest of research in recent years. Due to the high thermal stability of undercooled melts of BMG glass formers the experimental data of the thermophysical properties of bulk metallic melts are available in the undercooled region. It is interesting to study the thermodynamics of such materials. The aim of the present work to discuss the thermodynamic behavior of BMG by estimating the Gibb’s free energy difference ΔG, enthalpy difference ΔH and entropy difference ΔS between the undercooled liquid and corresponding equilibrium solid phases. The study is made by estimating ΔG, ΔH and ΔS for BMG: Zr_41.2Ti_13.8Cu_12.5Ni_10.0Be_22.5 in the entire temperature range T _m (melting temperature) to T _g (glass transition temperature).