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Comparison of bulk metallic glass formation between Cu-Hf binary and Cu-Hf-Al ternary alloys

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Abstract

Optimized compositions for bulk metallic glass (BMG) formation have been determined for the Cu−Hf binary and Cu−Hf−Al ternary systems. The Cu−Hf−Al BMG-forming composition region is identified to correlate with the (L → Cu10Hf7 + CuHf2 + CuHfAl) eutectic reaction. The eutectic temperature is reduced by nearly 50 K relative to that of the binary eutectic, demonstrating the significant role of the third element Al in stabilizing the liquid. The fragility parameter D* of the Cu55Hf45 binary and Cu49Hf42Al9 ternary supercooled liquid was determined from relaxation time measurements, indicating that Al incorporation also leads to a “stronger” liquid. The combination of these thermodynamic and kinetic effects is responsible for the dramatic enhancement of glass-forming ability from the Cu−Hf binary to the Cu−Hf−Al ternary.

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Acknowledgments

We gratefully acknowledge the stimulating discussion with Professors E. Ma and Y. Li and assistance in phase identification from B.Q. Li. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grants No. 50671105 and National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program) under contract No. 2007CB613906.

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  1. Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110016, China

    Peng Jia & Jian Xu

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  1. Peng Jia
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Jia, P., Xu, J. Comparison of bulk metallic glass formation between Cu-Hf binary and Cu-Hf-Al ternary alloys. Journal of Materials Research 24, 96–106 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1557/JMR.2009.0014

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