Kinetics study and fragility of (Cu50Zr43Al7)98Y2 bulk metallic glass

Abstract

Crystallization transformation kinetics and fragility of (Cu₅₀Zr₄₃Al₇)₉₈Y₂ bulk metallic glass (BMG) were investigated at non-isothermal and isothermal conditions by differential scanning calorimetry. Activation energies for the BMG were calculated for the glass transition, onset crystallization, and crystallization peak using various methods of non-isothermal analysis. Results suggested that atomic rearrangement during glass transition is more complex than crystallization, and growth poses greater challenges than nucleation. Isothermal analysis conducted in the supercooled liquid region provides evidence of crystallization being controlled by diffusion, with a calculated mean Avrami exponent of 2.2. Additionally, the findings of fragility studies and kinetic studies demonstrated a strong correlation with the glass-forming ability (GFA), thereby validating the high GFA of the BMG analyzed in this study. Thus, this research results provide a detailed understanding of the complex crystallization kinetics, thermal behavior, and GFA of (Cu₅₀Zr₄₃Al₇)₉₈Y₂ BMG, emphasizing its potential in materials science applications.