Crystallization characteristics of Mg-Zn metallic glasses from Mg sub(80)Zn sub(20) to Mg sub(60)Zn sub(40)

• Published in: Journal of materials science Vol. 17; no. 11; pp. 3268 - 3274
• Main Authors: Altounian, Z, Tu, G-H, Strom-Olsen, J O
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.01.1982
• ISSN: 0022-2461

Using the conventional melt-spinning technique we have been able to double the range over which Mg-Zn has hitherto been made amorphous. The crystallization characteristics of the alloys have been investigated through differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray photography and measurement of electrical resistance and magnetic susceptibility. The crystallization of amorphous Mg-Zn is initiated at lower temperatures by the precipitation of fine-grained, distorted Mg sub(51)Zn sub(20) crystals which grow into regular Mg sub(51)Zn sub(20) crystals at the end of the crystallization process. Mg is also precipitated for the Mg-rich alloys. The mechanism for further recrystallization at higher temperatures depends on whether the alloy is Mg-rich or Zn-rich with respect to Mg sub(51)Zn sub(20). Both recrystallization steps are shown to be in qualitative agreement with the equilibrium phase diagram. For all compositions, upon crystallization, the electrical resistivity decreases while the valence magnetic susceptibility increase, as expected for a simple s-p system.