The effect of neutron-irradiation on crystallization of Cu-Ti glasses of four compositions was systematically studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and internal friction measurements. The results show that the susceptibility of the glasses to irradiation is quite composition dependent.

Amorphization of Cu-Zr and Ni-Zr systems by mechanical alloying(MA) was studied by X-ray diffraction. The results show that the amorphization is not merely a simple interdiffusion by thermal activation; in addition, the strain induced by MA also accelerates this process.

The relationship between the widths of supercooled liquid regions (△Tx) of Mg-based bulk metallic glasses (BMG) and bond parameters (i.e., electronegativity difference and atomic size parameters) was investigated. From the available experimental data in the literatures, it seems that for Mg-based BMG △Tx has a close correlation to bond parameters. It increases with the atomic size parameter (δ) and electronegativity difference (△x) of Mg-based alloys, which are defined by atomic radius and electronegativity. An equation was deduced for the first time by a linear regression analysis program in order to judge whether Mg-based multicomponent alloys can form metallic glasses.

The microstructural evolution in a Zr-Ti-Cu-Ni-Be-Fe bulk metallic glass (BMG) has been investigated by measurements of dynamical shear modulus and internal friction combined with other analytical methods such as differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM). When heated from room temperature up to 873 K, the as-received BMG exhibits an exponential increase in internal friction accompanying the strong decrease of storage modulus and the presence of the first loss modulus peak during the dynamic glass transition, which can be well described using quasi-point defect model. The correlative changes of the mechanical response at higher temperature are associated with the crystallisation process of the supercooled liquid phase, which occurs in four different stages. It is shown that the main crystallisation process is completed in the first two stages. With further increasing temperature, the remaining amorphous phases crystallise and/or the metastable crystalline phases are transformed into the stable ones. Isothermal annealing were also performed at temperatures in the supercooled liquid region far below the onset temperature of the crystallisation process (Tx). Their influence on microstucture and internal friction behaviour of the BMG is also presented in this paper. The most striking result is that the internal friction is very sensitive to the local atomic short range ordering induced by the preheating treatment.

Correlation is investigated between supercooled liquid regions (SLRs) △Tx (=Tx 2 Tg, where Tx is the onset crystallization temperature and Tg the glass transition temperature) of ferrous bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) and three bond parameters, i.e. electronegativity, atomic size and valent electron. From the available experimental data in literatures, △Tx has strong correlation with the bond parameters. A semiempirical equation is established to elucidate the correlation between DTx and the three bond parameters. In detail, △Tx increases obviously with the increase of the atomic size parameter (δ), and electronegativity difference(△x) and the electron concentration. An ellipse arc with thickness derived from the equation is drawn to determine the range of BMG with large SLR.

Thermal stability and glass-forming ability of Zr65−xAl10Ni10Cu15Bex (x=0, 3, 6, 9, 12.5, 16) bulk metallic glasses were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry, differential thermal analysis, X-ray diffraction and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The results show that the substitution of beryllium for zirconium strongly affects the supercooled liquid region (△ Tx = Tx−Tg onset), the reduced supercooled liquid region (△ Trg=(Tx−Tg onset)/(Tl−Tg onset)) and the reduced glass transition temperature (Trg=Tg/Tl). With increasing of x values, the three parameters that were used to indicate the glass forming ability and thermal stability increase first and then decrease. It is in agreement with the result that these glasses gradually change from an off-eutectic composition into a eutectic one (x=12.5) that favours higher glass-forming ability, and then there is again a departure from the eutectic composition. Consequently, a moderate Be content will favor to increase the glass forming ability and thermal stability in Zr65−xAl10Ni10Cu15Bex bulk amorphous alloys. The effect of Be was explained in terms of Miedema's theory, electronegativity difference and atomic size parameter of the amorphous alloys.