Luis César Rodríguez Aliaga

New Zr-based glass-forming alloys containing Gd and Sm

The effect of minor additions of Gd and Sm on the glass-forming ability (GFA) of Cu-Zr-Al alloys is investigated here. The rationale for these additions is the fact that the atomic size distribution can increase GFA by changing the topology of the alloy as a function of cluster stability, which is tied to the electronegativity and ionic and covalent nature of alloys. Ingots with nominal compositions of Cu40Zr49Al10.5Gd0.5, Cu40Zr49Al10.5Sm0.5 and Cu39Zr50Al9Gd2 were prepared by arc-melting and rapidly quenched ribbons were produced by the melt-spinning technique. Bulk samples with a thickness of up to 10 mm were also produced by casting, using a wedge-shaped copper mold. The samples were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffractometry and scanning electron microscopy. The three compositions showed a fully amorphous structure in the ribbons and a predominantly homogeneous amorphous structure with a thickness of up to 10 mm, although some gadolinium oxide crystals as well as samarium compounds were found to be scattered in the amorphous matrix in 5-mm-thick samples. The amorphous phases in the alloys showed high thermal stability with a supercooled liquid region (ΔTx) of about 70 K.

Mechanical Spectroscopy Study on Cu53.5Zr42Al4.5 Alloy

This study consists of the characterization of the anelastic properties of a Bulk Metallic Glasses (BMG) by mechanical spectroscopy, which can be defined as an energy absorption technique. The equipment used was the acoustic elastometer system, the anelastic relaxation spectra were carried out with a heating rate of 1 K/min and vacuum better than 10-5 torr, in the temperature range of 300 K to 640 K. The amorphous sample studied, with nominal composition of Cu53.5Zr42Al4.5, was processed by skull push-pull casting technique in a rectangular cavity cooper mould. Differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) curves have evidenced the amorphous structure although the X-ray diffraction (XDR) pattern has indicated a heterogeneous microstructure with amorphous matrix and some metaestable nanocrystalline phases which have not been identified yet. The dynamical elastic modulus of this alloy (between 54 GPa and 58 GPa at room temperature) and internal friction patterns as temperature function implied an increase of the crystalline phase during the measurements. This effect was confirmed with new X-ray diffraction measurements after the internal friction experiments.