Simulated Cu–Zr glassy alloys: the impact of composition on icosahedral order

The structural properties of the simulated Cu_αZr_1-α glassy alloys are studied in the wide range of the copper concentration to clarify the impact of the composition on the number density of the icosahedral clusters. Both bond orientational order parameters and Voronoi tessellation methods are used to identify these clusters. Our analysis shows that abundance of the icosahedral clusters and the chemical composition of these clusters are essentially nonmonotonic versus and demonstrate local extrema. That qualitatively explains the existence of pinpoint compositions of high glass-forming ability observing in Cu Zr alloys. Finally, it has been shown that Voronoi method overestimates drastically the abundance of the icosahedral clusters in comparison with the bond orientational order parameters one.     

Short-to-medium-range order in Mg65Cu25Y10 metallic glass

The atomic configurations of liquid and glassy Mg₆₅Cu₂₅Y₁₀ alloy have been simulated in the temperature range of 300 K to 2000 K via ab initio molecular dynamics. The variations of pair correlation function (PCF), structure factor (SF), coordination number (CN) and bond pairs with the temperature for this alloy are characterized. It has been shown that the atoms are near densely packed and icosahedral type of short-range order (SRO) is predominant in the glass state. Icosahedral medium range order (MRO) can be formed by vertex or intercross connection of icosahedral SROs. In this work, an icosahedral MRO which is composed of 55 atoms has been found. It has been also clarified that Mg and Cu occupy the centre or vertex, and Y atoms only occupy the vertex of the icosahedron in this glassy alloy. It is believed that these findings have implication for understanding the glass forming mechanism of magnesium based metallic glasses.     

Ab initio molecular dynamics study on the local structures in Ce_(70)Al_(30) and La_(70)Al_(30) metallic glasses

Ab initio molecular dynamics simulations were performed to investigate the effect of similar elements on the shortto medium-range atomic packing features in Ce_(70)Al_(30) and La_(70)Al_(30) glass-forming alloys. 4 f electrons of Ce element in Ce_(70)Al_(30) alloy were properly treated in electronic calculations. The local atomic structures in both alloys are qualitatively similar. However, the local environments of Al atoms in Ce_(70)Al_(30) alloy show fluctuation with temperature in the cooling process, which could result from 4 f electrons of Ce elements. Surprisingly, the medium-range atomic packing features of Al atoms in both MGs are quite different, although Ce and La elements are similar. These findings are useful for understanding the enhanced glass-forming ability by similar element substitution in RE-based MGs from a medium-range structure perspective.     

Crystallization Kinetics of Co48Cr15Mo14C15BaEr2 Bulk Metallic Glass with High Thermal Stability

We investigate the crystallization kinetics of Co48Cr15Mo14C15B6Er2 bulk metallic glass. It is found that Co48Cr15Mo14C15B6Er2 alloy shows extraordinary glass-forming ability, and a fully glassy rod with a diameter of 10mm can be formed, Thermal analysis exhibits that this glassy alloy has a high thermal stability, Johnson-Mehl-Avrami analysis of isothermal differential scanning calorimetry demonstrates that the crystalline phases homogeneously nucleates at a constant rate and grows linearly at a constant rate in three dimensions in the supercooled liquid of the glassy alloy.     

非晶中结构遗传性及描述

非晶态物质广泛存在于人们的日常生活和工业生产活动中,但人们对其原子结构及其结构与性能关系的认识还远不如对晶体材料那样充分.非晶态物质的原子结构不具备空间平移对称性,这使得传统针对晶体材料的实验技术和手段无法直接有效地应用到非晶态物质的结构分析中.用常规的衍射实验数据分析方法并不能直接地观察到非晶态物质的本征结构特征,但这些实验衍射数据往往隐含有极其重要的微观结构信息.本文简要综述了这些衍射数据背后所隐含的与金属玻璃中程序相关的结构信息.研究发现,非晶态物质中的一类隐含序与晶体结构中的球周期序紧密相关,意味着非晶态物质与晶体材料之间在原子结构上存在着非凡的同源性.进一步的研究结果还表明,不同隐含拓扑序之间纠缠的强弱与体系本身的玻璃形成能力存在明显的对应关系,这为衡量金属合金玻璃形成能力强弱的经验规律——混乱原理提供了微观结构上的理解,同时为进一步深入认识和理解非晶态材料衍射数据所隐含的微观结构信息提供了新的分析思路和方法.     

快凝过程中液态Cu64Zr36合金二十面体团簇遗传与演化跟踪

采用分子动力学方法模拟研究了液态Cu₆₄Zr₃₆合金在冷速50 K/ns下 的快速凝固过程, 并通过双体分布函数、Honeycutt-Andersen (H-A) 键型指数和团簇类型指数对其微结构演变特性进行了分析. 液态与快凝玻璃合金的主要原子组态都是二十面体(12 0 12 0)及其变形结构 (12 8/1551 2/1541 2/1431), 其中比例最高的是Cu芯Cu₈Zr₅基本原子团, 其次是Cu₇Zr₆和Cu₉Zr₄团簇; 并且由这些二十面体基本原子团铰链形成的中程序, 其尺寸分布在液相和固相中分别呈现出13, 19, 25,···和13, 19, 23, 25, 29, 37,···的幻数特征. 团簇的演化与跟踪分析发现: 没有任何团簇能从液态直接遗传到固态合金, 遗传的起始温度出现在T_m–T_g过冷液相区. 二十面体团簇的遗传主要以完全和直接遗传为主, 并且一个明显的增加发生在T_g附近. 在玻璃化转变温度T_g以下, (12 0 12 0) 二十面体比 (12 8/1551 2/1541 2/1431) 变形二十面体具有更高的结构遗传能力, 但仅有少部分在遗传过程中能保持化学成分的恒定. 通过部分遗传, 某些二十面体中程序甚至也能从过冷液体中被遗传到玻璃合金. 关键词： 快速凝固 分子动力学 二十面体团簇 遗传     

Thermal conductivity of an alloy in relation to the observed cooling rate and glass-forming ability

The glass-forming ability (GFA) of an alloy in this case is the largest diameter of a rod which can be cast fully glassy. The present work shows that the thermal conductivity of a liquid alloy has a strong effect on GFA by influencing the cooling rate upon mould casting. The initial cooling rates (for the first 70–100?K of temperature decrease), obtained for Cu-, Zr- and Au-based bulk glass-forming alloys in the liquid state, are found to scale linearly with the thermal conductivities of the liquid base elements. However the low cooling rate found for Ni-based alloy suggests that the heat transfer at the melt–mould interface may also influence the cooling rate. The low thermal conductivity of Ni-based alloys and the correspondingly low cooling rate obtained compared to Cu-based counterparts explains their lower GFA. In the literature, many factors influencing the GFA of alloys have been discussed. To these factors, the present study adds the thermal conductivity of the molten alloy and the melt–mould heat-transfer coefficient. Moreover, the cooling rate depends on temperature and, thus, the critical cooling rate itself is not a suitable parameter for indicating GFA. The cooling can be better described by an appropriate fitting of the cooling curve to an exponential temperature decay function.     

Structural evolution of Ti50Cu50 on rapid cooling by molecular dynamics simulation

The structural evolution and atomic structure of the Ti₅₀Cu₅₀ compound have been investigated by means of molecular dynamics simulation using the generalized embedded-atom model (GEAM) potential. Gibbs free energy calculation manifests the large driving force of undercooled Ti₅₀Cu₅₀ for crystallization and thus the poor glass-forming ability. Radial distribution functions (RDFs) within the temperature range from 2000 K to 300 K are analyzed and reveal the increasing degree of short-range order and reducing periodic length between peaks on cooling. Atomic arrangement is characterized by the Voronoi tessellation method, showing that the frequency of icosahedral configurations is most sensitive to temperature and grows upon quenching while that of the others remains relatively stable. The thermal behavior of the structure factors follows the Debye model up to the supercooled liquid temperature. The structural investigation of amorphous Ti₅₀Cu₅₀ demonstrates that there exist a variety of polyhedral configurations in Ti₅₀Cu₅₀ amorphous alloy, where icosahedral and bcc clusters are the major types. Due to the existence of bcc clusters and the other distorted polyhedra other than full icosahedra, the structural analysis reconfirms the inference from the Gibbs free energy calculation.     

稳态Cu-Zr二十面体团簇电子结构的密度泛函研究

采用第一原理对以Cu为心的低能稳态Cu_nZ_(r13-n)(n=6,7,8,9)二十面体团簇的电子结构进行计算,结果表明:同一化学组分下,以Cu为心的Cu-Zr二十面体团簇中出现的同类原子聚集现象可以增强团簇的稳定性,降低费米能级(EF)上的电子数N(EF),这为低能稳态团簇拥有较小的N(EF)提供了深层次的理论解释.进一步的差分电子密度与Mulliken布居分析得知,Cu-Zr二十面体中共价键与离子键共存,成键态与反键态共存,且团簇在形成时壳层Zr与中心Cu原子是电子的提供者,壳层Cu是电子的获得者.该电荷转移方向是金属玻璃中以Cu为心的Cu-Zr二十面体团簇普遍遵循的规律,不随团簇的化学序参数及化学组分的变化而变化.计算的红外振动谱为实验上准确表征不同二十面体原子团提供了一种新的思路.     

Local order of liquid and supercooled zirconium by ab initio molecular dynamics

It has been suggested that icosahedral short-range order (SRO) occurs in deeply undercooled melts of pure metallic elements. We report results of first-principles molecular dynamics simulations for stable and undercooled zirconium liquids. Our results emphasize the occurrence of a local order more complex than the icosahedral one. For stable liquid, the local order is interpreted on the basis of a competition between a polytetrahedral SRO and a bcc-type SRO. We also demonstrate that a bcc-type SRO increases with the degree of undercooling.     

Molecular dynamics study of structure and glass forming ability of Zr<Subscript>70</Subscript>Pd<Subscript>30</Subscript> alloy

In this study, the temperature effects on the structural evolution of theZr₇₀Pd₃₀ binary alloy in the glassy and liquid states werestudied using the molecular dynamics simulations based on the many-body type tight-bindingpotential. We considered the following properties in detail: the temperature dependence ofthe volume, the partial and total pair distribution functions and the simulated glasstransition temperature. The effects of the cooling rates on the glass transitiontemperature were examined. The Wendt-Abraham parameter was calculated to determine theglass transition temperature of Zr₇₀Pd₃₀ glassy alloy. The pair analysis technique ofHoneycutt-Andersen was applied to define local atomic arrangements produced from moleculardynamics simulations. The results show that the icosahedral ordering in glassy state hasbeen composed during quenching period, and the simulated glass transition temperature andthe total pair distribution functions are in good agreement with the experimental data.     

Structural and electronic properties of Ni<Subscript>5</Subscript>Nb<Subscript>3</Subscript>Zr<Subscript>5</Subscript> clusters as a local structural unit of Ni-Nb-Zr glassy alloys

We calculate electronic states of fifty icosahedral Ni₅Nb₃Zr₅ clusters and optimize their structures by first principles calculations within the generalized gradient approximation. Based on the energetic stability and the atomic configuration, we search for some candidates for the local structural units of Ni₃₆Nb₂₄Zr₄₀ glassy alloys by comparing with the experimental data measured by the XAFS method. The Ni-centered icosahedral Ni₅Nb₃Zr₅ clusters containing a Nb-triangle are proposed as the structural units, which in turn combine into local structures of the glassy alloy.     

二十面体团簇的遗传:一个与快凝Cu56Zr44合金玻璃形成能力有关的动力学参数

采用分子动力学方法模拟研究了液态Cu₅₆Zr₄₄合金在不同冷速γ与压力P下的快速凝固过程, 并通过基于Honeycutt-Andersen键型指数的扩展团簇类型指数法对其微结构演变特性进行了分析. 结果表明: 快凝玻璃合金的局域原子组态主要是(12 12/1551)规则二十面体、以及 (12 8/1551 2/1541 2/1431)与(12 2/1441 8/1551 2/1661) 缺陷二十面体. 通过原子轨迹的逆向跟踪分析发现: 从过冷液体中遗传下来的二十面体对快凝合金的玻璃形成能力(GFA)具有重要影响, 不仅其可遗传分数F_i =N_{300 K←Tg}ⁱ/N_Tg 与GFA密切相关, 而且其遗传起始温度(T_onset)与合金约化玻璃转变温度T_rg = T_g/T_m也存在很好的对应关系.     

Correlation of atomic cluster symmetry and glass-forming ability of metallic glass

Local structures play a crucial role in glass formation and properties. In addition to topological short-range order, the geometric property of site symmetry is another important but less known characteristic of local structures. It is shown that the observed sharp increase of glass forming ability of Ce70-xAl10Cu20Cox upon Co addition is correlated with a dramatic increase of Al site symmetry, as reflected by decreasing quadrupole frequency measured by 27Al NMR. The result is consistent with the structure model of Al-centered icosahedral clusters as the predominant structural building blocks.     

非晶合金及合金液体的局域五次对称性

简要回顾了从20世纪30年代至今,有关非晶合金及合金液体的局域结构五次对称性的实验、理论和模拟研究.在简单液体的早期研究中,人们已经意识到五次对称性在简单液体的无序结构、过冷和晶化等起着重要作用,二十面体短程序作为五次对称性的典型代表受到了广泛关注.自从Frank提出简单液体中二十面体短程序的结构单元,大量的理论和实验研究已经明确在简单液体、合金液体和金属玻璃中存在局域五次对称性,并且建立了局域五次对称性与合金液体复杂动力学行为、玻璃转变、液体-液体相变以及非晶合金的形变等统一的定量描述和物理图像,表明了局域五次对称性作为结构参量的简单、普遍和有效性.     

非晶态物质原子局域连接度与弛豫动力学

非晶态物质的本质及形成过程是凝聚态物理领域最困难也是最有趣的问题之一.非晶形成过程在原子结构上不会衍生出人们在传统晶体结构里所熟悉的长程有序性,因此对于此类在自然界中广泛存在的物质形态,至今还没有有效的实验表征手段和理论研究方法.非晶态物质的原子结构及其构效关系的研究是凝聚态物理和材料科学等众多研究领域所关注的热点问题之一.随着对非晶态物质物性研究的深入,人们逐渐意识到非晶态物质中原子中程序对系统性质的重要影响,建立以中程序为基础的结构-动力学关系对于理解玻璃及玻璃转变的本质起着重要的作用.本文简要综述了基于图论提出的原子局域连接度这一新的结构序参量在液体和玻璃的结构及构效关系研究中的应用.新的结构序参量从过去侧重于关注局域原子团簇的种类和分布,转移到更加关注某一类具有特殊对称性的原子的空间连接情况,即更多地尝试从原子中程序的角度来建立非晶态物质中的构效关系.新的研究结果表明,局域连接度可与非晶态物质中原子的短时或长时动力学行为、输运方式、以及振动模态等一系列物理性质建立联系.     

Inherent Structure Approach to the Study of Glass-Forming Liquids

The inherent structure approach, wherein thermodynamic and structural changes in glass-forming liquids are analyzed in terms of local potential energy minima that the liquid samples, has recently been applied extensively to the study of thermodynamic aspects of glass-forming liquids. The evaluation of the configurational entropy, which arises from the multiplicity of local energy minima, plays a central role in such analyses. Results are presented here concerning the calculation of configurational entropy based on computer simulations of a model liquid; and the application of the inherent structure formalism to the study of the glass transition locus, and the fragility of glass-forming liquids.     

Bulk and surface properties of liquid X-Zr (X=Ag, Cu) compound forming alloys

The phase diagrams of the Ag-Zr and Cu-Zr systems exhibit the existence of different intermetallic compounds in the solid state, and since the structure of a liquid alloy is in some respects similar to that of a crystal, the compound formation phenomenon in these liquid alloy systems has been analysed through the study of surface properties (surface tension and surface composition), dynamic properties (chemical diffusion and viscosity) and microscopic functions (concentration fluctuations in the long-wavelength limit and chemical short-range order parameter) in the frame of the compound formation model (CFM). Moreover, the associative tendency between unlike constituent elements qualitatively expressed by the microscopic functions indicates the glass-forming ability of both systems at higher Zr-concentrations. These results are in agreement with reported experimental data and confirm the applicability of a statistical mechanical theory in conjunction with the CFM to describe the mixing behaviour of compound forming alloys.     

Physical properties of icosahedral and glassy Pd−U−Si alloys

The transformations of glassy Pd₆₀U₂₀Si₂₀ alloys into an icosahedral state with quasicrystalline order and into the crystalline state have been studied by differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction. In addition, the electrical resistivity, the Hall coefficient and the magnetic susceptibility have been measured to high temperatures. The electronic structure has been investigated by photoelectron spectroscopy and the top surface layers have been probed by ion scattering spectroscopy. The physical properties in the icosahedral and glassy phase are similar. Comparisons with other uranium rich or dilute alloys are made in order to study the valence change or the development of a magnetic moment for uranium. Finally, the novel scanning tunneling microscope has been used to study the topography and the local tunneling barrier height with the aim of correlating micromorphology with local chemical structure.Dedicated to professor Harry Thomas on the occasion of his 60th birthday     

Local icosahedral order and thermodynamics of simulated amorphous Fe

Local icosahedral order and thermodynamics of amorphous Fe have been analyzed in detail for models containing 3000 atoms, which were obtained by the molecular dynamics (MD) method. Models were obtained by cooling from the melt. Local order in models has been analyzed by using the technique proposed by Honeycutt and Andersen; we found an existence of icosahedral order in the system. Moreover, structural properties of models were also studied via radial distribution function (RDF), static structure factor, mean atomic distances, coordination number and bond-angle distributions. Glass transition temperature, heat capacity and potential energy of the system were found in addition to the evolution of structure and mean-squared displacement (MSD) of atoms upon cooling from the melt toward the glassy state. We found the glass transition temperature of simulated liquid Fe via temperature dependence of potential energy and it is close to that observed previously in the literature, i.e. T_g≈1070 K. Calculations showed that structural properties of amorphous Fe models with the Pak-Doyama interatomic potential agreed well with the experimental data.