Structural relaxation of neutron-irradiated Fe40 Ni40 B20 metallic glass

Metallic glasses formed by freezing molten alloys at extremely fast rates are highly disordered solids but are nevertheless susceptible to radiation damage when bombarded by various subatomic particles such as neutrons, heavy ions or electrons. Some recent investigations clearly demonstrate that the structural modifications in irradiated metallic glasses give rise to significant changes in both physical and mechanical properties. In this paper we examine some aspects of neutron irradiation damage in a metallic glass of composition Fe40Ni40B20, by using in combination differential scanning calorimetry, Curie temperature determination, stress-relaxation measurements, density and ductility determinations, in an attempt to interpret some of the complex effects which occur after neutron bombardment in this much-studied metallic glass