Growth mechanism from nano-ordered clusters to nanocrystals in a deeply undercooled melt of Zr-Ni-Ti metallic glass
Creators
- 1. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996-2200 (United States)
- 2. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China)
- 3. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210014 (China)
- 4. State Key Laboratory for Advanced Metals and Materials, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083 (China)
Description
Both experimental studies and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations reveal a unique atomic-scale growth mechanism during crystallization of an amorphous alloy Zr65Ni25Ti10. By using a high-resolution transmission electron microscope incorporated with nanobeam diffraction technique, we have clearly seen imperfect ordered packing of nano-ordered clusters (NOCs) with a size of 1-2 nm embedded in this amorphous material. Under a very large undercooling condition, NOCs essentially act as preexisting nuclei that can grow directly into nanocrystals during annealing treatments. The growth mechanism includes three distinct steps in succession: formation of quasi-ordered structure with one-dimensional (1D) periodicity, and then 2D periodicity, and finally forming 3D nanocrystals. These three growth steps are cross-linked, and atomic movements are also accommodated by a rotation of atomic planes. This growth mechanism is unambiguously verified by MD simulation
Additional details
Identifiers
- DOI
- 10.1063/1.2781325;
Publishing Information
- Journal Title
- Journal of Applied Physics
- Journal Volume
- 102
- Journal Issue
- 6
- Journal Page Range
- p. 063515-063515.5
- ISSN
- 0021-8979
- CODEN
- JAPIAU
INIS
- Country of Publication
- United States
- Country of Input or Organization
- International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
- INIS RN
- 39076911
- Subject category
- S36: MATERIALS SCIENCE;
- Descriptors DEI
- ANNEALING; CRYSTAL DEFECTS; CRYSTAL GROWTH; CRYSTALLIZATION; DIFFRACTION; INTERMETALLIC COMPOUNDS; MELTING; METALLIC GLASSES; MOLECULAR DYNAMICS METHOD; NANOSTRUCTURES; NICKEL ALLOYS; PERIODICITY; SIMULATION; SUBCOOLING; TITANIUM ALLOYS; TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY; ZIRCONIUM ALLOYS
- Descriptors DEC
- ALLOYS; CALCULATION METHODS; COHERENT SCATTERING; COOLING; CRYSTAL STRUCTURE; ELECTRON MICROSCOPY; HEAT TREATMENTS; MICROSCOPY; PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS; SCATTERING; TRANSITION ELEMENT ALLOYS; VARIATIONS
Optional Information
- Notes
- (c) 2007 American Institute of Physics