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Methods of Ex Situ and In Situ Investigations of Structural Transformations: The Case of Crystallization of Metallic Glasses
Published on: June 7, 2018
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Reactive cluster model of metallic glasses
Travis E Jones1, Jonathan Miorelli1, Mark E Eberhart1
1Molecular Theory Group, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado 80401, USA.
The Journal of Chemical Physics
|March 5, 2014
Summary
Metallic glasses, unlike crystalline metals, possess short- and medium-range order but lack long-range order. Their stability is linked to cluster chemistry and correlated atomic motions, influencing critical cooling rates.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Solid State Chemistry
Background:
- Metallic glasses lack long-range atomic order, distinguishing them from crystalline metals.
- Existing cluster-based models describe their amorphous structure but neglect chemical stabilization factors.
- Understanding metallic glass structure is crucial for developing new materials with unique properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the chemical factors governing the stability of clusters in metallic glasses.
- To explore the mechanisms of atom sharing and correlated motions between clusters.
- To establish a link between cluster dynamics and the overall stability of metallic glasses.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of cluster chemistry in glass formers.
- Investigation of atom exchange, static, and vibronic sharing mechanisms.
- Hypothesizing the role of correlated motions in mediating stability.
Main Results:
- Glass formers exhibit rich cluster chemistry facilitating atom sharing above the glass transition temperature.
- A vibronic mechanism induces correlated motions between adjacent clusters.
- The correlation distance of these motions is hypothesized to influence metallic glass stability.
Conclusions:
- Cluster chemistry plays a vital role in the formation and stabilization of metallic glasses.
- Vibronic interactions and correlated motions between clusters are key to understanding their unique properties.
- Further research into correlated motion distances could predict critical cooling rates and material stability.
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