Crystallization Kinetics Analysis of the Binary Amorphous Mg₇₂Zn₂₈ Alloy

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Solid State Physics

Background:

• Metallic glasses offer unique properties but their thermal stability is crucial.
• Understanding crystallization kinetics is key to optimizing metallic glass applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the crystallization kinetics of the Mg72Zn28 metallic glass alloy.
• To identify the crystalline phases formed during thermal treatment.
• To determine the activation energies associated with the glass transition and crystallization processes.

Main Methods:

• Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) for thermal analysis.
• X-ray diffraction (XRD) for phase identification.
• Kissinger model application for activation energy calculation.

Main Results:

• The Mg72Zn28 metallic glass undergoes crystallization forming alpha-Mg and complex Mg12Zn13 phases.
• Activation energies were determined for glass transition (Eg = 176.91 kJ/mol), crystallization onset (Ex = 124.26 kJ/mol), and crystallization peaks (Ep1 = 117.49 kJ/mol, Ep2 = 114.48 kJ/mol).

Conclusions:

• The study provides a detailed kinetic analysis of Mg72Zn28 metallic glass crystallization.
• The determined activation energies are critical parameters for predicting the alloy's thermal stability and processing window.
• These findings contribute to the understanding and potential application of magnesium-based metallic glasses.