Title: Unveiling the mechanism of phase and morphology selections during the devitrification of Al-Sm amorphous ribbon

Abstract

The complex interplay between energetic and kinetic factors that governs the phase and morphology selections can originate at the earliest stage of crystallization in the amorphous parent phases. Because of the extreme difficulties in capturing the microscopic nucleation process, a detailed picture of how initial disordered structures affect the transformation pathway remains unclear. Here, we report the experimental observation of widely varying phase selection and grain size evolution during the devitrification of a homogeneous melt-spun glassy ribbon. Two different crystalline phases, θ-Al₅Sm and ε-Al₆₀Sm₁₁, are found to form in the different regions of the same metallic glass ribbon during the devitrification. The grain size of ε-Al₆₀Sm₁₁ phase shows a strong spatial heterogeneity. Coarse-grained ε-Al₆₀Sm₁₁ phase coupled with the small volume fraction of θ-Al₅Sm phase is preferably formed close to wheel side of the melt-spun ribbon. Combining experimental characterization and computational simulations, we show that phase selection and microstructure evolution can be traced back to different types and populations of atomic clusters that serve as precursors for the nucleation of different crystalline phases. Inhomogeneous cooling rates cause different structure orders across the glass sample during the quenching process. Our findings provide direct insight into the effect of structural order on themore » crystallization pathways during the devitrification of metallic glass. It also opens an avenue to study the detailed nucleation process at the atomic level using the metallic glass as a platform and suggests the opportunity of microstructure and property design via controlling the cooling process.« less

Authors:

Meng, Fanqiang  ^[1];

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• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0002-8677-8985"

Sun, Yang  ^[2];

• Search DOE PAGES for author "Sun, Yang"
• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0002-4344-2920"

Zhang, Feng ^[3]; Da, Bo ^[4]; Wang, Cai-Zhuang ^[3]; Kramer, Matthew J. ^[3]; Ho, Kai-Ming ^[3]; Sun, Dongbai ^[5]

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+ Show Author Affiliations

1. Sun Yat-Sen Univ., Guangzhou (China). Sino-French Institute of Nuclear Engineering and Technology
2. Ames Lab., Ames, IA (United States); Columbia Univ., New York, NY (United States). Dept. of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics
3. Ames Lab., Ames, IA (United States)
4. National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba (Japan). Research and Services Div. of Materials Data and Integrated System
5. Sun Yat-Sen Univ., Guangzhou (China). Sino-French Institute of Nuclear Engineering and Technology; Sun Yat-Sen Univ., Guangzhou (China). School of Materials

Publication Date:

Mon Apr 19 00:00:00 EDT 2021

Research Org.:

Ames Lab., Ames, IA (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:

USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES). Materials Sciences & Engineering Division

OSTI Identifier:

1778693

Report Number(s):

IS-J-10,463
Journal ID: ISSN 2475-9953; TRN: US2209561

Grant/Contract Number:  

AC02-07CH11358

Resource Type:

Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:

Physical Review Materials

Additional Journal Information:

Journal Volume: 5; Journal Issue: 4; Journal ID: ISSN 2475-9953

Publisher:

American Physical Society (APS)

Country of Publication:

United States

Language:

English

Subject:

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS