Structure and crystallization kinetics of a Cu50Zr45Ti5 glassy alloy

The crystallization kinetics and structure changes in a melt-spun Cu50Zr45Ti5 glassy alloy on heating were investigated by X-ray diffractometry, transmission electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and differential isothermal calorimetry. The glassy phase in the Cu50Zr45Ti5 alloy was crystallized forming Cu10Zr7 and CuZr2 phases upon thermal annealing. The activation energy for crystallization obtained by the Arrhenius equation was 435 kJ/mol. The crystallization process took place by nucleation and growth mechanism, and an Avrami exponent of about 3.3 may indicate a three-dimensional interface-controlled growth of nuclei with a decreasing nucleation rate.