Thermal stability of amorphous oxide in Al87Ni3Y10 metallic glass

The oxidation behavior of melt-spun Al87Ni3Y10 metallic glass at 873 K is investigated in the present study. The simultaneous presence of aluminum and yttrium in the oxide markedly promotes the thermal stability of the amorphous oxide phase, enabling the growth of the amorphous oxide layer up to ∼100 nm thickness. The stability of the amorphous oxide can be enhanced by suppressing the nucleation of the crystalline oxide at the oxide/matrix interface. The dense structure of aluminum-yttrium oxide due to large difference in ionic radius between aluminum and yttrium ions disturbs the diffusion of oxygen ions through the amorphous oxide layer.