Properties of the quaternary amorphous alloy Pd40Ni40B10P10

A quaternary amorphous alloy Pd40Ni40B10P10 was prepared in bulk form without the use of B2O3 flux and compared with its ternary counterpart, Pd40Ni40P20. Neutron and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were employed to check the amorphicity of the samples, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was used to study the thermal stability of the alloy. The electronic structures of the two alloys were studied experimentally by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and compared with experiments on the pure metals, Pd and Ni. The results suggest that, rather than being precipitated, boron atoms have been incorporated into the alloy as a replacement for phosphorus. The electronic structure of the valence band is also similar in the two alloys. With the addition of boron, glass-forming ability is demonstrated without the need for any fluxing compound.