Nano-crystal development and thermal stability of amorphous Al–Ni–Y–Ce alloy

•A novel light weight Al amorphous alloy was developed using melt-spinning method.•Nanoparticles were embedded in the glassy matrix by controlled devitrification.•Good thermal stability up to 530 K was obtained for the amorphous alloy.•The kinetic of the first crystallization stage was studied in non-isothermal mode.•Primary crystallization occurs through three dimensional diffusion growth.

The crystallization kinetics and nanocrystal development of amorphous Al86Ni6Y6Ce2 (at.%) alloy in non-isothermal conditions were investigated through differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction. The kinetic parameters of the first crystallization process were determined by Kissinger and Ozawa methods. The Johnson–Mehl–Avrami equation which was extended to non-isothermal mode was used to interpret the crystallization mechanism. The average amount of Avrami exponent (n = 1.76 ± 0.21) concluded that the primary crystallization process occurs through three dimensional diffusion-controlled growth with decreasing rate. The α-Al nanoparticles about 5–8 nm in size homogeneously embedded in the glassy matrix were formed during primary crystallization.