Design of new Zr–Al–Ni–Cu bulk metallic glasses

Five new Zr–Al–Ni–Cu bulk metallic glasses were designed by the average conduction electron concentration e/a and average atomic radius Ra criteria on the condition of the weak constraint condition of melting heat ΔHm. We investigated the relationships between critical dimension Zmax and such parameters as e/a, Ra, difference in atomic radius ΔR, ΔHm, under-cooled liquid region ΔTx, reduced glass transition temperature Trg, Kgl and γ. The results show that e/a, Ra, ΔR and ΔHm are all strongly related to glass-forming ability (GFA) of alloys. Zr62.5Al12.1Cu7.95Ni17.45 owns best thermal stability and GFA among five new Zr–Al–Ni–Cu bulk metallic glasses. Kgl, and γ are better than ΔTx and Trg at the point of the description of GFA of alloys. In addition, the compositions of glass-forming alloys with best GFA do not locate at but near to eutectic point.