液态 Zr₃₅Al₂₃Ni₂₂Gd₂₀ 合金的亚稳相分离与双相非晶形成机理

Duplex metallic glass with two amorphous phases has been extensively investigated for desirable strength and plasticity. In this paper, the metastable phase separation and dual amorphous phase formation of liquid Zr₃₅Al₂₃Ni₂₂Gd₂₀ alloy under substantial undercooling condition and rapid cooling condition are studied by drop tube technology. The equilibrium solidification structure consists of three crystalline phases, while the critical undercooling temperature of metastable phase separation is determined to be 516 K (0.37T_L). The separated Zr-rich liquid phase undergoes amorphous transition and becomes amorphous AM-Zr phase with the composition of Zr₄₅Ni₂₃Al₂₃Gd₉ when alloy undercooling is increased to 624 K (0.45T_L). After that, the Gd-rich liquid phase forms amorphous AM-Gd phase with the composition of Gd₃₉Al₂₂Ni₂₀Zr₁₉ at larger undercooling of 714 K (0.52T_L). With the increase of liquid undercooling and cooling rate, the kinetic mechanism of metastable phase separation changes from nucleation and growth type to spinodal decomposition type, and consequently the microstructure of dual amorphous phases transforms from a spherical morphology to a reticular structure. The average hardness and Young’s modulus, which are influenced by free volume, phase volume fraction and structure of dual amorphous phases, exhibit a complex variation of first increasing and then decreasing with the decrease of alloy droplet size. The formation of dual amorphous phases is in favor of the energy dissipation and the generation of multiple shear bands during mechanical compression, which improves the plasticity for this kind of amorphous alloy.