RAPID HEATING OF METALLIC GLASSES

A non-conventional method of heating metallic glasses makes use of the Joule heat produced as a result of electric current flow. The relaxation and crystallization processes due to rapid heating are essentially different from those occurring in conventional heat treatment of metallic glasses. These effects (depending on both kinetic and thermodynamic factors) give unique structures, and consequently unique properties of the material (which would be impossible or very difficult to obtain using other methods of glass heating). The results on the influence of very high heating rates on the properties of metallic glasses indicate that the pulse-heating technique is of particular interest with respect to the improvement in the magnetic properties of metallic glasses. © 1990 Taylor & Francis Ltd.