Crystallization kinetics of amorphous solids under pressure

The pressure effect on crystallization kinetics of amorphous solids was investigated by means of thermodynamic analysis. A model was developed to describe the nucleation process under pressure by considering the crystalline/amorphous (c/a) interface that plays a dominant role in the nucleation process. Applying the model to three types of crystallization process, polymorphous (a-Se), primary (Al89La6Ni5), and eutectic (Ni80P20), we found the calculated results can give reasonable explanations for the experimental observations. The calculation suggests that for a-Se and Ni80P20 amorphous alloy, the initial stage of nucleation is a volume expansion process due to the c/a interface formation, resulting in an increase in the nucleation work with an increment of pressure. Hence the crystallization temperature of the amorphous phase rises when a pressure is applied, while for the Al-La-Ni amorphous alloy, the nucleation barrier decreases at higher pressures. The coincidence between the calculation and the experimental results illustrates that the cia interface formation is the governing factor in the crystallization kinetics of the amorphous solids. [S0163-1829(99)03534-1].