FORMATION OF BULK METALLIC GLASSES IN NEODYMIUM-BASED ALLOYS

Bulk amorphous Nd-Al-TM (TM = transition metal) alloy rods with diameters up to 6 mm have been produced using a mould-casting method. X-ray and electron diffraction experiments reveal that these rods are in an amorphous state. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements show that the DSC curves of the amorphous rods are similar to those of the rapidly quenched ribbon samples with the same composition. The low liquidus temperatures and relatively high reduced glass temperatures T(rg), combined with the large atomic-size variation in these alloys, are important factors in helping to explain their superior glass-forming ability.