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Highly Refined Microstructures in Devitrified Alloys
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 February 2011
Abstract
The formation of nanosized microstructures from controlled devitrification of amorphous alloys is reviewed. The driving force for copious nucleation of crystals is discussed in terms of thermodynamic models for the free energy of crystallization and for the interfacial free energy. After fast nucleation and growth of crystals to nanometric size, there are evidences of a change in diffusion mechanism to slow growth. Examples are provided of primary processes in Fe-Zr-B and Al-Sm with data of XRD, TEM, DSC. Cases of eutectic and polymorphic transformations are also at hand (Ni-P, Cu-Ti-Al, Cu-Ti-Ni, Ti-Zr-Co-Cu-Al) showing that the thermodynamic and kinetic conditions leading to nanostructured materials are not unique.
Finally chemical effects are discussed such as those of impurities in crystallization (e. g. Zr-based alloys), in leaching of Ni-Zr-Al and in deposition reaction of electroless Ni-P.
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- Copyright © Materials Research Society 1996
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