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On the Structural Characterization of a Series of Novel Ni-Nb-Sn Refractory Alloy Glasses

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Michelle L. Tokarz
Affiliation:
Center for Nanomaterials Science, Department of Materials Science and Engineering; University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
John C. Bilello
Affiliation:
Center for Nanomaterials Science, Department of Materials Science and Engineering; University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 Department of Materials Science, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125
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Abstract

Recently refractory alloy glasses of varying Ni, Nb and Sn concentrations were prepared and studied via several characterization methods, including x-ray diffraction via standard lab and synchrotron radiation sources, SEM, and other complementary techniques. A comparison between x-ray diffraction results obtained from synchrotron sources vs. standard lab sources shows the necessity of a low-divergence source in order to distinguish nanoscale crystallites present within an amorphous matrix. The divergence of both sources was determined by comparing the diffraction patterns of a LaB6 standard and noting the deviation from ideal or theoretical Bragg peaks. The crystallites in these glasses comprised between 0 and 7.5 percent by volume, depending upon the specific composition. The results presented here also show a very good sample-to-sample consistency for any given alloy composition. While x-ray diffraction results give information about the average structure, SEM was also performed to understand aspects of individual crystallite size and distribution. By studying results of varying alloy concentrations, it is seen that a very small composition range exists for near-perfect glass formers (as defined by a near zero percentage crystallinity). Radial distribution analysis was also performed for each composition and compared to hard sphere models for each alloy composition. This analysis indicated the presence of intermediate range order beyond the first nearest neighbors as indicated by the divergence of the experimental reduced radial distribution functions from that predicted by the accompanying hard sphere models.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2004

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References

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