Crystallization Kinetics Analysis of the Amorphouse Mg72Zn24Ca4 Alloy at the Isothermal Annealing Temperature of 507 K.

This paper presents tests of metallic glass based on Mg72Zn24Ca4 alloy. Metallic glass was made using induction melting and further injection on a rotating copper wheel. A differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) was used to investigate the phase transformation of an amorphous ribbon. The tests were carried out at an isothermal annealing temperature of 507 K. The Kolmogorov-Johnson-Mahl-Avrami-Evans model was used to analyze the crystallization kinetics of the amorphous Mg72Zn24Ca4 alloy. In this model, both Avrami's exponent n and transformation rate constant K were analyzed. Both of these kinetic parameters were examined as a function of time and the solid fraction. The Avrami exponent n value at the beginning of the crystallization process has value n = 1.9 and at the end of the crystallization process has value n = 3.6. The kinetic constant K values change in the opposite way as the exponent n. At the beginning of the crystallization process the constant K has value K = 9.19 × 10-7 s-n (ln(K) = -13.9) and at the end of the crystallization process has the value K = 6.19 × 10-9 s-n (ln(K) = -18.9). These parameters behave similarly, analyzing them as a function of the duration of the isothermal transformation. The exponent n increases and the constant K decreases with the duration of the crystallization process. With such a change of the Avrami exponent n and the transformation rate constant K, the crystallization process is controlled by the 3D growth on predetermined nuclei. Because each metallic glass has a place for heterogeneous nucleation, so called pre-existing nuclei, in which nucleation is strengthened and the energy barrier is lowered. These nuclei along with possible surface-induced crystallization, lead to rapid nucleation at the beginning of the process, and therefore a larger transformed fraction than expected for purely uniform nucleation. These sites are used and saturated with time, followed mainly by homogeneous nucleation. In addition, such a high value of the Avrami exponent n at the end of the crystallization process can cause the impingement effect, heterogeneous distribution of nuclei and the diffusion-controlled grain growth in the Mg72Zn24Ca4 metallic glassy alloy.