A novel strategy with high targeting performance in designing metallic glasses conducted on the light of melting entropy

ABSTRACT In this study, a new design strategy of metallic glasses is proposed using melting entropy to guide the compositions, which allows for the consideration of intermetallic compounds to serve as the starting materials. The melting entropy based strategy is verified by the detailed studies on the Cu-Zr-Hf alloys. The metallic glass design triggered by intermetallic compounds challenges the traditional cognition that the intermetallic compounds should be preferentially excluded when focusing on the glass formation compositions. This reinforces the viewpoint that low melting entropy is conducive to glass formation. The new strategy is of high targeting performance in search of starting materials to design glasses, distinct from the trial-and-error mode. This study also provides a new perspective for the understanding of glass formation mechanism.