Influence of pressure on crystallization kinetics in an Al–Ni–Ce–Fe amorphous alloy

The influence of pressure on crystallization kinetics in an Al-Ni-Ce-Fe amorphous alloy was studied by means of piston-cylinder measurements over a pressure range up to 1.07 GPa. It was found that an applied pressure enhances the primary crystallization of the fcc-Al phase from the amorphous phase, i.e., the growth process of quenched-in Al nuclei in the amorphous Al-Ni-Ce-Fe alloy. The primary crystallization temperature decreases from 187 to 138 degreesC when the pressure increases from 0 to 1.07 GPa. The crystallization temperature for the remaining amorphous phase decreases from 328 to 306 degreesC when the pressure increases from 0 to 0.85 GPa. The negative volume change associated with the growth process of the fcc-Al phase has a significant role in the crystallization kinetics of Al-based amorphous alloys under pressure. (C) 2001 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.