Correlation between flow units and crystallization in metallic glasses

Abstract The relationship between metastable and intrinsic inhomogeneous amorphous structure and the crystallization of metallic glasses (MGs) is not yet well explored. We have found a correlation between the flow unit, which can model the structural heterogeneity and explain the thermal relaxations, glass transition and plastic deformation phenomenon in MGs, and enthalpy of crystallization of MGs. The results help to understand the atomic scale evolution during nucleation and growth in the crystallization process and the nature of metallic glass.