Stability and thermodynamics of primary precipitation in supercooled Pd–Cu–Ni–P melt

The crystallization kinetics of an undercooled Pd 40 Cu 30 Ni 10 P 20 melt were examined for samples of different weights. The thermal stability of the melt was strongly influenced by the sample weight. This phenomenon is interpreted under the assumption that the nucleation event of a crystalline phase is dominated by statistical probability. It is, therefore, concluded that the thermal stability and the critical quenching rate R c of the supercooled melt are dependent on sample weight. The origin for the high glass-forming ability for the Pd 40 Cu 30 Ni 10 P 20 alloy is also discussed in view of thermodynamic features of the primary precipitating nucleus.