A predicting model for determination of glass-forming compositions in Hf-Cu-Al(Ti, Ni) systems

One of the unsolved fundamental problems in the production of bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) is related to the development of a method/model for predicting local areas of amorphization in metallic glasses. Despite decades of intensive research, there are no reliable and physically based methods for predicting the compositions of multicomponent metal alloys with high glass-forming ability. Here, we propose a new model for predicting BMG compositions with approbation on Hf-Cu-Al(Ti,Ni) systems. Using new parameters Θ X − Y ( X ) , Θ X − Y ( Y ) , we predict the areas of formation of glass-forming compositions through search for a minimum of product of P _HSS and Г parameters (where, P _HSS - product of mixing enthalpy, configurational entropy and mismatch entropy; Г – geometric factor). Also, the proposed model predicts amorphous compositions in metallic systems by analyzing P _HSS versus D _max (maximum critical diameter). As a result, Hf _0.23Cu _0.65Ti _0.12, Hf _0.54Cu _0.18Ni _0.28, Hf _0.42Cu _0.48Al _0.10 were successfully identified as the compositions with the best glass-forming ability (GFA). Our findings open up prospects for the development of reliable theoretical methods for predicting new metallic glasses.