Direct TEM Observation of Phase Separation and Crystallization in Cu45Zr45Ag10 Metallic Glass

Hui Wang, Shang-Gang Xiao, Tao Zhang, Qiang Xu, Zeng-Qian Liu, Meng-Yue Wu, Frans Tichelaar, Henny Zandbergen

Fig. 4 HAADF images showing the microstructure evolution of Cu45Zr45Ag10 amorphous alloy at 300 °C a, b and 380 °C c, d at a heating rate of 20 K/min. The growth and coalescence of Ag-rich nanospheres occur and a few Cu-rich nanocrystals precipitate at 300 °C (as indicated by bright arrow in b). Ag-rich nanospheres aggregate in a manner similar to grain boundary segregation in crystalline alloys (schemed by blue broken lines), followed by the rapid precipitation of Cu-rich nanocrystals in the remaining amorphous matrix at 380 °C c, d