Glass to Icosahedral Phase Transformation in Zr-based Glassy Metals

<jats:title>ABSTRACT</jats:title><jats:p>Electrical properties of icosahedral phases (I-phase) that precipitated in Zr<jats:sub>65</jats:sub>Al<jats:sub>7.5</jats:sub>Cu<jats:sub>7.5</jats:sub>Ni<jats:sub>10</jats:sub>M<jats:sub>10</jats:sub> (M=Ag, Pd), Zr<jats:sub>65</jats:sub>Al<jats:sub>7.5</jats:sub>Cu<jats:sub>1.25</jats:sub>Ni<jats:sub>10</jats:sub>M<jats:sub>5</jats:sub> (M=Ag, Pd), Zr<jats:sub>65</jats:sub>Pd<jats:sub>25</jats:sub>Ni<jats:sub>10</jats:sub> and Zr<jats:sub>70</jats:sub>Pd<jats:sub>20</jats:sub>Ni<jats:sub>10</jats:sub> metallic glasses have been investigated. In-situ resistivity change with increasing temperature was measured at a heating rate of 0.67 K/s from room temperature. I-phase transformation was occurred in the supercooled liquid phase for Zr-Al-Cu-Ni-M glasses, followed by the crystallization to stable Zr<jats:sub>2</jats:sub>Ni- and Zr<jats:sub>2</jats:sub>Cu-type crystals. Ternary glasses exhibited the I-phase crystallization from the glass solid phase and subsequently the transformation of I-phase to crystal phases like Zr<jats:sub>2</jats:sub>Ni and Zr<jats:sub>2</jats:sub>Pd. The resistivity of I-phase decreased together with advancing I-phase precipitation, about 2 % compared to the resistivity of the supercooled liquid phase, for typical Zr<jats:sub>65</jats:sub>Al<jats:sub>7.5</jats:sub>Cu<jats:sub>7.5</jats:sub>Ni<jats:sub>10</jats:sub>Ag<jats:sub>10</jats:sub> glass. On the other hand, Zr<jats:sub>70</jats:sub>Pd<jats:sub>20</jats:sub>Ni<jats:sub>10</jats:sub> glass showed the resistivity increment of about 5 % just after completing I-phase crystallization. Low temperature conductivity of Zr<jats:sub>65</jats:sub>Al<jats:sub>7.5</jats:sub>Cu<jats:sub>7.5</jats:sub>Ni<jats:sub>10</jats:sub>Ag<jats:sub>10</jats:sub> and Zr<jats:sub>70</jats:sub>Pd<jats:sub>20</jats:sub>Ni<jats:sub>10</jats:sub> glasses and I-phases may be explained by the weak localization model of conduction electron in the range from about 20 K to room temperature.</jats:p>