Glass-forming range in mechanically alloyed Ni-Zr and the influence of the milling intensity

Abstract
Amorphous Ni‐Zr powders have been prepared by mechanical alloying from crystalline elemental powders. The glass‐forming range has been determined by x‐ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry and saturation magnetization measurements. From 27 to 83 at. % Ni the powders become amorphous. This shows that deep eutectics do not play any role, contrary to amorphization by melt spinning. Crystallization temperatures, crystallization enthalpies, and wave numbers Q p , obtained from x‐ray diffraction investigations, are compared with the data received for rapidly quenched samples. In addition, the effect of the milling intensity on the glass formation has been studied for the first time. If the intensity is too high, crystalline intermetallic phases are formed. On the other hand, the powder needs an extended milling time to become completely amorphous if the milling intensity is too low. Conclusions on the actual temperature of the individual particle during mechanical alloying and on the glass‐forming process are drawn from these results.