Impurity oxygen redistribution in a nanocrystallized Zr65Cr15Al10Pd10 metallic glass

Abstract
We report atom probe results on impurity oxygen dissolution in a Zr65Cu15Al10Pd10 metallic glass and its redistribution during nanocrystallization. Approximately 0.1 at. % impurity oxygen is detected from the as-melt-spun Zr65Cu15Al10Pd10 metallic glass. Oxygen redistribution occurs during annealing. In some crystallites, oxygen up to 4 at. % is detected, and virtually no oxygen is dissolved in the remaining amorphous phase. This result directly demonstrates that impurity oxygen promotes the crystallization by forming metastable phases containing high content oxygen and thereby influences the kinetics of crystallization.