Formation of a metallic glass by thermal decomposition of Fe(CO)5

Abstract
Iron pentacarbonyl has been thermally decomposed in an organic liquid. Mössbauer spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction studies show that the sample contains small particles of a metallic glass. Annealing of the particles at 523 K results in crystallization of the particles into a mixture of α-Fe and χ-Fe5 C2. The mechanism of glass formation is discussed.