Glass formation enhanced by oxygen in binary Zr-Cu system

We have found that a better glass former can be obtained in the Zr-Cu binary alloys with high oxygen content. However, the best glass former is shifted to different composition as oxygen content changes. Our findings provide an important insight into the mechanism of the oxygen on glass formation, which is a useful guideline for designing new BMGs with low-grade materials and low processing cost. (C) 2010 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.