Role of elastostatic loading and cyclic cryogenic treatment on relaxation behavior of Ce-based amorphous alloy

In this work, Ce65Cu15Al10Ni8Co2 bulk metallic glass was annealed at sub-Tg and then elastostatically and cryogenically was loaded and treated, respectively. X-ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis was carried out to show amorphousness of treated alloys, and enthalpy variations and specific heat capacity were evaluated using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The results showed that the designed treatment procedure leads to the recovery of relaxation, i.e. rejuvenation, from the relaxed state to the as-cast condition. It is suggested that the generation of free volume and the structural rearrangements, appeared in the abnormal behavior of DSC curves, are responsible for recovery of relaxation. It is also found that the primary elastostatic loading facilitates the subsequent rejuvenation evolution caused by the cryogenic cycling process.

Automated summary

In this study, Ce65Cu15Al10Ni8Co2 bulk metallic glass was annealed below the sub-Tg and then elastostatically and cryogenically loaded and treated. XRD analysis confirmed the amorphous nature of the alloys, while DSC was used to evaluate enthalpy variations and specific heat capacity. The results showed that the designed treatment procedure leads to the recovery of relaxation, with free volume generation and structural rearrangements playing a key role. Additionally, it was found that primary elastostatic loading facilitates the subsequent rejuvenation process during cryogenic cycling.