Glass formation criterion for various glass-forming systems

A conceptual approach to evaluate glass-forming ability for various glass-forming systems has been proposed from a physical metallurgy point of view. It was found that the glass-forming ability for noncrystalline materials was related mainly to two factors, i.e., 1/(T-g+T-l) and T-x (wherein T-x is the onset crystallization temperature, T (g) the glass transition temperature, and T-l the liquidus temperature), and could be predicated by a unified parameter gamma defined as T-x/(T-g+T-l). This approach was confirmed and validated by experimental data in various glass-forming systems including oxide glasses, cryoprotectants, and metallic glasses.