High-Pressure Annealing Effect on Glass Transformation Temperature of Zr₄₁Ti₁₄Cu_12.5Ni₁₀Be_22.5 Bulk Metallic Glass

Zr₄₁Ti₁₄Cu_12.5Ni₁₀Be_22.5 bulk metallic glasses (BMG) are annealed at a temperature of 603K under ambient and high pressures in the range of 3-6GPa. The effect of high pressure annealing on the nanocrystallization process of compressed specimens is investigated by x-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry and transmission electron microscopy. Experimental results show that the grain size of the crystalline phase decreases with the increasing pressure. For the Zr₄₁Ti₁₄Cu_12.5Ni₁₀Be_22.5 BMG annealing at 603K in the pressure range of 0-6GPa, the activation energy 159.68kJ/mol and the activation volume ΔV*=0.94cm³/mol are determined. The mechanism for the effects of the high pressure on the nanocrystallization process of the BMG is discussed.