Kinetics and crystallization path of a Fe-based metallic glass alloy

The thermal stability and the quantification of the different transformation processes involved in the overall crystallization of the FeCrMoCB amorphous alloy were investigated by several characterization techniques. Formation of various metastable and stable phases during the devitrification process in the sequence α-Fe, χ-CrFeMo, M(C,B), MC, η-FeMoC and FeMoB (with M = Fe, Cr, Mo), was observed by in-situ synchrotron high energy X-ray diffraction and in-situ transmission electron microscopy. By combining these techniques with differential scanning calorimetry data, the crystallization states and their temperature range of stability under continuous heating were related with the evolution of the crystallized fraction and the phase sequence as a function of temperature, revealing structural and chemical details of the different transformation mechanisms.We acknowledge T. Harzer and A. Szczepaniak for their great assistance in sample preparation for in-situ TEM measurements. D.C. acknowledges the support of MINECO (Grant FIS2014-54734-P) and Generalitat de Catalunya (Grant 2014SGR00581). Portions of this research were carried out at the light source Petra III at Desy, a member of the Helmholtz Associatioin (HGF).Peer Reviewe