Compilation of the fragility parameters for several glass-forming metallic alloys

The fragility parameter, m, in the general classification scheme of glass-forming liquids has been estimated from data provided in the literature for viscosity measurements close to and below the calorimetric glass transition temperature for 21 metallic alloys consisting of ternary, quaternary and quinary alloys. These alloys are found to display an intermediate fragility strength with 32 less than or equal to m less than or equal to 66 and an average of m approximate to 50. Of this group of alloys, the bulk metallic glass formers (those with critical cooling rates less than 100 K s(-1)) are stronger liquids with m lying between 30 and 40. There appears to be a general positive correlation between exceptionally good glass-forming ability and stronger dynamical behaviour of supercooled metallic liquids.