Structure-forming principles for amorphous metals

The purpose of this research is to establish structure-forming principles that govern the atomic structures of metallic glasses. A structural model based on efficient atomic packing will be discussed and applied to the topological systems that represent most metallic glass alloys. The concept of efficient atomic packing has direct and specific implications regarding the local structure and composition of metallic glasses. Specific solute-to-solvent atomic radius ratios and specific solute concentrations related to these ratios are shown to be preferred in this model, and analysis of a wide range of metallic glass systems shows a very strong correlation with these predicted values. Relationships between atomic size and concentration are discussed, and new insights are proposed based on the current structural model. Possible local atomic configurations (i.e., atomic clusters) are defined based on topological constraints that are derived from the requirement of efficient atomic packing. Experimental observations drawn from the literature that provide support for this model are presented. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.