TRANSIENT ORDERED STATES DURING RELAXATION FROM A QUENCHED DISORDEREDSTATE TO AN EQUILIBRIUM DISORDERED STATE

We have investigated the kinetics of a ternary system using the cluste r variation method and the path probability method in the pair approxi mation. From the calculated metastable phase diagram and kinetic path of the system, we demonstrated the existence of transient ordered stat es during the relaxation from the completely disordered state to the e quilibrium disordered state due to the difference of relaxation time f or the three species of atoms in ternary alloy. This suggests that it is possible to obtain an ordered state in a quenching process of terna ry alloy in the disordered phase region of equilibrium phase diagram.