REVIEW OF STRUCTURAL RELAXATION MODELS WITH THE MUTUAL CORRELATION OFTHEIR ACTIVATION ENTHALPIES

The structural relaxation behaviour of metallic and chalcogenide glass es as indicated by DSC-measured apparent specific head c(p,a)(T) (irre versible structural relaxation exotherm, annealing-induced endotherms and the glass transition lambda-shaped effect) is explained by several three parameter models assuming a spectrum of elementary independent processes having a spectrum of relaxation times g(tau(j)) and first or der kinetics. The Distribution of non-linear relaxation model paramete rs DELTAH(DNLR), DELTAS(DNLR)* and K(DNLR) and a knowledge of a detai led thermal history of the sample are shown to be sufficient to interp ret simultaneously all of the observed relaxation phenomena. The Kissi nger, Moynihan, Activation-energy-spectrum and Free-volume-model activ ation enthalpies DELTAH(Kiss), DELTAH(Kiss)*, DELTAH(M)*, DELTAH(AESj ) and DELTAH(FV)* are discussed in relation to the DNLR model paramet ers.