CRYSTALLIZATION KINETICS AND SPECIFIC-HEAT OF CU60ZR40 GLASSY ALLOY

Cu-Zr alloy with Cu-40at.%Zr was splat quenched to the non-crystalline state using a rotating-drum technique. The glass transition temperatu re and crystallization kinetics of the splat-quenched material have be en studied using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The DSC trac es were taken at seven different heating rates. In all the thermograms , a double glass transition phenomenon as well as double-stage crystal lization have been detected at all the heating rates. The enthalpy rel ease during the crystallization process has been determined by measuri ng the areas below various crystallization peaks. The activation energ y has been evaluated to be 435 kJ mol-1 by continuous heating. In addi tion to the crystallization kinetics, the specific heat of the sample has been determined at four heating rates. The difference in specific heat before and after the glass transition has also been studied as a function of the heating rate. It has been found that this difference d ecreases with increasing heating rate.