GIBBS FREE-ENERGY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE GLASS AND CRYSTALLINE PHASESOF A NI-ZR ALLOY

The heats of eutectic melting and devitrification, and the specific he ats of the crystalline, glass, and liquid phases have been measured fo r a Ni24Zr76 alloy. The data are used to calculate the Gibbs free-ener gy difference, DELTAG(AC), between the real glass and the crystal on a n assumption that the liquid-glass transition is second order. The res ult shows that DELTAG(AC) continuously increases as the temperature de creases in contrast to the ideal glass case where DELTAG(AC) is assume d to be independent of temperature.