Metallic Glacial Glass Formation by a First-Order Liquid–Liquid Transition
Jun Shen, Zhaoping Lü, J. Q. Wang, Si Lan, Fei Zhang, Akihiko Hirata, Mingwei Chen, Xun‐Li Wang, Ping Wen, Yonghao Sun, H. Y. Bai, W. H. Wang
Abstract
The glacial phase, with an apparently glassy structure, can be formed by a first-order transition in some molecular-glass-forming supercooled liquids. Here we report the formation of metallic glacial glass (MGG) from the precursor of a rare-earth-element-based metallic glass via the first-order phase transition in its supercooled liquid. The excellent glass-forming ability of the precursor ensures the MGG to be successfully fabricated into bulk samples (with a minimal critical diameter exceeding 3 mm). Distinct enthalpy, structure, and property changes are detected between MGG and metallic glass, and the reversed "melting-like" transition from the glacial phase to the supercooled liquid is observed in fast differential scanning calorimetry. The kinetics of MGG formation is reflected by a continuous heating transformation diagram, with the phase transition pathways measured at different heating rates taken into account. The finding supports the scenario of liquid-liquid transition in metallic-glass-forming liquids.