| Abstract Scope |
Studying phase transitions and metastable phase formation in metals is generally difficult because of their rapid nucleation and growth kinetics. However, when applying fast differential scanning calorimetry (FDSC) to slowly transforming bulk metallic glasses, we can explore new phase transition pathways and study the sequences of metastable phase formation. Applying FDSC, we can also explore novel glass states and determine their stochastics of nucleation [1]. Via rapid heating we are further able to surpass metastable-to-stable solid phase transitions, and thus isolate and melt the metastable phases to determine their thermophysical properties in detail. In this way we can study multistep crystallization and melting pathways in metals, and construct the corresponding energy-temperature diagrams including metastable phases [2]. In fact, we show that even simple binary alloys can reveal multiple melting points.
[1] J.E.K. Schawe, J.F. Löffler, Nature Comm. 10, 1337 (2019).
[2] G. Kurtuldu, J.F. Löffler, Adv. Science 7, 1903544 (2020). |