On the glass transition temperature and the elastic properties in Zr-based bulk metallic glasses

The temperature dependence of the elastic moduli was estimated from ultrasound time of flight measurements performed on bulk metallic glasses of composition Zr63-xCu24AlxNi10Co3. Using the corresponding values at the glass transition temperature, the local atomic strain was determined. The obtained values for the critical atomic strain calculated for 8 at% < x < 15 at% are close to the predicted universal criterion derived from a topological model, but may also reflect the difference in the chemical interaction that are not accounted by a topological approach.