Thermodynamic limits of crystallization and the prediction of glass formation tendency

We have calculated the T(0) curves for several Al-rare-earth binary alloys to assess the importance of the transport-based resistance to crystallization in the overall glass formation process and the general effectiveness of thermodynamic prediction of glass-forming ability. Our results show that the experimentally observed glass-forming compositions for Al-(Ce, Gd, Ho, Nd, Y, Dy) alloys strongly correlate with the composition range bounded by the T(0) curves associated with the relevant crystalline phases. This indicates that sluggish material transport, together with the tendency for clustering and other types of ordering at medium-range scale, is a key factor governing glass formation in these systems.