Correlation between the thermal change of resistance and the process of devitrification of glassy titanium based alloys

Abstract Investigations were carried out on the temperature dependence of electrical resistance of glassy alloys based on titanium: 52% Ti, 39% Cu, 8% Ni and 1 wt.% Si (A); 39% Ti, 51% Cu, 10 wt.% Ni (B); 60% Ti, 13% Cu and 27 wt.% Ni (C); 50% Ti, 45% Cu and 5 at.% Ni (D), from room temperature up to 30–40 K above the crystallization temperature. It was shown that the temperature coefficients of resistance in the glassy state region are negative for alloys A, C and D and positive for alloy B. After crystallization, with all alloys except C, coefficients are positive. A clear correlation exists between the stepwise process of crystallization of the glassy state and the change of electrical resistance. Each step of devitrification is followed by a discontinuous change (decrease) of the resistance which is caused by the increase of the mean free path of electrons because of the growth of the ordering of the alloy structure.