Predicting metallic glass formation from properties of the high temperature liquid

Abstract Glass formation is an interesting phenomenon in condensed matter. Many studies have shown that the reduced glass transition temperature, Tg/Tl (where Tg and Tl are the glass transition and liquidus temperature), and the liquid fragility, m, play an important role in metallic glass formation. The combination of these parameters can lead to a predictive formula for the maximum casting thickness for the glass. However, Tg and m can only be determined after the glass is made. Here, a new prediction formula is given that uses only properties of the high temperature liquid. The method works well in most, but not all, cases. It fails when the atomic structures of the liquid and primary crystallizing phases are similar; this lowers the crystal nucleation barrier and makes glass formation more difficult. We first demonstrate the importance of including the liquid and crystal structures in a truly predictive method for glass formation.