Electron beam and pulsed laser irradiation of glass-forming CrTa and CrZrGe alloys

Preliminary results are reported on the application of (1) an electron beam, (2) a pulsed laser whose pulse duration is of the order of about 0.5 msec, and (3) a pulsed laser of about 35 nsec pulse duration, to the surface of one binary Cr-Ta and three ternary Cr-Zr-Ge alloys. In order to enhance the possibility of producing a metallic glass through these irradiations, each of the alloys was prepared in a eutectic or near-eutectic region of the respective phase diagram. Irradiation produced homogenization and grain refinement in the Cr-Ta alloy surface, but no amorphous phase was detected. The ternary alloys, however, produced both metallic glass and a fine-grained FCC structure. 6 references.