Partial amorphization of a Cu-Zr-Ti alloy by high pressure torsion

High pressure torsion was applied to produce disk-shape specimen of Cu 60 Zr 20 Ti 20 composition. Radial dependence of the microstructure was monitored by x-ray diffraction, scanning, and transmission electron microscopies. The disk consists of a top surface layer, homogeneous on a micrometer scale with an average thickness of 10 - 20 μ m , and an inhomogeneous bulk region of 200 μ m thickness. Calorimetric studies revealed that the disk contains detectable amount of amorphous phase. Characteristics of this amorphous content were compared to a fully amorphous melt-quenched Cu 60 Zr 20 Ti 20 ribbon.