Large supercooled liquid region and phase separation in the Zr[endash]Ti[endash]Ni[endash]Cu[endash]Be bulk metallic glasses

Results of calorimetric, differential thermal analysis, and structural measurements are presented for a series of bulk metallic glass forming compositions in the Zr[endash]Ti[endash]Cu[endash]Ni[endash]Be alloy system. The calorimetric data for five alloys, prepared along the tie line between phase separating and nonphase separating compositions, show that the transition from phase separating to nonphase separating behavior is smooth. The bulk glasses near the center of the tie line exhibit large supercooled liquid regions: [Delta]T[approx]135 K, the largest known for a bulk metallic glass. [copyright] [ital 1999 American Institute of Physics.]