On Prediction of Amorphous Phase Forming Compositions in the Iron-Rich Fe-Zr-B Ternary System and Their Synthesis

A thermodynamic model parameter P H-S , which is a product of enthalpy of chemical mixing and mismatch entropy normalized by Boltzmann’s constant, was used as a guiding tool to predict amorphous phase forming compositions in Fe-rich alloys of the Fe-Zr-B system. Attempts were made to evaluate the effect of Zr addition on the P H-S parameter and phase formation by mechanical alloying (MA) and rapid solidification processing (RSP). A systematic evaluation of the P H-S parameter of various binary compounds in the Fe-Zr-B system and ternary alloys indicated ~–7 kJ/mol as a lower bound for the formation of amorphous phase. Model predictions were verified with phase formation in two random compositions in the Fe-rich end of the Fe-Zr-B system synthesized by MA and RSP.