Eutectic-to-metallic glass transition in the Al–Sm system

A systematic experimental study is carried out to investigate microstructure selection over a very wide range of undercooling at the interface in the Al–Sm system by using a combination of the Bridgman, laser and melt spinning techniques, which give increasing interface undercooling. Eutectic microstructure forms at low undercooling, while metallic glass forms at very large undercooling. Experiments are designed to obtain a sharp transition from the eutectic to glass during the growth of eutectic as the interface undercooling increases with growth. The eutectic spacing at the transition is characterized, and the results are analyzed by using a model of eutectic growth that incorporates non-equilibrium effects at the interface. It is shown that a very large undercooling at the interface, required for glass formation, is obtained due to the combined effects of the sharp decrease in the diffusion coefficient, or the sharp increase in viscosity of the liquid, with undercooling in this system and the large undercooling required for the attachment kinetics at the compound–liquid interface in the eutectic structure.