Quenched-in quasicrystal medium-range order and pair distribution function study on Zr55Cu35Al10 bulk metallic glass

The quasicrystals phase was found in a crystallized Zr55Cu35Al10 bulk metallic glass by X-ray analyses. Pair-distribution-function (PDF) studies on as-cast and partially crystallized states were performed by neutron scattering measurements. The PDF study shows that a medium-range order exists in the as-cast metallic glass. The investigation on the partial crystallization confirms that the local structures of the metallic glass consist of a quenched-in icosahedral medium-range order, which contribute to the quasicrystallization by reheating.