Ca–Mg–Zn–(Ag) bulk metallic glasses prepared by unidirectional quenching

We fabricated ternary Ca–Mg–Zn and quaternary Ca–Mg–Zn–Ag bulk metallic glasses with diameter of 7 mm by unidirectional quenching into water-cooled Ga–In–Sn liquid alloys. It was suggested that the electromagnetic stirring caused by induction eddy current facilitated the glass formation. Glass forming ability of Ca62.5Mg17.5Zn20−xAgx (x = 0, 1, 3, 5, 7, 9) system was dependent on Ag content. It was found that in the system the in-situ formed crystalline phases enhanced the second-stage crystallization, whereas there seemed no contribution to the third-stage crystallization.