Influence of the treatment of melt on the properties of amorphous materials: ribbons, bulks and glass coated microwires

Modern concepts of the structure of liquid metals and alloys are analyzed. Several types of microinhomogeneity and microheterogeneity of liquid metallic solutions are shown to exist. Their structure depends on their composition and pre-history. Using temperature and pressure variations and/or other physical effects, one can modify the structure. These changes retain down to liquidus and affect the structure and properties of the solidified alloy if the melt is cooled at appropriate cooling rate. This investigation focus on the effects of melt overheating above the liquids. Optimal thermal melting modes are specified using the results on liquid alloys structure and properties. Such optimized thermal treatment of melts (OTTM) is shown to be most efficient for rapidly quenched (RQ) metallic materials. The OTTM effects upon the structure and properties of amorphous ribbons, bulk amorphous alloys and glass coated microwires are analyzed.