Electrical resistivity behavior in Pd–Cu–Ni–P metallic glasses and liquids

The change in the electrical resistivity with vitrification was examined for Pd40Ni40P20, Pd43Cu27Ni10P20 and Pd42.5Cu30Ni7.5P20 melts. Each melt was flux-treated for 6–10 days at 1300 K prior to the resistivity experiment. Undercooled liquid regions below the liquidus temperature were about 80 and 200 K for Pd40Ni40P20 and Pd43Cu27Ni10P20 melts, respectively. The vitrification succeeded only in a Pd42.5Cu30Ni7.5P20 melt. In this case, the resistivity of the melt continued to increase with decreasing temperatures and connected smoothly to the resistivity of the bulk glass through the undercooled liquid region. Two resistivity curves, obtained by cooling the melt and heating the bulk glass, indicated a distinct hysteresis from about 500 to 670 K. This may be explained phenomenologically by the free volume quenched on cooling and its approaching towards equilibrium on heating.