Crystallization behavior of Fe62Nb8−xZrxB30 bulk amorphous alloy

The effect of Zr addition on the glass-forming ability has been investigated in the Fe62Nb8−xZrxB30 bulk amorphous alloy system by thermal (differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and differential thermal analysis (DTA)) and structural (X-ray diffractometry (XRD) and high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM)) analysis. Zr addition reduces the bulk glass-forming ability (BGFA) and changes the microstructure obtained after crystallization. The Kissinger method was used to estimate the activation energy (Ea) of crystallization. A strong correlation between Ea and BGFA parameters was observed. Among the crystallization products the metastable Fe23B6 phase appeared, which is probably a consequence of the Nb content in the alloy.