Influence of yttrium addition on the glass forming ability in Cu–Zr–Al alloys

The effects of yttrium addition on the glass forming ability and mechanical properties of (Cu0.48Zr0.48Al0.04)100−xYx (numbers indicate at.%) alloys are investigated. It is found that the liquidus temperature does not change significantly with yttrium addition. The atomic level strain energy plays a role in destabilizing the competitive crystal phases. The atomic strain energy is closely related to the atomic packing efficiency of the precipitated crystalline phases. A small amount of yttrium addition increases the yield strength and slightly decreases the room temperature ductility.