Evaluation of glass forming ability in ternary Ni 62 (Nb, Ta) 38 alloys

The parameter γ∗ we previously defined has been proved to be valid in predicting the better glass former in several binary alloy systems, but is hard to be applied in the multi-component alloys because the phase diagrams of these alloys are usually not well constructed. In the present work, we attempt to extend the application of parameter γ∗ to a ternary alloy system and predict the better glass former in the Ni62Nb38-xTax (x = 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35) alloys based on the systematic investigation on the phase evolution from Ni62Nb38 to Ni62Ta38. The prediction has been confirmed by the experimental results, indicating the validity of the parameter γ∗ in the Ni62(Nb, Ta)38 ternary alloys.