Properties of (TiZrNbCu) 1-x Ni x metallic glasses

Recent studies (J. Alloys Compd. 695 (2017) 2661) of the electronic structure and properties of (TiZrNbCu)1-xNix (x ≤ 0.25) amorphous high entropy alloys (a-HEA) have been extended to x = 0.5 in order to compare behaviours of a-HEA and conventional Ni-base metallic glasses (MG). The amorphous state of all samples was verified by thermal analysis and X-ray diffraction (XRD). XRD indicated a probable change in local atomic arrangements, i.e. short-range-order (SRO) for x ≥ 0.35. Simultaneously, thermal parameters, such as the first crystallization temperature Tx and the liquidus temperature showed a tendency to saturate for x ≥ 0.35. The same tendency also appeared in the magnetic susceptibility χexp and the linear term in the low temperature specific heat γ. The Debye temperatures and Young's moduli also tend to saturate for x ≥ 0.35. These unusual changes in SRO and all properties within the amorphous phase seem correlated with the change of valence electron number (VEC) on increasing x.