Thermal and electronic properties of amorphous Al₈₇Y₈Ni_5-xTM_x(TM=Mn, Fe, Co, Cu)

Abstract

The thermal and electronic properties of amorphous Al87Y8Ni3TM2 (TM=Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu) and Al87Y8Ni5-xFex (x=0, 2, 3, 5) alloys have been investigated. Thermal analysis studies have shown that all alloys studied, except Al87Y8Fe5, undergo a primary crystallization process which involves a precipitation of FCC-Al followed by a eutectic crystallization process to an intermetallic compound. Al87Y8Fe5 undergoes eutectic crystallization directly and shows the highest crystallization temperature, 593 K, of the alloys studied. Alloys which do not contain Fe show resistivities which are well described by the Ziman-Faber model for structurally disordered materials. Fe-containing alloys show electronic properties which suggest the influence of magnetic interactions. The magnitude and temperature dependence of the resistivity show compositional variations which can be related to thermal stability.