Field of Expertise: Advanced Material Science

High-resolution laser dilatometry applied to volume equilibration phenomena in a Zr-based bulk metallic glass
Martin Luckabauer
15:20 - 17:30 Thursday 24 October 2013 Foyer Alte Technik

Most models describing the glass transition are based on experimental or simulation data that were obtained from the supercooled liquid state, i.e., at temperatures above the glass transition. The slowing down of molecular or atomic motion occurring at the glass transition temperature Tg upon cooling complicates the access of kinetic processes with common measurement techniques at lower temperatures. However, possible changes around or below Tg regarding the structural dynamics are believed to yield key parameters in understanding the glass transition.

In this talk some insight on how to examine the equilibration processes in the sub- Tg regime will be given applying the method of high-resolution LASER dilatometry. This technique involves contactless measurements with a 2-beam Michelson laser-interferometer with access to time constants of up to 1 x 106 s and with a length change resolution of up to 10 nm. As an example experimental results for the bulk metallic glass Zr52.5Cu17.9Ni14.6Al10Ti5 (Vitreloy105) are presented. Financial support by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) is appreciated (project P22645-N20).