Strengthening mechanisms in Al-based and Zr-based amorphous nanocomposites

Devitrified Al-based and Zr-based amorphous alloy nanocomposites with nanoscale precipitates of element, compound or quasicrystalline particles are regarded as new prospective structural materials with good mechanical properties. In order to analyse the strengthening behaviour of the partially devitrified amorphous nanocomposites, a phase mixture model is presented, in which the partially crystallised Al-based or the Zr-based amorphous alloys is regarded as a nanocomposite of nanoscale particles and the remaining amorphous matrix. Most attention is paid to the change of solute concentration in the matrix. The element, compound or quasicrystalline particles are treated as perfect materials. The matrices are treated as amorphous materials, in which the solute concentrations change depending on the solute concentration and volume fraction of precipitate particles. Investigating the solute concentration changes associated with overall mechanical properties could prove that the phase mixture model can successfully describe the strengthening mechanism in the devitrified Al-based and Zr-based amorphous nanocomposites.