Viscosity and fragility of the supercooled and superheated liquids of the Ni60Zr30Al10 metallic glass-forming alloy

The viscosity of the Ni60Zr30Al10 metallic glass-forming alloy was investigated in the supercooled liquid state and the glass transition region through the dilatation method as well as differential-scanning calorimetry. The calculation of the supercooled fragility, with m=78, indicates that this metallic glass former belongs to intermediate category that, kinetically, behaves between strong and fragile. The viscosity of this alloy in the superheated liquid was also studied using high temperature torsional oscillation viscometer. The calculated result of the superheated fragility, M=1.34, predicts that Ni60Zr30Al10 can form glass in advance.