Metallic glasses exhibit unique mechanical properties. For metallic glass composites (MGC), composed of dispersed nanocrystalline phases in an amorphous matrix, these properties can be enhanced or deteriorated depending on the volume fraction and size distribution of the crystalline phases. Understanding the evolution of crystalline phases during devitrification of bulk metallic glasses upon heating is key to realizing the production of these composites. Here, results are presented from a combination of in situ small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS and WAXS) measurements during heating of Zr-based metallic glass samples at rates ranging from 102 to 104 Ks-1 with a time resolution of 4ms. By combining a detailed analysis of scattering experiments with numerical simulations, for the first time, it is shown how the amount of oxygen impurities in the samples influences the early stages of devitrification and changes the dominant nucleation mechanism from homogeneous to heterogeneous. During melting, the oxygen rich phase becomes the dominant crystalline phase whereas the main phases dissolve. The approach used in this study is well suited for investigation of rapid phase evolution during devitrification, which is important for the development of MGC. Oxygen impurities impact on phase-transformations during rapid heating of Zr-based metallic glass Zr59.3Cu28.8Al10.4Nb1.5 is thoroughly investigated using a multi-technique approach. During devitrification, the extracted phase evolutions reveal that the phase fraction hierarchy correlates with the oxygen impurity concentration. Numerical simulations with a heterogeneous nucleation mode capture the experimental observations. During melting, the oxygen-rich phase becomes the dominant phase. image

Fe-based metal amorphous nanocomposites, consisting of dispersed nanocrystallites within an amorphous metallic glass matrix, are used as low-loss soft-magnetic components in energy conversion devices. The nanocrystallites are formed by partial devitrification of the amorphous matrix and the properties of the composite are a result of the devitrification process. Understanding the rate-dependent crystallisation kinetics is therefore essential for tailoring the properties of such nanocomposites. In this study, we monitor the devitrification process in situ during rapid heating of metallic glasses with composition (Fe0.75Co0.25)95−xNb5Bx, x=15, 20 at.%, by using high-energy wide angle X-ray scattering. The results are compared to samples devitrified at low heating rates, analysed using differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction, and magnetometry. Additionally, we present a model describing the crystallisation kinetics based on classical nucleation and growth theory coupled with thermodynamic data for a generalised Fe-B system. The model successfully reproduces the onset of devitrification as a function of time, temperature, and B-concentration, thereby providing valuable insights for the design of advanced soft-magnetic metal amorphous nanocomposites.