Thermodynamic limits of crystallization and the prediction of glass formation tendency

We have calculated the T{sub 0} curves for several Al-rare-earth binary alloys to assess the importance of the transport-based resistance to crystallization in the overall glass formation process and the general effectiveness of thermodynamic prediction of glass-forming ability. Our results show that the experimentally observed glass-forming compositions for Al-(Ce, Gd, Ho, Nd, Y, Dy) alloys strongly correlate with the composition range bounded by the T{sub 0} curves associated with the relevant crystalline phases. This indicates that sluggish material transport, together with the tendency for clustering and other types of ordering at medium-range scale, is a key factor governing glass formation in these systems.