New Gd-Al nanophase obtained by crystallization of Gd4Al3 metallic glass

Crystallization behavior of Gd₄Al₃ metallic glass has been studied by X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetric. It has been found that the crystallization of Gd₄Al₃ glass is a two-stage process with the first stage occurring at 710 K — 715 K and the second — at approximately 770 K. The product of the first stage in the crystallization of Gd₄Al₃ glass has been identified as a Gd₄Al₃ nanophase having a primitive tetragonal (t) lattice with parameters A = b = 15.4893(8) Å, C = 5.3020(5) Å Nanophase t-Gd₄Al₃, has been found to decompose into well-known tetragonal Gd₃Al₂ and cubic GdAl, which are the products of the second stage in the crystallization of Gd₄Al₃ glass. The kinetics of the crystallization of Gd₄Al₃ glass and the morphology of t-Gd₄Al₃ nanophase has also been easily described.