On the nature of the glass transition in metallic glasses

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

The glass transition, observed in glasses during differential scanning calorimetry experiments at a constant heating rate, is described as a kinetic phenomenon caused by the continuous approach of free volume towards equilibrium during the warming up. At a certain temperature below the glass temperature T g, the amount of free volume becomes smaller than the equilibrium value at that temperature. The glass transition is caused by a rather sudden increase in free volume towards equilibrium near T g. This can be calculated by making use of the well known kinetics of free-volume annihilation and production in some metallic glasses. Calculations performed on this basis are in good agreement with available experimental data on the glass transition.