Structural Investigation of the Metallic Glasses Mg85.5Cu14.5 and Mg70Zn30

The total structure factors as well as the total pair correlation functions for amorphous Mg85.5Cu14.5 (by neutron and X-ray diffraction) and for amorphous Mg70Zn30 (by X-ray diffraction) were determined. Both alloys show similar chemical short range order effects. From the total pair correlation function of the Mg85.5Cu14.5 glass, partial coordination numbers and atomic distances could be extracted. Comparison with the structure of crystalline Mg2Cu suggests that the short range order around the copper atoms is similar in the amorphous and the crystalline phase. The densities of both amorphous alloys were measured yielding negative excess volumina.