Effect of structural disorder on the oxidation of Zr-based amorphous alloys: A focused review

Structural disordering leads to outstanding mechanical properties of amorphous alloys. Many properties are strongly related to formation of surface oxide layers. An in-depth understanding of effect of structural disordering of amorphous alloys on oxide evolution is essential for applications. This paper presents a review of recent comparative oxidation studies of Zr-based amorphous and single-phase crystalline counterpart alloys. Three representative model alloy systems were selected: Zr–Cu and Zr–Al representing alloys with components of different and similar oxygen affinities, respectively, and Zr–Cu–Al representing multi-component alloys. In combination with molecular dynamic simulations, the fundamental role of the structural disorder of parent alloys in the oxidation processes is revealed. The oxidation of Zr–Cu–Al–based amorphous alloys at the supercooled liquid temperature region is further reviewed to clarify the relationship between crystallization and oxidation.