A new method for measuring the thermodynamic properties of undercooled liquid and amorphous Cu–Zr alloys

A new method for the experimental determination of the temperature-dependent heat capacity is presented here. The value of this new method lies principally in its applicability to unstable systems, where time-dependent relaxation processes limit the utility of conventional stepwise methods that employ a series of isothermal holding periods. The method is demonstrated for two glass-forming alloys (Cu50Zr50 and Cu64.5Zr35.5), using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements over a (low) temperature regime including stable, metastable and unstable states (crystalline, glass and undercooled liquid). For this specific analysis, the glassy material is heated using several different rates, each resulting in a different transformation temperature. After characterization of the final states, analysis of the DSC traces yields the requisite transition enthalpies, enabling determination of the heat capacities, based on common reference states.