Synthesis of in situ bulk glass matrix composite in by Bridgman method

In situ bulk metallic glass matrix composites with dendritic crystalline reinforcing phase were synthesized in La- and Pd-based alloys by a Bridgman-type unidirectional solidification technique. The size of the reinforcing crystalline phase increases as the growth velocity decreases. The critical cooling rate for fully amorphous formation is different from that for the formation of an in situ glass matrix composite. Thermal stability of the residual amorphous phase in the composite is higher than that of the fully amorphous sample of the same alloy.