Thermodynamic properties and atomic structure of amorphous zirconium

Wide glass-forming range in Zr–TL alloys (TL, 3d metal) combined with a simple, often linear, variation of their properties with composition makes it possible to deduce the physical properties of a pure amorphous zirconium. We explore this possibility by using our results for the magnetic susceptibility (χ), superconducting transition temperature (TC), and Youngʹs modulus (E) of paramagnetic amorphous Zr–(Co,Ni,Cu) alloys. By combining our results with the literature results for the low temperature specific heat, we obtained set of parameters associated with the electronic structure and interatomic bonding of the amorphous Zr. The comparison of these parameters with the results of the electronic structure calculations for different crystalline phases of Zr and with the results of the atomic structure studies indicate an fcc-like local atomic structure for amorphous Zr.