Three families of Ni x Zr y (x = 28, 36, 38, x + y = 100%) metallic glasses were prepared and examined using X-ray, temperature dependent transport and magnetic field. X-ray characterization shows characteristic diffuse spectrum, except for narrow regions of control samples, where partial crystallization was induced in finite small volumes. Magnetic properties confirm spin-fluctuating paramagnetic-like behavior, which we asses from preliminary Hall coefficient measurements, which is quantitatively different in three sample families. Temperature dependent AC and DC transport measurements were conducted in a broad temperature range from 70 K to 700 K, finding both quantitative and semi-qualitative differences between samples with different Ni/Zr ratio.

The metallic glass ribbons of Ni36.5Zr63.5 were prepared by melt spinning. The samples have a large frozen-in structural disorder and in comparison with their crystalline state, a very high electrical resistivity. They are metastable and they relax structurally towards more stable state whenever atoms attain noticeable mobility. As the most structurally sensitive property the electrical resistivity of these samples was used to follow the relaxation process from room temperature to 673 K. To complete the investigation of structural relaxation the electrical resistance of as-quenched, annealed and about twenty years aged Ni36.5Zr63.5 samples was measured in the temperature range from 77 K to 275 K. The obtained results were presented graphically.

The partially crystalline Cu-Zr metallic glasses of different compositions were prepared by melt spinning. As they were obtained by lower quenching rates they are always thicker in comparison with the amorphous metallic ribbons, but as well as the amorphous ones these samples have desirable mechanical properties. The crystallization process was monitored by measurement of electrical resistance in temperature interval from 300 K to 673 K. We have noticed significant differences in their behaviour during the cooling process after crystallization, when for copper rich alloys the function R(T) turned out to have a maximum.

Ni-Zr amorphous alloys (metallic glasses) in the form of ribbon can be prepared in a wide range of concentration which strongly influences their physical properties. Many properties of the metallic glasses differ considerably from those of their crystalline counterparts. In contrast to their crystalline counterparts the resistivities of amorphous alloys are very high. Such high resistivities can be explained by the extra scattering on the random atomic arrangement. Crystallization is the final stage on annealing of metallic glasses. This process is irreversible and is accompanied by abrupt change in electrical resistivity. We have investigated temperature dependance of electrical resistance for different concentrations and for different heating rates.By measuring the electrical resistance the various stages of the crystallization process can be identified .

In this paper the temperature dependence of the magnetic susceptibility of an amorphous multicomponent ferromagnetic system was reported. The tests were conducted in the temperature range from 77 to 180 K, and the obtained results were compared with those of relaxed samples of the same composition. The aim of the investigations was to get more information on the structural characteristics of the system, as well as to establish and confirm the existence of early metastable states in the samples frozen at the temperature of liquid nitrogen. For the purpose, a special sensitive method for measuring a.c. magnetic susceptibility was developed, which enabled a simultaneous measurement of the real and the imaginary component of the susceptibility. The obtained results are presented graphically.

A new experimental technique was used for dilatometric measurements of Cu60Zr40 metallic glass samples under applied tensile stress. The measurements were performed on unrelaxed samples at 473K and gave a detailed insight into the low-temperature relaxation processes. The measurements indicate that the length change is a superposition of two competing processes: (i) low-temperature relaxation which is responsible for sample contraction and (ii) creep which leads to sample elongation. Using a special procedure they were able to discover the contribution of each of the above processes. On the basis of these data it was possible to evaluate the coefficient of viscosity as well as to find its dependence on the applied tensile stress.