Structure, elastic moduli and internal stresses of iron-boron metallic glasses

The structure of amorphous Fe_1-xB_x is described within the framework of a recent structural model that takes into account experimental and theoretical results on density, atomic short-range order and microphase separation applying methods of stochastic geometry. The determination of internal stresses is based on a statistical continuum mechanics approach using the 'maximum entropy formalism'. The sources of the internal stresses are given by differential thermal strains which the microphase clusters undergo during quenching. Analytical expressions for the stress distributions, Young's modulus and bulk modulus are derived for the isotropic case. Numerical results are discussed in terms of dependence on boron concentration. The present method is applicable to all types of rapidly quenched materials whose structures, can be considered to consist of an arrangement of microphase clusters.