The paper presents research of metallic glass based on a Mg72Zn24Ca4 alloy. Metallic glass was prepared using induction melting and further injection on a spinning copper wheel. The X-ray diffractometer and differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) were used to investigate the phase transformation of the amorphous ribbon. The heat released in the crystallization process, during isothermal annealing, based on the differential scanning calorimeter investigation, was determined to be 166.18 Jg-1. The effect of isothermal annealing temperature on the kinetics of the amorphous alloy crystallization process using differential scanning calorimeter was investigated. For this purpose, two isothermal annealing temperatures were selected. The incubation time decreases as the temperature of the isothermal annealing increases from 300 to 252 seconds. The same relationship is visible in the case of duration of the phase transformation, which also decreases as the temperature of the isothermal annealing increases from 360 to 228 seconds. The obtained results show a significant influence of isothermal annealing temperature on the degree of phase transformation.
The Ca50Mg20Zn12Cu18 was assessed with different methods in order to characterize its basic characteristics, and to determine whether the amorphous alloy of such composition would be applicable as an implant material. The XRD analysis was conducted to conclude the structure of the initial material. The Ca50Mg20Zn12Cu18 ingot sample demonstrates crystalline structure containing two main intermetallic phases, however as-cast plates show features of an amorphous material, revealing the characteristic amorphous halo on the x-ray patterns. It was confirmed by the scanning electron microscopy method and fracture images revealing chevron pattern morphology with shell type fracture. Corrosion resistance, was studied using the potentiostatic analysis. The amorphous samples show higher resistance than the crystalline one. Post corrosion surface of the Ca50Mg20Zn12Cu18 alloy exhibits high concentration of magnesium and calcium hydroxides, forming the globular structures in large aggregates of spherical units.