Atomic transport in Zr41.2Ti13.8Cu12.5Ni10Be22.5 and Zr46.8Ti8.2Cu7.5Ni10Be27.5 melts was investigated by means of incoherent quasi-elastic neutron scattering. From the q-dependence of the quasi-elastic signal, an average self-diffusion coefficient for the incoherent scatterers, Ni and Ti, was obtained. The values were of the order of 10–10m2/s. Unlike the viscosity, the diffusion coefficient was essentially independent of the alloy composition. Above the liquidus temperature, the time-scales for Ni and Ti self-diffusion and for viscous flow differed by up to 2 orders of magnitude. It appeared that the smaller atoms diffused in a relatively immobile Zr matrix.

Fast Diffusion in ZrTiCuNiBe Melts. A.Meyer, W.Petry, M.Koza, M.P.Macht: Applied Physics Letters, 2003, 83[19], 3894-6