A method to predict the glass transition temperature in metallic glasses from properties of the equilibrium liquid

The glass transition temperature, T_g, is important for predicting glass formation and stability and for designing processing steps for tailoring the glass to specific applications. It is conventionally determined from measurements of the shear viscosity or specific heat. This requires that the glass first be made, significantly limiting the use of this parameter for the prediction of glass formation. Further, viscosity or specific heat measurements can only be made for glasses that have a high stability against crystallization at T_g. It is demonstrated here that it is possible to accurately predict T_g from measurements of the shear viscosity and thermal expansion coefficient of the high temperature equilibrium liquid. In addition to the practical usefulness of this, the connection between the glass transition and the properties of the equilibrium liquid may shed light into the processes that determine glass formation in metallic alloys and of the nature of the glass transition.