| A high temperature high vacuum rheometer has been designed, fabricated, and tested for the study of the steady shear viscosity for multicomponent bulk metallic glass forming alloys. This rheometer has an operating range up to 1525 K, rotational frequencies of 9.4 * 10-3--3.7 * 101 radians/s, and a calibrated viscosity range of 9.6 * 10-3 and 1.2 * 102 Pa*s, while maintaining absolute pressures pressure <1 * 10-6 mbar.; Zr41.2Ti13.8Cu10.0Ni12.5Be 22.5 (Vitreloy 1) is reported. The unexpected findings of non-Newtonian behavior above the liquidus temperature were observed. Observations of shear thinning, thixotropic, and viscoelastic behaviors have been made. Our results show that Vitreloy 1 can be modeled as a power law fluid, with a power law exponent of approximately -0.5 for high shear rates. We attribute the non-Newtonian behavior to structural ordering within the melt. The technological and scientific implications for non-Newtonian behavior are discussed. |
