Structural characterisation of novel roller-quenched glasses - access to new glass forming regions

Most materials can be formed in the amorphous (glass) state if they can be first melted and then cooled to the solid state sufficiently fast that crystallisation cannot occur. Roller-quenching increases cooling rates such that glasses can be made, in useable quantities, from compositions that are normally inaccessible and are often not regarded as glass-forming. This allows us to measure properties and determine structures on novel systems and also gives extra information which enables us to derive a better understanding of the more standard materials. Professor Feller has been extending the glass forming limits of known systems and we have been involved in the characterisation of these materials for the past 2 years, partly involving visiting undergraduate students from Coe College. We now wish to gear up this collaboration by direct involvement with Professor Feller himself. His visit would enable us to optimise the use of the techniques at Warwick in the study of these materials, to suggest new systems to explore, and to extend the exchange of student researchers at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.