Glass-Forming Ability of Mg–Cu–Ni–Gd Bulk Metallic Glasses with High Strength

The glass-forming ability (GFA) of Mg–Cu–Ni–Gd alloy system was evaluated using copper mold casting. A three-dimensional composition map of Mg–Cu–Ni–Gd system with GFA over 6 mm was revealed, confirming that the Ni addition decreased the GFA of Mg–Cu–Gd system. The maximum Ni tolerance was about 6 at.% for the Mg–Cu–Ni–Gd BMGs with GFA over 6 mm. The compressive tests displayed that the Ni addition as small as 3.45 at.% could result in higher strength for the Mg–Cu–Gd BMGs. The Mg–Cu–Ni–Gd system with small Ni content can be balanced candidates for the Mg-based BMGs with both acceptable GFA and high strength.     

Effects of B addition on glass forming ability and thermal behavior of FePC-based bulk metallic glasses

The FePC-based bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) have been demonstrated to possess high plasticity and good soft magnetic properties.However, the relatively poor glass forming ability (GFA) and thermal stabilities limited their application in industries.The effects of microalloying with B in FePC-based BMGs on the GFA and thermal behaviors were systematically investigated.It was found that a small amount of B addition can dramatically enhance the GFA of FePC-based BMGs, which in turn leads to the critical maximum diameter up to 2 mm for full glass formation even using low cost raw materi-als.The underlying mechanism of the enhancement of GFA from the competing crystalline phase with amorphous phase, the average thermal expansion coefficient and dynamic viscosity were dis-cussed in detail.     

Preparation and Mechanical Properties of Misch Metal Based Bulk Metallic Glasses

Bulk metallic glasses(BMGs)have been devel-oped in many alloy systems during past decade.Among these systems,rare-earth(RE)metal-basedBMGs are ones of those found earliest and with betterglass forming ability(GFA).For example,La-basedBMGs were the first a…     

Glass-Forming Ability for Mg-Cu-Nd Alloys

The glass-forming ability (GFA), thermal stability, and mechanical properties of ternary Mg-Cu-Nd alloys were investigated. The results show that the amorphous structure of about 3 mm in diameter can be obtained in the composition range of 53 to 59 at. pct Mg, 32 to 38 at. pct Cu, and 9 to 11 at. pct Nd. Differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) measurements show that the bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) exhibit distinct glass transition temperature and supercooled liquid region before crystallization. However, the GFA for the present alloys cannot be explained by the existing calculated parameters, while it can be better explained by the strategy for pinpointing the best glass-forming alloys in terms of microstructure evolution. Compared with Mg₅₇Cu₃₃Y₁₀ BMG, Mg-Cu-Nd BMGs show a better fracture strength, which is increased with the copper content for those Nd-containing BMGs. Viscous flow was observed on the fracture surfaces of compressive samples, showing that apparent strengths can be reproducible. The Mg-Cu-Nd BMGs are challengeable in potential application for engineering materials due to their high strength and low cost. This article is based on a presentation given in the symposium entitled “Bulk Metallic Glasses IV,” which occurred February 25–March 1, 2007 during the TMS Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida under the auspices of the TMS/ASM Mechanical Behavior of Materials Committee.     

Formation, Crystallization Behavior, and Soft Magnetic Properties of FeCSiBP Bulk Metallic Glass Fabricated Using Industrial Raw Materials

Formation of pseudo-binary Fe-C-Si-B-P bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) with good glass-forming ability (GFA) and soft magnetic properties prepared using industrial pig-iron and P-Fe alloys as raw materials was investigated. It was found that the GFA could be enhanced by tuning the content of carbon, and fully glassy rods with a maximum diameter of 2?mm were obtained in the Fe_77.3C_5.9Si_3.3B_4.8P_8.7 alloy. The crystallization behavior and its effects on the soft magnetic properties of the Fe_77.3C_5.9Si_3.3B_4.8P_8.7 alloy were analyzed. The superior magnetic properties, coupled with large GFA and low cost of raw materials, make the current Fe-based BMGs promising for potential applications in electric industries.     

Indentation creep behaviors of Mg61Cu28Gd11 and （Mg61Cu28Gd11）99.5Sb0.5 bulk metallic glasses at room temperature

The room temperature creep behaviors of Mg61Cu28Gd11 and(Mg61Cu28Gd11)99.5Sb0.5 bulk metallic glasses(BMGs) were revealed by means of nanoindentation technique.The creep mechanism was explored by characterization of creep rate sensitivity,creep compliance and retardation spectra.The results showed that the experimental creep curves could be well described by a generalized Kelvin model.The low creep rate sensitivity of both Mg-based BMGs indicated that their room temperature creep was dominated by localized shear flow.In addition,the(Mg61Cu28Gd11)99.5Sb0.5 glassy alloy exhibited lower creep rate sensitivity,creep compliance and milder retardation peak,indicating its higher creep-resistance and less relaxed state.Furthermore,the creep retardation spectrum consisted of two relatively separated peaks with the well defined characteristic relaxation times.     

Electrochemical performance of Gd-Co-Mn alloys

The Gd-Co-Mn alloys with compositions of Gd33.3Co66.7,Gd33.3Mn66.7,Gd22.2Co74.8Mn3 and Gd25Co70Mn5 were prepared and examined by X-ray diffractometer.The electrochemical properties of these alloys such as discharge capacity,cycling performance and high rate dischargeability were investigated by battery testing instruments in alkaline electrolyte.The discharge capacity of Gd22.2Co74.8Mn3 was the highest among these alloys at the same discharge current density,and the maximum value was 376.7 mAh/g discharged at 150 mA/g.The discharge capacities of the alloys Gd33.3Co66.7 and Gd33.3Mn66.7 reached their maxima(about 225 and 325 mAh/g)at discharge current density of 150 mA/g.A comparison of the electrochemical performance of the Gd-Co-Mn alloys revealed that the alloy Gd22.2Co74.8Mn3 possessed better electrochemical performance and had better discharge capacity,cycle stability,while the alloy Gd25Co70Mn5 had a better high rate discharge ability.In general,the electrochemical performance of ternary alloys was better than binary alloys in this case.     

Effect of Aluminium Addition on Glass Forming Ability of Nd55-x Al10＋x Fe15 Co20 （x = 0, 5, 10） Alloys

Nd55-x Al10＋x Fe15 （x =0, 5, 10） bulk glass-forming alloys with distinct glass transition in differential scanning calorimetry （DSC） traces were obtained by suction casting, The glass forming ability （GFA） of the alloys was investigated. It was found that the reduced glass transition temperature （Trg） and the parameter γ of the alloys increased with the increasing concentration of Al. The glass formation enthalpy of the alloys was calculated based on Miedema＇s model, and it was suggested that the GFA of the alloys could be enhanced by the decrease of the glass formation enthalpy with Al additions.     

Understanding the Effect of Oxygen on the Glass-Forming Ability of Zr55Cu55Al9Be9 Bulk Metallic Glass by ab initio Molecular Dynamics Simulations

Oxygen (O) is an inevitable impurity in bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) and its influence over the glass-forming ability (GFA) of BMGs is a longstanding controversy. The present ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations indicate that the GFA decreases upon introducing 0.78 at. pct O in the amorphous Zr₅₅Cu₅₅Al₉Be₉ (at. pct), while examining the evolution of atomic configurations and kinetic properties in BMGs. This study includes a comprehensive analysis using pair correlation function (PCF), bond pair analysis (BPA), and Voronoi polyhedra construction. It is concluded that the incorporation of O leads to a decline in the closely packed icosahedral polyhedrons, where the atom O is coordinated with Be and Zr in the first nearest shell to form the O-centered clusters with enhanced ordering. Mean square displacement (MSD) analysis also shows that the trace O could induce remarkable acceleration of atomic mobility, therefore increasing crystallization tendency of the Zr₅₅Cu₅₅Al₉Be₉ alloy. The present results illuminate the role of O in the metallic glass-forming process and reveal the underlying role of O in the GFA of the Zr-Cu amorphous alloys.

     

Kinetics of Glass Transition and Crystallization in Carbon Nanotube Reinforced Mg-Cu-Gd Bulk Metallic Glass

Mg65Cu25Gd10 bulk metallic glass and its carbon nanotube reinforced composite were prepared. Differential scanning calorimeter （DSC） was used to investigate the kinetics of glass transition and crystallization processes. The influence of CNTs addition to the glass matrix on the glass transition and crystallization kinetics was studied. It is shown that the kinetic effect on glass transition and crystallization are preserved for both the monothetic glass and its glass composite. Adding CNTs in to the glass matrix reduces the influence of the heating rate on the crystallization process. In addition, the CNTs increase the energetic barrier for the glass transition. This results in the decrease of GFA. The mechanism of the GFA decrease was also discussed.     

RE~(3+) 4f层单电子数以及晶体结构对Mg_(65)Cu_(25)RE_(10)块体非晶合金GFA的影响

对于Mg65Cu25RE10合金的GFA随原子序数的变化而呈现出先增大后减少的现象,从RE3+4f层电子成单电子数数目的角度对这一现象进行了研究,结果表明:RE3+4f层电子成单电子数数目可能是造成Mg65Cu25RE10合金的GFA随原子序数的变化的主要原因。同时从RE晶体结构的角度对Mg65Cu25RE10合金的GFA进行了研究,结果表明:不同晶体结构的RE对Mg65Cu25RE10合金的GFA影响不同,造成这种情况的出现,可能与其晶体结构的致密度有关。     

Effect of pre-existing shear bands on mechanical properties and serration behaviors in bulk metallic glasses

Pre-existing (multiple) shear bands were introduced into the ductile Zr56 Co28 Al16 and Zr65 Ni10 Cu15 Al10 bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) through the lateral-deformation, respectively.It was found that the pre-exi-ting shear bands can further enhance the compressive plasticity of ductile BMGs.According to the serra-tion analysis on the plastic deformation of the as-cast and the pre-deformed samples, the serration events in the stress-strain curves during deformation display a self-organized critical (SOC) behavior.Compared with the as-cast BMGs, a larger power-law scaling exponent calculated based on serrated flow behaviors becomes larger for the pre-deformed BMGs, implying that the shear banding stability of BMGs is effec-tively enhanced.This should be caused by the pronounced interactions of shear bands during plastic de-formation for the pre-deformed BMGs.However, by introducing a large amount of multiple shear bands into the glassy matrix, it also becomes easier for shear bands to propagate along the pre-existing shear bands, leading to a lower cut-off elastic energy density for the pre-deformed BMGs.More multiple shear bands with stronger interactions for the pre-deformed BMGs could provide a larger chance to activate the shear-band cracking but less local elastic energies are remained for the subsequent crack-linking.     

[(Fe<Subscript>0.5</Subscript>Co<Subscript>0.5</Subscript>)<Subscript>0.75</Subscript>B<Subscript>0.20</Subscript>Si<Subscript>0.05</Subscript>]<Subscript>96</Subscript>Nb<Subscript>4</Subscript> Metallic Glasses with Small Cu Additions

Recently, (Fe-Co)-B-Si-Nb bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) were produced. Such BMGs exhibit high glass-forming ability (GFA) as well as good mechanical and magnetic properties. These alloys combine the advantages of functional and structural materials. The soft magnetic properties can be enhanced by nanocrystallization. To force the nanocrystallization, small content of Cu was added to the starting composition. In this article, {[(Fe_0.5Co_0.5)_0.75Si_0.05B_0.20]_0.96Nb_0.04}_100–x Cu _x glassy alloys (x = 1, 2, and 3) were chosen for investigation. The GFA and the thermal stability of these alloys were evaluated. The effects of crystallization during heat-treatment processes on the phase evolution and the magnetic properties, including M _s , H _c , and T _c , in these alloys were investigated. The phase analyses were done with the help of the X-ray diffraction patterns recorded in situ by using the synchrotron radiation in transmission configuration.     

Effect of niobium on glass-formation ability and soft magnetic properties of Gd-doping glassy alloys

The effect of niobium on glass-formation ability and soft magnetic properties were studied in Fe-Gd-B glassy alloys. The glassy alloys exhibited high glass-formation ability when the element of Nb was added. Bulk glassy rod （Fe0.87Co0.13）68.5Gd3.5Nb3B25 with a diameter up to 3 mm was produced by copper mold casting. The size of the atom might play an important role in increasing glass-formation ability. The coercive force of glassy （Fe0.87Co0.13）71.5.xGd3.sNbxB25 （x=1.2, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 4） alloys decreased after the addition of niobium element and was in the range of 1.5-2.9 A/m. The permeability spectrum of （Fe0.87Co0.13）70.3Gd3.5Nb1.5B25 glassy ribbon showed that the relaxation frequency （f0） was 6.1 MHz.     

新型(Fe,Co)-Zr-RE-B非晶合金的热稳定性和磁性

利用旋铸技术制备了一种新型的含稀土元素的铁基非晶合金。研究了Nd含量对Fe70Co8Zr7-xNdxB15(x=0～6%原子数分数)合金的非晶形成能力、热稳定性和磁性能的影响。当该合金系的Nd含量在0～6%(原子数分数)变化时,其饱和磁感应强度(Js)在1.10T～1.37T范围内变化,矫顽力(Hc)在2.28A/m～8.15A/m范围内变化。Js随Nd含量的增加而增加,当Nd含量为2%和3%时,其Hc值均在3A/m以下,且在Nd含量为2%时,具有最高的非晶形成能力(glassformationability简称GFA)即大的ΔTx(达61K);同时又有良好的软磁性能,其Js和Hc值分别为1.25T和2.28A/m。经对比得出,Fe70Co8Zr5RE2B15(RE=Ce、Pr、Gd和Tb)合金与Fe70Co8Zr5Nd2B15具有相近的非晶形成能力和磁性能。     

Ti-Cu-Zr-Fe-Sn-Si-Ag-Pd Bulk Metallic Glasses with Potential for Biomedical Applications

Ti₄₇Cu_38−xZr_7.5Fe_2.5Sn₂Si₁Ag₂Pd_x (x = 1, 2, 3, and 4 atomic percent, at. pct) bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) with potential for biomedical applications were fabricated by copper-mold casting. The Ti-based BMGs exhibited high glass-forming ability (GFA) with critical diameters of 4 to 5 mm and a supercooled liquid region over 50 K, though the high contents of Pd slightly decreased the GFA. The additions of 2 and 3 at. pct Pd benefited the improvement of plasticity, and the resultant BMGs showed the relatively low Young’s modulus of about 100 GPa, high compressive strengths of 2174 to 2340 MPa, and compressive plastic strain of around 4 pct. The addition of Pd also decreased the passive current density and increased the pitting potential of the Ti-based BMGs in the Hank’s solution, leading to the enhanced bio-corrosion resistance of the BMGs. Furthermore, the cell adhesion, viability, and proliferation behaviors revealed that the present Ti-based BMGs possess as good biocompatibility as that of the Ti-6Al-4V alloy. These results demonstrated the potential of the Ti-Cu-Zr-Fe-Sn-Si-Ag-Pd BMGs as biomedical materials.

     

Microstructural Evolution and Mechanical Properties of Zr-Cu-Ni-Al Bulk Metallic Glasses by the Bridgman Solidification

The microstructural evolution was experimentally studied at a withdrawal velocity between 6 and 0.1?mm/s by a Bridgman technique in Zr_51.7Cu₃₀Ni_8.3Al₁₀. Our results indicate that the Zr_51.7Cu₃₀Ni_8.3Al₁₀ alloy can be considered as the ZrCu-Zr₂Cu pseudo-binary eutectic system, and the glass-forming ability (GFA) is correlated with the (L ?? ZrCu?+?Zr₂Cu) pseudo-binary eutectic reaction. This understanding has important implications and guidance for designing and fabricating new Zr-Cu-Ni-Al bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) with superior glass formation. Moreover, compressive tests were also performed on these samples. The results show that as the precipitation of crystal, plastic strain decreases. It indicates that the precipitated crystal cannot block the fast propagation of the localized shear bands and the macroscopically brittle failure.     

Prediction of Bulk Metallic Glass Formation in Cu–Zr–Ag–Hf System by Thermodynamic and Topological Modeling

Cu based bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) are widely studied because of their high glass forming ability (GFA) and interesting combination of properties such as high strength coupled with good ductility and low cost. With these attributes, Cu based BMGs are being projected as promising materials for practical applications. The process of glass formation in metallic systems is a challenging task and alloys should be cooled from the liquid state at rates faster than a critical cooling rate (R_c) to resist crystallization. Interestingly, composition plays an important role in achieving easy glass formation, which is usually measured in terms of R_c. In the present work, attempt has been made to identify the composition for easy glass formation in Cu based quaternary system by theoretical approach. A GFA parameter P_HS, which is a product of enthalpy of chemical mixing (?H_chem) and mismatch entropy normalized with Boltzmann??s constant (?S_??/k_B) is used to identify the best glass forming composition in Cu?CZr?CAg?CHf system. Further, a new parameter P_HSS, which is a product of P_HS and configurational entropy (??S_config/R) is found to illustrate strong correlation with GFA. An attempt has also been made to correlate P_HSS parameter with critical diameters and R_c using reported data in Cu?CZr?CAg?CHf system.     

Hot Tearing Susceptibility of Magnesium–Gadolinium Binary Alloys

Hot tearing susceptibility of Mg?CGd alloys are investigated using instrumented constrained rod casting (CRC) apparatus, and found that the susceptibility increases with increase in Gd content, and reaches a maximum at 2?% after which it decreases to a minimum with 10?% Gd. The high susceptibility observed with 2?% Gd is due to its columnar structure and low amount of eutectic liquid at the time of cracking, whereas equiaxed grain and high liquid content which facilitates crack healing are the reasons for the low susceptibility of Mg?C10?Gd alloy.