Formation of Bulk Metallic Glasses from Cu-Zr Based Alloys with Yttrium Addition

Cu46Zr46Al8 bulk metallic glass (BMG) was prepared by low purity sponge zirconium instead of high purity crystal bar zirconium, and via the microalloying of adding a small amount of yttrium. The results show that the glass forming ability (GFA) and the thermal stability of the Cu46Zr46Al8 alloy are improved by yttrium addition. When the addition amount of Y is 2at% and 3at%, the enhancement of GFA is most significant. The compressive fracture strength of Y microalloyed BMG is more than 2 GPa, which is much higher than that of BMG alloy produced with high purity raw materials, but its plasticity deteriorates obviously.