Crystalline Precipitate in a Bulk Glass Forming Zr-Based Alloy and Its Effect on Mechanical Properties

Cylindrical and sheet samples of bulk metallic glass with a nominal composition of Zr52.5Ni14.6-Al10Cu17.9Ti5 (at. pct) were prepared by melt injection casting. The crystalline precipitates formed during the casting were studied by metallographic observations and selected-area electron diffractions. The effect of crystalline precipitates on the mechanical properties were investigated by tensile and compressive tests at room temperature. Oxygen contents and the sample sizes (or cooling rates) strongly affect the formation of the crystalline precipitates. Overheating the alloy melt up to 200 K above its melting temperature can effectively prevent the formation of the crystalline precipitates to get fully glass samples with diameters up to 2 mm for cylinders and thickness up to 1 mm for sheets even the oxygen content is as higher as 0.08 wt pct. With increasing the sample sizes, the crystalline precipitates increase in volume fraction and size. The formation of the precipitates experienced two stages, i.e., initially nucleation and isotropic growth, and then anisotropic growth, finally forming faceted morphologies. Fully glassy Zr52.5Ni14.6Al10Cu17.9Ti5 alloy exhibits excellent tensile and compressive properties at room temperature. The presence of crystalline precipitates significantly decreases the tensile and compressive properties. With increasing the crystalline precipitates, the area of vein patterns on the fracture surface decreases, but the fracture steps increase, and the fracture mode changes from ductile to brittle resulting from the larger stress concentration caused by the larger sizes and faceted shapes of the crystalline precipitates.