Effect of minor Nb addition on mechanical properties of in-situ Cu-based bulk metallic glass composite

In-situ formed （Cu0.6Zr0.3Ti0.1）95Nb5 bulk metallic glass （BMG） composite with Nb-rich dendrite randomly dispersed in hard glassy matrix was prepared by casting into a water-cooled copper mold. The dendrite has much smaller hardness and elastic modulus than glassy matrix, and the stress concentration at interface provides a channel for the initiating and branching of shear bands upon loading, thus leading to a high compressive fracture strain of 6.08% and fracture strength about 2200 MPa. Comparing with other Cu-based BMG composite, the fracture strength of present （Cu0.6Zr0.3Ti0.1）95Nb5 composite is not significantly reduced, indicating that the addition of Nb in the current work is an effective and effortless way to fabricate new practical BMG composites with enhanced strength and good plasticity.

Synthesis,structure and mechanical properties of Zr-Cu-based bulk metallic glass composites

The unusual glass-forming ability（GFA） of the Zr48Cu36Ag8Al8 alloy and the high ductility of the Zr48Cu36Ag8Al8 metallic glass-matrix composites containing Ta powder were reported.The bulk metallic glass rod with a diameter of 25 mm was successfully synthesized using copper mold casting for the Zr48Cu36Ag8Al8 alloy.High GFA of this alloy was found to be related to a large supercooled liquid region and a quaternary eutectic point with low melting temperature.The bulk metallic glass matrix composites were prepared by introducing extra Ta particles into the Zr48Cu36Ag8Al8 melt.The composites consist of Ta particles homogenously distributed in the Zr48Cu36Ag8Al8 metallic glass matrix.The optimum content of Ta powder is 10at%for the composite with the highest plasticity,which shows a plastic strain of 31%.

Revealing the role of local shear strain partition of transformable particles in a TRIP-reinforced bulk metallic glass composite via digital image correlation

The coupling effects of the metastable austenitic phase and the amorphous matrix in a transformation-induced plasticity(TRIP)-reinforced bulk metallic glass(BMG)composite under compressive loading were investigated by employing the digital image correlation(DIC)technique.The evolution of local strain field in the crystalline phase and the amorphous matrix was directly monitored,and the contribution from the phase transformation of the metastable austenitic phase was revealed.Local shear strain was found to be effectively consumed by the displacive phase transformation of the metastable austenitic phase,which relaxed the local strain/stress concentration at the interface and thus greatly enhanced the plasticity of the TRIP-reinforced BMG composites.Our current study sheds light on in-depth understanding of the underlying deformation mechanism and the interplay between the amorphous matrix and the metastable crystalline phase during deformation,which is helpful for design of advanced BMG composites with further improved properties.

Comparative study of bulk metallic glass composites with high-volume-fractioned dendritic and spherical b. c. c. phase precipitates

A dendritic β-phase reinforced bulk metallic glass(BMG) composite named as D2 was prepared by rapid quenching of a homogenous Zr60Ti14.67Nb5.33Cu5.56Ni4.44Be10 melt, and characterized by means of X-ray diffraction(XRD), scanning electron microscopy(SEM) observation and room-temperature compression test. The microstructure and mechanical properties were compared with those of the spherical β-phase reinforced composite named as composite S2. It was found that the composite D2 contains β-phase dendrites up to 56% in volume-fraction, and exhibits a ductile compressive behavior with plastic strain of 12.7%. As the high-volumefractioned β-phase dendrites transferred to coarse spherical particles of about 20 μm in diameter in the composite S2, a much improved plastic strain up to 20.4% can be achieved. Micrographs of the fractured samples reveal different interaction modes of the propagating shear bands with the dendritic and spherical β phase inclusions, resulting in different shear strains in the composite samples. The matrix of composite S2 undergoes a significantly larger shear strain than that of the composite D2 before ultimate failure, which is thought to be mainly responsible for the greatly increased global plastic strain of the S2 relative to D2.

Preparation of tungsten-particle-reinforced Zr-based bulk metallic glass composites by two-step spark plasma sintering:microstructure evolution,densification mechanism and mechanical properties

A new two-step spark plasma sintering(TSS)process with low-temperature pre-sintering and high-temperature final sintering has been successfully applied to prepare the tungsten-particle(Wp)-reinforced bulk metallic glass composites(Wp/BMGCs).Compared to normal spark plasma sintering(NS),the densification rate and relative density of Wp/BMGCs can be improved by selecting TSS with appropriate sintering pressure in the low temperature pre-sintering stage.However,the compressive strength and plastic strain of 30%Wp/BMGCs prepared by TSS are both higher than those of the samples prepared by NS.The TSS process can significantly enhance the compressive strength of 30%Wp/BMGCs by 12%and remarkably increase the plastic strain by 50%,while the trend is completely opposite for 50%Wp/BMGCs.Quasi-in situ experiments and finite element simulations reveal that uneven temperature distribution among particles during low-temperature pre-sintering causes local overheating at contact points between particles,accelerating formation of sintering neck between particles and plastic deformation of Wp.When the volume fraction of Wp is low,TSS can improve the interface bonding between particles by increasing the number of sintering necks.This makes the fracture mode of Wp/BMGCs being predominantly transgranular fracture.However,as the volume fraction of Wp increases,the adverse effects of Wp plastic deformation are becoming more and more prominent.The aggregated Wp tends to form a solid"cage structure"that hinders the bonding between particles at the interface;correspondingly,the fracture behavior of Wp/BMGCs is mainly dominated by intergranular fracture.Additionally,reducing the sintering pressure during the low-temperature pre-sintering stage of TSS has been shown to effectively decrease plastic deformation in Wp,resulting in a higher degree of densification and better mechanical properties.

Temperature dependence of pressure sensitive flow in bulk metallic glass composites

The constraint factor,C,defined as hardness,H,to the yield strength,σ_(y),ratio,is an indirect measure of the pressure sensitivity in materials.Previous investigations determined that while C is less than 3 for crystalline materials,and remains invariant with change in temperature,it is greater than 3 for bulk metallic glasses(BMGs)and increases with increasing temperature,below their glass transition temper-ature,T_(g).In this study,the variations in C for two BMG composites(BMGCs),which have an amorphous matrix and in situ precipitated crystallineβ-Ti dendrites,which in one case transforms under stress toα”-Ti and deforms by slip in the other,as a function of temperature are examined and compared with that of a BMG.For this purpose,instrumented indentation tests,with a Berkovich tip,and uniaxial com-pression tests were performed to measure the H andσ_(y),respectively,on all alloys and their constituents at temperatures in the range of 0.48 T_(g)and 0.75 T_(g).σ_(y)and H of the BMGC with transforming dendrites(BMGC-T)increase and remain invariant with increasing temperature,respectively.Alternately,in BMG and the BMGC with non-transforming dendrites(BMGC–NT),the same properties decrease with increas-ing temperature.BMGC-T has the highest C of∼4.93 whereas that of BMGC–NT and BMG are∼3.72 and∼3.28,respectively,at 0.48 T_(g).With increasing temperature,C of the BMG and BMGC–NT increases with temperature,but that of the BMGC-T decreases.The values of C and their variations as a function of temperature were explained by studying the variation of pressure sensitivity of the amorphous phase and concluding that the plastic flow in BMGCs under constrained conditions,such as indentation,is con-trolled by the flow resistance of the amorphous matrix whereas that in uniaxial compression,which is only partially constrained,is controlled by plasticity in both the dendrites and matrix.

Toughening additive manufactured Zr-based bulk metallic glass composites by martensite phase transformation

Additive manufacturing technology based on laser powder bed fusion(LPBF)offers a novel approach for fabricating bulk metallic glass(BMG)products without restriction in size and geometry.Nevertheless,the BMGs prepared by LPBF usually suffered from less plasticity and poorer fracture toughness as compared to their cast counterparts due to partial crystallization in heat-affected zones(HAZs).Since crystallization in HAZs is hard to avoid completely in LPBF BMGs,it is desirable to design a suitable alloy system,in which only ductile crystalline phase,instead of brittle intermetallics,is formed in HAZs.This unique structure could effectively increase the toughness/plasticity of the LPBF BMGs.To achieve this goal,a quaternary BMG system with a composition of Zr_(47.5)Cu_(45.5)Al_(5)Co_(2)is adopted and subjected to LPBF.It is found that nearly a single phase of B_(2)-ZrCu is precipitated in HAZs,while a fully amorphous phase is formed in molten pools(MPs).This B_(2)phase reinforced BMG composite exhibits excellent mechanical properties with enhanced plasticity and toughness.Furthermore,it is easy to modulate the mechanical properties by altering the amount of the B_(2)phase via adjusting the laser energy input.Finally,the best combination of strength,plasticity,and notch toughness is obtained in the BMG composite containing 27.4%B_(2)phase and 72.6%amorphous phase,which exhibits yield strength(σ_(s))of 1423 MPa,plastic strain(ε_(p))of 4.65%,and notch toughness(K_(q))of 53.9 MPa m 1/2.Furthermore,a notable strain-hardening is also observed.The improvement of plasticity/toughness and appearance of strain-hardening behavior are mainly due to the martensite phase transformation from the B_(2)phase to the Cm phase during plastic deformation(i.e.,the phase transformation-induced plasticity effect).The current work provides a guide for making advanced BMGs and BMG composites by additive manufacturing.

Effects of Al addition and cryogenic cyclic treatment on impact toughness of phase-transformable Ti-based bulk metallic glass composites

Developing bulk metallic glass composites(BMGCs)with high toughness is vital for their practical application.However,the influence of different microstructures on the impact toughness of BMGCs is still unclear.The effects of Al addition and cryogenic cyclic treatment(CCT)on the Charpy impact toughness,a K,at 298 and 77 K of a series of phase-transformable BMGCs are investigated in this work.It is found that deformation-induced martensitic transformation(DIMT)of theβ-Ti dendrites is the dominant toughening mechanism in the phase-transformable BMGCs at 298 K,but at 77 K,the toughness of BMGCs is primarily determined by the intrinsic toughness of the glass matrix.The addition of Al can moderately tune theβ-Ti phase stability,which then affects the amount of DIMT and impact toughness of the BMGCs at 298 K.However,at 77 K,Al addition causes a monotonic decrease in the toughness of the BMGCs due to the embrittlement of the glass matrix.It is found that CCT can effectively rejuvenate the phase-transformable BMGCs,which results in an enhanced impact toughness at 298 K.However,the toughness at 77 K monotonously decreases with increasing the number of CCT cycles,suggesting that the rejuvenation of the glass matrix affects the toughness at both 298 and 77 K of BMGCs,but in dramatically different ways.These findings reveal the influence of microstructures and CCT on the impact toughness of BMGCs and provide insights that could be useful for designing tougher BMGs and BMGCs.

Laser additive manufacturing of laminated bulk metallic glass composite with desired strength-ductility combination

Introducing ductile crystalline dendrites into a glassy matrix to produce bulk metallic glass composites(BMGCs)is an effective way to improve the poor ductility of bulk metallic glasses(BMGs).However,the presence of soft crystalline phases tends to decrease the strength and causes the strength-ductility tradeoff.Here,relying on the flexible laser additive manufacturing(LAM)technique that allows the composition tailoring of each layer,we successfully fabricate a lamellated Zr-based BMGC constructed by the alternating superimposition of soft and hard layers.The lamellated BMGC shows an exceptional combination of yield strength(∼1.2 GPa)and ductility(∼5%).Such enhanced strength-ductility synergy is attributed to the asynchronous deformation at two scales,i.e.,inter-laminar and intra-laminar,and the unique dual-scale Ta particles that uniformly distribute on the amorphous matrix.The lamellated structure design motif,enabled by the flexible LAM technology,provides a new window for the development of high-performance BMGCs.It is also applicable to the synergistic enhancement of strength and plasticity of other brittle metallic materials.

Cryogenic wear behaviors of a metastable Ti-based bulk metallic glass composite

Bulk metallic glass composites(BMGCs)are proven to be excellent candidates for cryogenic engineering applications due to their remarkable combination of strength,ductility and toughness.However,few efforts have been done to estimate their wear behaviors that are closely correlated to their practical service.Here,we report an improvement of∼48%in wear resistance for a Ti-based BMGC at the cryogenic temperature of 113 K as compared to the case at 233 K.A pronounced martensitic transformation(β-Ti→α''-Ti)was found to coordinate deformation underneath the worn surface at 233 K but was significantly suppressed at 113 K.This temperature-dependent structural evolution is clarified by artificially inducing a pre-notch by FIB cutting on aβ-Ti crystal,demonstrating a strain-dominated martensitic transformation in the BMGC.The improved wear resistance and suppressed martensitic transformation in BMGC at 113 K is associated with the increased strength and strong confinement of metallic glass on metastable crystalline phase at the cryogenic temperature.The current work clarifies the superior cryogenic wear resistance of metastable BMGCs,making them excellent candidates for safety-critical wear applications at cryogenic temperatures.

Deformation behavior of Ta wire-reinforced Zr-based bulk metallic glass composites

A Ta wire-reinforced Zr-based bulk metallic glass composite with a new type of structure was prepared successfully by the method of liquid metal infiltration. Ta wires distribute uniformly in the metallic glass matrix in the form of spirals. The composite exhibits two yield stages under compressive stress, and the samples are compressed into thin pancakes. The micro-cracks originate at the interface between the Ta wire and the metallic glass matrix and propagate perpendicularly to the interface, which then induce multiple shear bands in the metallic glass matrix due to the stress concentration. Shear cracks form in the metallic glass matrix during the continued loading process as a result of the interaction of shear bands. Deformation bands of Ta wires occur under the impact of shear bands. The local stress fields in the composite are changed obviously due to the introduction of the spiral-formed reinforcements. The investigation of the deformation behavior and mechanism suggests a new method for the application of bulk metallic glass composites as the structural materials.

Shear transformation zone dependence of creep behaviors of amorphous phase in a CuZr-based bulk metallic glass composite

The creep behaviors of the amorphous phase in a CuZr-based bulk metallic glass composite(BMGC)are studied by nanoindentation.Samples fabricated via higher cooling rates are found to exhibit more prominent creep,but a smaller shear viscosity.The volume of the shear transformation zones(STZs)in the amorphous phase calculated based on a cooperative shear model increases with the cooling rate.The evolution of excess free volume created during creep deformation is clarified.A looser atomic arrangement leads to a larger STZ volume,thus facilitating creep deformation.This study gives a better understanding of the deformation behaviors of the amorphous phase in BMGCs.

Plastic Flow of a Cu_(50)Zr_(45)Ti_5 Bulk Metallic Glass Composite

By modifying the cooling rate, a Cu50Zr45Ti5 alloy with various structures was developed. A fully glassy rod and specimens with different sizes and volume fractions ofnanocrystals were produced. The relationship between the structure and mechanical properties of the Cu50Zr45Ti5 alloy was investigated. The different structures result in a transition of the deformation mechanism from being dominated by shear banding to being governed by dislocation action accompanied by shear band formation. These different plastic deformation mechanisms were discussed in the framework of self-organized critical behavior.

Distribution of Be in a Ti-Based Bulk Metallic Glass Composite Containing B-Ti

In order to obtain a glassy matrix during quenching, Be is often selected as a constituent of the compositions of Ti/Zr-based bulk metallic glass composites（BMGCs）. The in situ formed β phase in Be-bearing BMGCs was reported to be Be-free. However, a thorough investigation of the distribution of Be in BMGCs is still missing to date. In this work, the distribution of Be in a Ti_（47.5）Zr_（33）Cu_（5.8）Co_3Be_（12.5）（at.%） BMGC was studied by the secondary ion mass spectrometry（SIMS） and the electron energy loss spectroscopy（EELS）.It is found that Be almost totally dissolves in the glassy matrix, but a very weak intensity of Be in β phase is still detectable by SIMS, and the content of Be in β-Ti is estimated to be about 0.3 at.%. Based on the recently established two-phase quasi-equilibrium of BMGCs, the distinct solubility of Be in the glassy matrix and in β-Ti has been explained.

High-tenacity in-situ Ti/Zr-based bulk metallic glasses composites fabricated by industrial high-pressure die casting

The glass-forming ability and mechanical properties of metallic glasses and their composites are well known to be sensitive to the preparation conditions and are highly deteriorated by industrial preparing conditions such as low-purity raw materials and low vacuum.Here,we showed that a series of in-situ bulk metallic glass composites(BMGCs)which exhibit excellent ductility and segmental work hardening were successfully developed utilizing a high vacuum high-pressure die casting(HV-HPDC)technology along with industrial-grade raw materials.The tensile properties of these BMGCs are systematically investigated and correlated with the alloy microstructure.As compared with the copper mold suction casting method,the volume fraction difference of the dendrite phase for the BMGCs with the same composition is not significant when fabricated by the HV-HPDC,whereas the size of theβ-phase is generally larger.Insitu BMGCs with the composition of Ti_(48)Zr_(20)(V_(12/17)Cu_(5/17))19 Be 13 obtained by the HV-HPDC process show ductility up to 11.3%under tension at room temperature and exhibit a certain amount of work hardening.Two conditions need to be met to enable the BMGCs,which are prepared by vacuum die-casting to retain favorable ductility:(1)The volume fraction ofβphase stays below 62%±2%;(2)The equiaxed crystals with a more uniform size in the range of 5-10μm.Meanwhile,the results of the present study provided guidance for developing BMGCs with good ductile properties under industrial conditions.

Effect of melt infiltration parameters on microstructure and mechanical properties of tungsten wire reinforced(Cu_(50)Zn_(43)Al_(7))_(99.5)Si_(0.5) metallic glass matrix composite

Using melt infiltration casting at different temperatures （965, 990 and 1015 °C） for different time （10 and 15 min）, the composites of （Cu50Zr43Al7）99.5Si0.5 bulk metallic glass reinforced with tungsten wires were produced. X-ray diffraction （XRD）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and quasi-static compression tests were carried out to evaluate the microstructure and mechanical properties. The results show that the maximum ultimate compressive strength and strain-to-failure of about 1880 MPa and 16.7% were achieved, respectively, at the infiltration temperature of 965 °C for 15 min.

Spheroidization behavior of dendritic b.c.c. phase in Zr-based β-phase composite

The spheroidization behavior of the dendritic b.c.c, phase dispersed in a bulk metallic glass （BMG） matrix was investigated through applying semi-solid isothermal processing and a subsequent rapid quenching procedure to a Zr-basedβ-phase composite. The Zr-based composite with the composition of Z%62Ti138NbsoCuegNi5.6Be125 was prefabricated by a water-cooled copper mold-casting method and characterized by X-ray diffraction （XRD） and scanning electron microscope （SEM）. The results show that the composite consists of a glassy matrix and uniformly distributed fine dendrites of theβ-Zr solid solution with the body-centered-cubic （b.c.c.） structure. Based on the differential scanning calorimeter （DSC） examination results, and in view of the b.c.c.β-Zr to h.c.p, α-Zr phase transition temperature, a semi-solid holding temperature of 900 ℃ was determined. After reheating the prefabricated composite to the semi-solid temperature, followed by an isothermal holding process at this temperature for 5 min, and then quenching the semi-solid mixture into iced-water; the two-phase microstructure composed of a BMG matrix and uniformly dispersed spherical b.c.c.β-Zr particles with a high degree of sphericity was achieved. The present spheroidization transition is a thermodynamically autonomic behavior, and essentially a diffusion process controlled by kinetic factors; and the formation of the BMG matrix should be attributed to the rapid quenching of the semi-solid mixture as well as the large glass-forming ability of the remaining melt in the semi-solid mixture.

Fracture toughness of a rejuvenated β-Ti reinforced bulk metallic glass matrix composite

A β-Ti dendrite reinforced Zr-based bulk metallic glass composite(BMGC) was found to be brittle when cast in a large size. The reasons for the embrittlement and the effectiveness of the cryothermal cycling(CTC) treatment in restoring the mode I fracture toughness are examined. Plasticity in all the CTC treated BMGC is estimated from the distribution and occurrence of pop-ins in nanoindentation tests and by measuring the magnitude of enthalpy of relaxation(△H_(rel)) via differential scanning calorimetry(DSC). This is further validated by examining the strain-to-failure(ε_(f)) in compression tests. Mode I fracture behaviour of the as-cast embrittled BMGC and the CTC treated BMGC, which exhibits maximum plasticity, is examined. Results show that both BMGCs are equally brittle and exhibit 5 times lower notch toughness(K_(QJ))than their tougher counterpart. Post-facto imaging of the side surfaces reveals the absence of notch-tip plasticity in both BMGCs. The lack of notch tip plasticity of CTC treated BMGC, despite exhibiting signatures of plasticity in nanoindentation and higher △Hrelis rationalized by reassessing the origin of pop-ins in nanoindentation tests and describing the variations in chemical and topological short range ordering during CTC, respectively. Implications of these results in terms of improving the fracture toughness of structurally relaxed BMGCs via CTC are discussed.

CuZr-based bulk metallic glass and glass matrix composites fabricated by selective laser melting

Monolithic bulk metallic glass and glass matrix composites with a relative density above 98%were produced by processing Cu_(46)Zr_(46)Al_(8)(at.%)via selective laser melting(SLM).Their microstructures and mechanical properties were systematically examined.B2 CuZr nanocrystals(30-100 nm in diameter)are uniformly dispersed in the glassy matrix when SLM is conducted at an intermediate energy input.These B2 CuZr nanocrystals nucleate the oxygen-stabilized big cube phase during a remelting step.The presence of these nanocrystals increases the structural heterogeneity as indirectly revealed by mircrohardness and nanoindentation measurements.The corresponding maps in combination with calorimetric data indicate that the glassy phase is altered by the processing conditions.Despite the formation of crystals and a high overall free volume content,all additively manufactured samples fail at lower stress than the as-cast glass and without any plastic strain.The inherent brittleness is attributed to the presence of relatively large pores and the increased oxygen content after selective laser melting.

Effect of Cu content on microstructure and mechanical properties of in-situ β phases reinforced Ti/Zr-based bulk metallic glass matrix composite by selective laser melting(SLM)

In this study,non-toxic in-situβphases of reinforced Ti/Zr-based bulk metallic glass matrix composites(BMGCs)of(Ti_(0.65)Zr_(0.35))100-xCux(x=5,10,15 at.%)are fabricated via selective laser melting.The effect of Cu content on phase formation,microstructure,and mechanical properties is investigated.The average volume fraction and width of theβphase decreases with increasing Cu content,while a more amorphous phase and the(Ti,Zr)_(2)Cu phase forms.In the center zone of the molten pool,theβphase grows in the direction of the temperature gradient,and the amorphous phase distributes among theβphases.This occurs using:sphere morphology(for x=5),a more continuous elongated sphere and network morphology(for x=10),and network morphology(for x=15),respectively.In the edge zone of the molten pool,due to the smaller cooling rate and the existence of a partially molten zone,theβphase becomes coarser,and an amorphous phase forms for more continuous networks.Furthermore,the hardness improves significantly with increasing Cu content.No crack is found for x=5.Although the average volume fraction of theβphase for x=5 is about 90%,the compression yield strength is 1386±64 MPa,reaching to an average level of conventionally fabricated counterparts,due to finer microstructure,and twinning and martensitic transformation of theβphase.