Fabrication and mechanical properties of Cu-based bulk metallic glass and composites

Abstract

One monolithic Cu-based bulk metallic glass and three composites with tiny crystalline phases embedded in metallic glass matrix are successfully fabricated by solidification technique. A1 is selected as an alloying element to be added into a ternary Cu-based bulk metallic glass to regulate microstructure and enhance mechanical property. All quaternary Cu-Zr-Ti-Al alloys have composite structure. The amount of crystalline phases in Cu59Zr 32Ti8Al1 and Cu59Zr 31Ti8Al2 is more than that in Cu 59Zr33Ti7Al1. The compression results show that Cu59Zr32Ti8Al1 and Cu59Zr31Ti8Al2 rods possess large plastic deformation, but the others do not. Cu59Zr 31Ti8Al2 has the best mechanical property among the four representative alloys, its compressive strength and plasticity reaches 2304 MPa and 18% respectively. The composition of those crystalline phases and the enhancement reason of plasticity are also investigated. Consequently, the presence of certain crystalline phases in glass matrix benefits enhancement of mechanical properties of the as-cast bulk metallic glass composites.