Y.R. Wang

Plasticity-improved Zr-Cu-Al bulk metallic glass matrix composites containing martensite phase

Zr48.5Cu46.5Al5 bulk metallic glass matrix composites with diameters of 3 and 4mm were produced through water-cooled copper mold casting. Micrometer-sized bcc based B2 structured CuZr phase containing martensite plate, together with some densely distributed nanocrystalline Zr2Cu and plate-like Cu10Zr7 compound, was found embedded in a glassy matrix. The microstructure formation strongly depends on the composition and cooling rate. Room temperature compression tests reveal significant strain hardening and plastic strains of 7.7% and 6.4% before failure are obtained for the 3-mm- and 4-mm-diam samples, respectively. The formation of the martensite phase is proposed to contribute to the strain hardening and plastic deformation of the materials.

Instrumented indentation study of plastic deformation in bulk metallic glasses

Mechanical properties and micro-plastic deformation behavior of five bulk metallic Glasses (BMGs) were studied by instrumented indentation. These materials included La60Al10Ni10Cu20, Mg65Cu25Gd10, Zr52.5Al10Ni10Cu15Be12.5, Cu60Zr20Hf10Ti10, and Ni60Nb37Sn3 alloys. Remarkable difference in deformation behavior was found in the load-displacement curves of nanoindentation and pileup morphologies around the indents. Serrated plastic deformation depended on the loading rate was found in Mg-, Zr-, and Cu-based BMGs. The subsurface plastic deformation zone of typical alloys was investigated through bonded interface technique using depth-sensing microindentation. Large and widely spaced shear bands were observed in Mg-based BMG. The effect of loading rate on the indentation deformation behaviors in different BMGs was elucidated by the change of shear band pattern.

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Zr-Cu-Al Bulk Metallic Glasses

Zr49Cu46Al5 and Zr48.5Cu46.5Al5 bulk metallic glasses(BMGs) with diameter of 5 mm were prepared through water-cooled copper mold casting. The phase structures of the two alloys were identified by X-ray diffractometry(XRD). The thermal stability was examined by differential scanning calorimetry(DSC). Zr49Cu46Al5 alloy shows a glass transition temperature, T, of about 689 K, an crystallization temperature, T-x, of about 736 K. The Zr48.5Cu46.5Al5 alloy shows no obvious exothermic peak. The microstructure of the as-cast alloys was analyzed by transmission electron microscopy(TEM). The aggregations of CuZr and CuZr2 nanocrystals with grain size of about 20 nm are observed in Zr49Cu46Al5 nanocrystalline composite, while the Zr48.5Cu46.5Al5 alloy containing many CuZr martensite plates is crystallized seriously. Mechanical properties of bulk Zr49Cu46Al5 nanocrystalline composite and Zr48.5Cu46.5Al5 alloy measured by compression tests at room temperature show that the work hardening ability of Zr48.5Cu46.5Al5 alloy is larger than that of Zr48.5Cu46.5Al5 alloy.

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

Mg65 Cu25 Gdlo 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.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of a novel Zr-based bulk metallic glass composite

Zr48.5Cu46.5Al{5}bulk metallic glass (BMG) composites with diameters of 3 and 4 mm were prepared through suction casting in an arc melting furnace by modulating the alloy composition around the monothetic BMG composition of the high glass forming ability. Microstructural characterization reveals that the composites contain micron-sized CuZr phase with martensite structure, as well as nano-sized Zr2Cu crystalline particles and Cu10Zr7 plate-like phase embedded in an amorphous matrix. Room temperature compression tests showed that the composites exhibited significant strain hardening and obvious plastic strain of 7.7% for 3 mm and 6.4% for 4 mm diameter samples, respectively.