Microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of Nb-alloyed Cu-based bulk metallic glasses and composites

This paper reports the microstructure evolution of Cu-50.2 Zr40.8Ti9 Nb-x(x) (x = 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 at.%) bulk metallic glass and bulk metallic glass composites accompanied with the addition of Nb and the corresponding mechanical properties. The X-ray diffraction and characterization of microstructures demonstrate that the microstructures of as-cast alloys undergo a composite-amorphous evolution. DSC analysis indicates that the glass-forming ability of as-cast alloys increases with addition of Nb. The microstructure evolution can be contributed to the combination of the stabilization of Nb on precipitated crystalline phases and cooling time. 1.0 at.% Nb-alloyed sample has the best plasticity (15.1%) and the highest fracture strength (2205 MPa) among three as-cast alloys. This work suggests that the uniformly dispersed tiny crystalline phases in glassy matrix can enhance the plasticity of bulk metallic glasses. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.