Synthesis of Ni-based bulk metallic glass matrix composites containing ductile brass phase by warm extrusion of gas atomized powders

To prevent catastrophic failure by propagating highly localized shear bands and to overcome the limited dimension of metallic glass, centimeter-scale Ni59Zr20Ti16Si2Sn3 bulk metallic glass matrix composites were fabricated by warm extrusion of a mixture of gas-atomized fully amorphous powders and ductile brass powders. After consolidation, the composite retained the fully amorphous matrix found in the gas-atomized powder combined with the brass second phase. The glass-transition and crystallization temperatures of the extruded material were the same as those of the starting powders. The confined ductile brass phase enabled the bulk metallic glass matrix composites to deform plastically under uniaxial compression at room temperature. The combination of strength and ductility in the inherently brittle Ni-based monolithic materials could be obtained by introducing a ductile phase in the bulk metallic glass matrix. However, control of the volume fraction and distribution of the ductile brass phase was important for the proper combination of the strength and plasticity.