Corrosion resistant Cr-based bulk metallic glasses with high strength and hardness

• Novel Cr-based bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) with a dc up to 8 mm were developed.
• The BMGs exhibit much higher corrosion resistance than SUS316 in 1 M HCl solution.
• The BMGs show high Tg, σf and Hv up to 971 K, 4.35 GPa and 13.87 GPa, respectively.
• The BMGs are advantageous for using as novel corrosion/wear resistant materials.

Novel Cr-based Cr30Fe26Co7Mo14C15B6Y2 and Cr45Fe11Co7Mo14C15B6Y2 BMGs with a critical diameter up to 8 mm were developed by copper mold casting. For the CrxFe56 − xCo7Mo14C15B6Y2 (x = 15, 30 and 45 at.%) BMGs, chromium is effective on enhancing the corrosion resistance, mechanical properties and elastic moduli, though it decreases the glass forming ability. The Cr-based BMGs exhibit high glass transition temperature of 909–971 K, excellent corrosion resistance in aggressive hydrochloric solution, superior compressive fracture strength up to 4.35 GPa, high Vickers microhardness of 13.87 GPa, and high ratio of hardness to Young's modulus about 0.06, which are advantageous for engineering applications as novel corrosion/wear resistant materials.