Friction joining of Ti40Zr25Ni3Cu12Be20 bulk metallic glass

Joints with fully amorphous structure can be obtained by selecting proper friction time and rotational speed. The optimum strength of the joint is close to that of the base bulk metallic glass (BMG), demonstrating a perfect bonding. Based on the analysis of the temperature distribution during the friction welding, an equation mentioning the critical friction time for retaining amorphous structure has been established. The experimental results prove the validity of the equation. Moreover, the temperature distribution in the friction interface has been studied by numerical simulation, aiming to provide a better understanding of the friction welding process and the microstructure in the interface. The simulation results further confirm the availability of the calculation results, thus can be helpful for designing the process parameters using other BMG systems.

► Friction welding is introduced to weld Ti-based bulk metallic glass.
► No crystallization and defect are observed in the joint.
► The joint exhibits a high tensile strength of 1540 MPa, 90% of the base material.