Zr-based bulk glassy alloy with improved resistance to stress corrosion cracking in sodium chloride solutions

In order to evaluate stress corrosion cracking (SCC) susceptibility of Zr-based bulk glassy alloys and develop the BGAs with low susceptibility to SCC, the SCC behaviour of Zr50Cu40Al10, Zr50Cu30Al10Ni10 and hypoeutectic Zr70Cu6Al8Ni16 BGAs in various environments including sodium chloride solution has been investigated using a slow strain rate technique at an initial strain rate of 5 × 10−6 s−1. It is found, for the first time, that the Zr70Cu6Al8Ni16 BGA has no susceptibility to SCC in a 0.5 M NaCl solution. On the other hand, Zr50Cu40Al10 and Zr50Cu30Al10Ni10 BGAs are highly susceptible to SCC in the NaCl solution, although they are not susceptible to SCC in de-ionized water, phosphate buffer, 0.5 M Na2SO4 and 0.5 M NaNO3 solutions. The possible cause of the high susceptibility to SCC in the NaCl solution for the Zr50Cu40Al10 and Zr50Cu30Al10Ni10 BGAs is discussed.