Comparison of mechanical behaviors of several bulk metallic glasses for biomedical application

• Mechanical behaviors of four BMGs have been studied for biomedical applications.
• The wear resistance of the studied samples is closely correlated with hardness.
• ZrCuAlAg glass has higher strength, higher hardness, and better wear resistance.

Bulk metallic glass (BMG), Zr46Cu37.6Ag8.4Al8 (ZrCuAlAg), has been systematically evaluated in terms of microstructure, compressive properties, and wear resistance, aimed at exploring its use as a novel biomedical material. For comparison, the above-mentioned tests were also performed on Zr51.9Cu23.3Ni10.5Al14.3, Zr51Ti5Ni10Cu25Al9, and Ti40Zr25Ni12Cu3Be20 BMGs, pure Ti and Ti–6Al–4V alloy. ZrCuAlAg BMG exhibits higher strength, higher hardness, and better wear resistance than other materials. All the results imply that the Ag-bearing ZrCuAlAg BMG with excellent mechanocompatibility will open up a new path for biomedical applications.