New La-based glass–crystal ex situ composites with enhanced toughness

Ex situ composites have been synthesized by reinforcing the brittle La55Al25Cu10Ni10 bulk metallic glass with varying volume fractions of spherical Ti particles. Ti is effective in significantly enhancing toughness, and optimum properties are obtained with just 20 vol.% Ti, where the compressive failure strain reaches 15% while maintaining a high strength (700 MPa). The combination of properties achieved appears to be the best among all known La-based glassy composites, which is explained in terms of the toughness of the reinforcement used.