Structure and mechanical properties of bulk glass-forming Ni–Nb–Sn alloys

Ternary alloys of composition Ni60Nb40−xSnx, with 3 ⩽ x < 9, were found to form bulk metallic glasses. These alloys exhibit a high elastic modulus and measured compressive yield strength between 1.8 and 2.8 GPa. The measured yield strength of these ternary alloys depends strongly on their Sn content and is generally lower than the strength estimated from modulus and hardness. The tendency to phase separation suggested by small-angle neutron scattering experiments is used to account for the obvious discrepancy between the measured and the theoretical strengths.