Ductile Fe-based amorphous alloy

Experiments demonstrated that the addition of a minute amount of V to Fe52Co(20−x)B20Si4Nb4Vx amorphous alloy induces atomic-scale phase separation, which dramatically enhances the plasticity. Especially, Fe52Co17.5B20Si4Nb4V2.5 amorphous alloy exhibited a strength of 4.7 GPa and a fracture strain of 8.0%, which is the largest strain reported for Fe-based amorphous alloys. In this study, the structural origin of the enhanced plasticity is explored by examining the role played by the phase separating element on the packing density and strain localization.

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► Fe-based amorphous alloy with a strength and fracture strain of 4.7 GPa and 8.0% was synthesized.
► Addition of a minute amount of V promoted the phase separation of the constituent elements.
► Phase separation lowered alloys’ packing density and alleviated the degree of strain localization.