Surface properties and activity of Fe–Ni–B ternary glasses

The surface structure, composition and corrosion behavior of metallic glass (MG) ribbons of the Fe–Ni–B system, with nominal composition Fe40Ni40B20 are investigated by X-ray diffraction, Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). We found that the surface is Fe enriched at the expense of both Ni and B, while exposure to 200 eV N+ and Ar+ plasma modifies slightly the top surface layer further enriching the surface with Fe; in the case of N+, strong incorporation of N is detected indicating the formation of nitride phases. The corrosion behavior of the Fe–Ni–B surfaces was studied by electrochemical techniques in aquatic solutions of NaCl, NaOH, HNO3 and HCl. Corrosion properties are very satisfactory compared to other MGs and engineering crystalline alloys with similar base compositions.