Bulk amorphous cast iron with small boron addition, produced by powder compaction at high pressure

Amorphous alloys, containing commercial cast iron with the addition of 2 wt.% of boron, were obtained by melt-spinning in the form of ribbons. Bulk amorphous samples were produced by consolidation of powderised amorphous ribbons at high pressure, 7.7 GPa. The samples pressed at room temperature exhibit big, well seen porosity. All the samples compacted at elevated temperatures show a higher relative density compared to the compacts obtained at room temperature. It was found that the compaction process at temperatures up to 520 °C enables production of bulk amorphous alloys. Vicker's microhardness measurements were performed for all the pressed samples. The amorphous ones compacted at higher temperatures show higher microhardness compared to samples compacted at room temperature. It was also observed that partial crystallisation of the amorphous compacts leads to an increase in microhardness even up to 1860 HV0.05.