Fabrication of refractory metal based metallic glasses

In order to produce metallic glasses with high crystallization temperature, high modulus and high hardness, a number of multi-component W-base, Re-base and Ir-base alloys are melt-quenched. Alloy compositions are selected mainly on the basis of the binary phase diagrams showing a deep eutectoid. Metallic glasses are successfully produced in most of 11 W-base alloys and 2 of 3 Re-base alloys, but not in any of 11 Ir-base alloys studied. Crystallization temperatures of W-base and Re-base metallic glasses are actually high, between 1049 and 1331 K. Vickers hardness values are also high, between 13 and 18 GPa, satisfying a general rule of HV/E = 0.06 (HV, Vickers hardness value; E, Young's modulus).