| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1600362 | Intermetallics | 2012 | 5 Pages |
Zr-based bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) possess excellent unique properties, such as high mechanical properties, good corrosion resistance, long-term antimicrobial ability, and were considered as an ideal candidate for medical tools. In this study, self-made ZrCuAlAgSi BMG surgical blade and commercial martensitic steel blade with and without metallic glass thin film (MGTF) were carefully examined for their sharpness. The amorphous state of BMG and MGTF were ascertained by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and differential scanning carlorimetry (DSC) analysis. A specially designed indentation-cutting rig was established to evaluate the sharpness of each blade on cutting the soft rubber material. The sharpness was evaluated by the blade sharpness index (BSI) which represents the ratio of external work done by the load to the energy required to initiate a cut or crack inside given materials. Results of sharpness test reveal that both BMG blade and the MGTF coated blade exhibits much lower surface roughness at their tip-edge and smaller BSI values (0.25 and 0.23, respectively) than the commercial blade (∼0.34), which corresponds to 26.5% and 32% improvement on the sharpness, respectively.
Graphical abstractA special test rig was designed for indentation-cutting test and to evaluate the sharpness of each blade on cutting the soft rubber material. The sharpness was evaluated by the blade sharpness index (BSI) which represents the ratio of external work done by the load to the energy required to initiate a cut or crack inside given materials. The upper-left insert is the blades studied in this research, including commercial blade, ZrCuAlAgSi MGTF coated blade, and ZrCuAlAgSi BMG blade (left to right). The lower-right insert is the whole set rig.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slideHighlights► One special cutting device was designed to evaluate the BSI of each blade on cutting the soft substrate. ► The energy require to initiate a cut on a substrate can be defined as “blade sharpness index”(BSI). ► The interaction strength between blade and soft substrate were recorded for BSI calculation. ► The BSI value of blade is a significant index for evaluating cutting ability. ► BSI can be improved about 26.5% and 32% by ZrCuAlAgSi BMG blade and by MGTF blade, respectively.
