Corrosion behavior and pitting susceptibility of in-situ Ti-based metallic glass matrix composites in 3.5Â wt.% NaCl solutions

The Ti62Zr12V13Cu4Be9, Ti58Zr16V10Cu4Be12, Ti46Zr20V12Cu5Be17, and Ti40Zr24V12Cu5Be19 metallic glass matrix composites (MGMCs) were prepared by copper mould casting. The corrosion resistance and the pitting susceptibility of Ti-based MGMCs were tested on their cross-sectional areas in 3.5 wt.% NaCl solutions by potentiodynamic polarization measurements. The composites with lower Ti contents (Ti40Zr24V12Cu5Be19 and Ti46Zr20V12Cu5Be17) exhibit a low resistance to the chloride induced pitting and local corrosion. The preferential dissolution of amorphous matrix is explained by the high chemical reactivity of beryllium element compared to that of stable dendrites and by the detected lower Ti and V contents. However, fairly good passivity was found in the composite with higher Ti contents (Ti62Zr12V13Cu4Be9). XPS measurements revealed that protective Ti-enriched oxide film was formed on the composite surface, additionally, lower content of beryllium element in amorphous matrix hinder the selective corrosion of amorphous matrix. The assessment of experimental observation leads to a proposed corrosion mechanism involving selective dissolution of amorphous matrix and chloride induced pitting process.