Enhancement on GFA and mechanical properties of Ni-based bulk metallic glasses through Fe addition

Bulk Ni76-xFexP14B6Ta4 (x = 10, 20, 30, all in at.%) glassy alloy rods with diameters of 1.5-3.0 mm are synthesized by combining fluxing treatment and J-quenching technique, and the effects of Fe substitution for Ni on the glass forming ability (GFA), thermal stability, mechanical properties, and corrosion resistance of the present Ni-based bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) have been studied systematically in this work. It is found that the appropriate substitution of Fe for Ni can greatly enhance the GFA of the present Ni-based alloys, and the critical diameter for fully glass formation gets to the maximum value of 3.0 mm when the substitution content of Fe for Ni is 20 at.%. The corrosion tests show that the substitution of Fe for Ni causes a certain reduction of the corrosion resistance of the present Ni-based BMGs, but the corrosion current densities in both 1 M NaCl and 1 M HCl solutions are below the order of magnitude of 10−5 A/cm2 and the corrosion rate in1 M HCl solution is in the order of magnitude of 0.1 mm/year, still exhibiting a good corrosion resistance. The present Ni-based BMGs exhibit a compressive strength of more than 2.6 GPa and, more significantly, the substitution of Fe for Ni greatly enhances the compressive plasticity of the present Ni-based BMGs and the compressive plastic strain gets up to 6.6% when 20 at.% of Ni is substituted by Fe. This work indicates that the GFA and mechanical properties of Ni-based BMGs can be enhanced significantly through the Fe addition.