Effects of B addition on glass forming ability and thermal behavior of FePC-based bulk metallic glasses

The FePC-based bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) have been demonstrated to possess high plasticity and good soft magnetic properties. However, the relatively poor glass forming ability (GFA) and thermal stabilities limited their application in industries. The effects of microalloying with B in FePC-based BMGs on the GFA and thermal behaviors were systematically investigated. It was found that a small amount of B addition can dramatically enhance the GFA of FePC-based BMGs, which in turn leads to the critical maximum diameter up to 2 mm for full glass formation even using low cost raw materials. The underlying mechanism of the enhancement of GFA from the competing crystalline phase with amorphous phase, the average thermal expansion coefficient and dynamic viscosity were discussed in detail.