Influence of Silicon Additions on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Cu₄₇Ti₃₄Zr₁₁Ni₈ Bulk Metallic Glass Forming Alloys

Abstract

A group of (Cu₄₇Ti₃₄Zr₁₁Ni₈)_100−xSi_x(x=0,1,2,3) bulk metallic glass forming alloys with diameter of 3 mm were prepared by water-cooled copper mould cast. Microstructural investigations reveal that with increasing Si content the precipitated phases exhibit quite different morphologies, which varies from earthworm-like phase for alloys with x=1 to small-sized dendrite phase for alloys with x=2, and finally to developed dendritic phase for alloys with x=3. Room temperature compression tests reveal that a transformation from shear fracture to distensile fracture mechanism occurs for the samples with Si content over a critical value. For the alloys with x=0 and 1, fracture occurs in a shear mode with very high ultimate fracture strength. In contrast, the alloys with x=2 and 3 seem to fracture by a distensile mode with ultimate fracture strength greatly decreased. The fracture behavior of the as-cast alloys were investigated and discussed.