Versatile fabrication of bulk metallic glass composites reinforced by dissimilar secondary phase

Abstract Bulk metallic glass (BMG) matrix composites have attracted increasing attentions in the past decades, for combining the superior strength of BMGs with the excellent malleability of crystalline alloys. Insofar, increasing methods have been developed for the fabrication of BMG composites. However, versatile methods capable of fabricating high-performance BMG composites reinforced by diverse secondary phases remain lack. In this work, the versatile fabrication of BMG composites reinforced by dissimilar crystalline alloy via ultrasonic vibration-assisted thermoplastic forming was reported. Wire gauze made of 304 stainless steel and Zr-based BMG were chosen as the secondary phase and the matrix, respectively. The as-prepared BMG composites exhibited metallurgical bonding at the interface between BMG and stainless steel, in contrast to the reference sample prepared by normal thermoplastic forming which exhibited merely mechanical bonding. The formation of metallurgical bonding was attributed to the self-cleaning effect induced by ultrasonic vibration which disposed the surface oxidation layer, and the enhanced atomic interdiffusion between BMG and stainless steel by ultrasonic vibration. The fracture toughness of the as-prepared BMG composites exhibited an improvement from 65 to 132 MPa m1/2. Based on fractography observation, the improved fracture toughness was attributed to the deflection of crack at the interfaces between BMG and stainless steel. These results prove the versatility of ultrasonic vibration-assisted thermoplastic forming in the fabrication of BMG composites.