Glass-forming ability, microhardness, corrosion resistance, and dealloying treatment of Mg60−x Cu40Nd x alloy ribbons

The influence of Nd addition on the glass-forming ability (GFA), microhardness, and corrosion resistance of Mg60−x Cu40Nd x (x = 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25, at%) alloys were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry, Vickers-type hardness tests, and electrochemical methods. The results suggest that the GFA and microhardness of the amorphous alloys increase until the Nd content reaches 20at%. The corrosion potential and corrosion current density obtained from the Tafel curves indicate that the Mg35Cu40Nd25 ternary alloy exhibits the best corrosion resistance among the investigated alloys. Notably, nanoporous copper (NPC) was synthesized through a single-step dealloying of Mg60−x Cu40Nd x (x = 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25) ternary alloys in 0.04 mol·L−1 H2SO4 solution under free corrosion conditions. The influence of dealloying process parameters, such as dealloying time and temperature, on the microstructure of the ribbons was also studied using the surface diffusivity theory. The formation mechanism of dealloyed samples with a multilayered structure was also discussed.