Nanosecond-pulsed laser welding of metallic glass

Abstract This study explores nanosecond-pulsed (ns-pulsed) laser welding on the metallic glass (MG) ribbons of four compositions: Fe78Si9B13, Zr65Cu15Ni10Al10, La55Ni20Al25 and Ce65Al10Cu20Co5. All MGs can be welded in the air by the ns-pulsed laser, and the crystallization of the welding joints can be avoided by proper control of the laser parameters. By varying the travel speed, pulse duration and repetition frequency, the critical crystallization time of MG can be quickly detected in a high-throughput way by ns-pulsed laser welding. At the optimal processing conditions, 70–90% of the tensile strength of the parent melt-spun ribbon can be preserved in the welded MG ribbons. The mechanical strength is well linked to the profile of the welding joint, which suggests a simple method to evaluate the welding quality. A welding parameter map has been established based on the experiments, and it is concluded that the laser power-density per sample thickness and the interaction time are the key factors that control the crystallization and strength of the welding joints. The map is valid for a broad range of MG compositions of all sample thickness, and thus the optimal processing conditions may be extended to all MGs with equivalent glass-forming ability.