Excellent room-temperature mechanical properties in the high glass-forming Zr−Cu−Ni−Al−Nb alloy system

In this study, the glass-forming ability and room-temperature deformation behaviors of Zr56-xCu7.5+xNi17.5Al15Nb4 (x = 0, 2, 4, 6, 8) alloy system were investigated. The Zr52Cu11.5Ni17.5Al15Nb4 metallic glass possess the highest glass-forming ability with a critical casting diameter of 8 mm. Compressive testing indicates that this alloy also exhibits outstanding mechanical properties, having the largest yield strength of (2010 ± 25) MPa and a plastic strain of (8.6 ± 2.1)%, respectively. The large plasticity is considered to correlate with the local compositional/chemical inhomogeneity induced by the positive heats of mixing of atomic pairs in the alloy system. This work may provide a new horizon for the development of ductile bulk metallic glasses.