Enhanced mechanical properties of Ti-based metallic glass composites prepared under medium vacuum system

Abstract The Ti 48 Zr 20 Nb 12 Cu 5 Be 15 bulk metallic glass composites were prepared by copper mold casting under medium vacuum conditions (0.15 Pa–25 Pa). The addition of impurity elements neither induces the phase transformation of β-Ti → α-Ti, nor changes the microstructure of the Ti-BMG composites when the oxygen level is low. However, some tiny α-Ti crystals separate out from the interface between the dendritic second phases and glassy matrix when the oxygen content is 7500 ppm. The impurity elements concentrated in the BMGs lead to a sharp decrease of GFA when the average oxygen level is above 4500 ppm. The impurity elements absorbed in the β-Ti phase can induce a significant solid-solution strengthening effect, which results in an enhanced strength. With the average oxygen level further increases, the higher shear modulus and hardness of β-Zr phase, because of the excessive solid-solution hardening effect of oxygen, may lose the ability to arrest the shear bands. The brittle tiny α-Ti crystals can deteriorate the mechanical property of the composite.