Preparation and characterization of Fe-based bulk metallic glasses in plate form

Amorphous alloys with composition (at%) Fe48Cr15Mo14C15B6Gd2 (alloy A) and Fe48Cr15Mo14C15B6Y2 (alloy B) were prepared either using pure elements (A and B1) and a commercial AISI430 steel as a base material (B2). When prepared from pure elements both alloys (A and B1) could be cast in plate form with a fixed thickness of 2 mm and variable lengths between 10 and 20 mm by means of copper-mold injection in air atmosphere. In the case of alloy B2, prepared using commercial grade raw materials, rods of 2 mm diameter were obtained. X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy observations confirmed that an amorphous structure was obtained in all the as-cast samples. A minor fraction of crystalline phases (oxides and carbides) was detected on the as-cast surface. Differential scanning calorimetry measurements showed a glass transition temperature at 856 K for alloy A and 841 K for alloy B1, and an onset crystallization temperature of 887 K for alloy A and 885 K for alloy B1. In the case of alloy B2 a slightly different crystallization sequence was observed. Values of hardness (similar to 13 GPa) and the Young modulus (similar to 180 GPa) were measured by nanoindentation for both the alloys. The effects of adverse casting conditions (such as air atmosphere, non-conventional injection copper mold casting and partial replacement of pure elements with commercial grade raw materials) on the glass formation and properties of the alloy are discussed. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.