Abstract:

Introducing transformation-induced plasticity (TRIP) effect into bulk metallic glass composites (BMGCs) is an effective route to improve their ductility and strain-hardening ability. Since the morphology and structure of the crystalline austenite phases responsible for the TRIP phenomenon are strongly dependent on the alloy composition and cooling rate during freezing, distinguishing the optimal cases from a vast variety of candidates is the primary task of exploring TRIP BMGCs. However, without a suitable theoretical guidance, the exploration of BMGCs is usually performed via the traditional trial-and-error route, making the BMGC development extremely time consuming and labor intensive. Here, we present a novel high-throughput strategy to accelerate the exploration process of TRIP BMGCs. The efficiency of this strategy was demonstrated on a well-studied Cu-Zr-Al alloy system. A screening library, comprised by 121 cylindrical samples with different conditions, was rapidly prepared by laser additive manufacturing (LAM). The phases of the library were efficiently identified by micro-area X-ray diffraction (M-XRD) to screen the optimal compositions and cooling rates that precipitate only B2-CuZr phase. The distribution uniformity of the B2-CuZr phase was further evaluated based on digital image processing technology to screen the candidates of better ductility. The high-throughput results are in good agreement with the previous casting investigations of discrete samples, confirming the validity of the present high-throughput strategy.

Key words: Bulk amorphous materials, Composites, High-throughput, Laser deposition, Metastable phases