Boss formability of a Zr-based bulk metallic glass

Macroscopic solid-to-solid hot formability of a Zr-based bulk metallic glass has been investigated in this study by applying a boss forming process within supercooled liquid region (SLR). The morphology and microstructures after boss forming were first examined by using an optical microscopy (OM), a field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The variation of thermal properties before and after boss forming was also analyzed by using a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC). The glass transition temperature, Tg and the crystallization onset temperature, Tx, onset were found to decrease with increasing test time and temperature. Macroscopic extrusion formability was found to match well with the results predicted through a processing map based on a dynamic materials model (DMM). The specimens were found to form well under the conditions of high temperature and slow punch jig speed. A FEM simulation study has also been carried out to understand the causes of piping problem. A sound boss without a pipe could be formed by reducing the flow rate difference in the contact and the core sites.