Mg–Ni–Gd–Ag bulk metallic glass with improved glass-forming ability and mechanical properties

The improvement of glass-forming ability (GFA) and mechanical properties by using Ag to substitute Mg in the Mg–Ni–Gd bulk metallic glass (BMG) were studied. The Mg69Ni15Gd10Ag6 bulk metallic glass (BMG) could be cast into glassy rod up to 7 mm. The activation energies of Mg69Ni15Gd10Ag6 metallic glass were calculated by the Kissinger’s method to be Eg = 2.24 eV, Ex = 1.65 eV, Ep1 = 1.36 eV, Ep2 = 1.59 eV, Ep3 = 1.26 eV and Ep4 = 1.99 eV. The compressive fracture strength and the plastic strain of Mg69Ni15Gd10Ag6 BMG reached 846 MPa and 0.37% respectively.