Formation and mechanical properties of Zr-Cu-Al bulk glassy alloys

We used highly purified elements (i.e. low-oxygen-content Zr metal) and a special arc melting and casting furnace to prepare Zr50Cu40Al10 rod-shaped bulk glassy alloy over 10 mm in diameter. In the Zr-Cu-Al alloy system, we examined the glass-forming ability in the bulk glassy state by ΔTx, Tg/Tl, and the Hruby factor. The Hruby factor is appropriate for evaluating glass-forming ability in the cast Zr-Cu-Al bulk glassy alloy. In order to enhance the mechanical properties even in pre-oxidized Zr-Cu-Al (oxygen concentration 1000 ppm) bulk glassy alloy, we examined the effectiveness of a small addition of a fourth element. As a result, we found that the effect of adding the fourth element depends on the periodicity in the periodic table, i.e. the chemical interaction with Zr, Cu and Al elements.