Fabrication of Misch metal-Al-Ni-Cu-C bulk metallic glass matrix composite by gravitational casting in air atmosphere

Misch metal-based bulk metallic glass matrix composites have been fabricated by gravitational casting process in air atmosphere. The as-cast (Mm(0.55)Al(0.25)Ni(0.1)Cu(0.1))(96)C-4 metallic glass matrix composite ingot with a cross-sectional diameter of 9.5 mm exhibits a wide supercooled liquid region and diffused halo in its X-ray diffraction pattern. The addition of carbon is effective in increasing the glass forming ability presumably because of the generation of attractive bonding with Lanthanide elements, leading to the suppression of formation of the competing crystal phases. The (Mm(0.55)Al(0.25)Ni(0.1)Cu(0.1))(96)C-4 metallic glass matrix composite sample exhibits enhanced compressive fracture strength of 1079 MPa with the compressive plastic strain of 1.0% before failure. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.