Effect of Ta on the high temperature oxidation behavior of Mo-based bulk metallic glasses

Abstract

Mo-based bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) exhibited very high thermal stability and showed promising applications in high-temperature fields. However, their high-temperature oxidation resistance remains unsatisfactory. In this work, the effect of Ta (0–6 at.%) on the high-temperature oxidation behavior of MoCoB BMG was systematically investigated. The oxidation kinetics of MoCoB BMG and Ta-bearing Mo-based BMGs generally followed a parabolic law at 873–973 K, and the rate constants increased with the increasing temperature. The oxidation products of MoCoB BMG were primarily composed of CoMoO4 and MoO3, and the oxides of Ta-bearing Mo-based BMG were mainly CoMoO4, MoO3, CoTa2O6, and Ta2O5. The addition of Ta can significantly promote adhesion between the substrate and the external oxide layer, forming a dense spinel layer with a diffusion barrier that provides good oxidation resistance to the Mo-based BMG. The thin oxidation layer of Mo44Co34Ta6B16 was only about 13 μm after oxidation at 973 K for 120 h.