Fabrication of Bulk Mg–Cu–Ag–Y Glassy Alloy by Squeeze Casting

Abstract

A new Mg 65 Cu 15 Y 10 Ag 10 alloy having large glass-forming ability has been developed to produce bulk Mg-based glass material. Partial replacement of Ag with Cu in a Mg 65 Cu 25 Ag 10 alloy led to a significant improvement of glass-forming ability. The addition of Ag significantly decreases the melting temperature and also satisfies conditions of a multi-element system with a deep eutectic, large atomic-size difference between its components and a large electronegativity difference between the components for good glass-forming ability. Injection casting produced bulk metallic glass of Mg 65 Cu 15 Y 10 Ag 10 alloy having a diameter up to 6 mm. Squeeze casting was able to produce larger bulk metallic glass with Mg 65 Cu 15 Y 10 Ag 10 alloy having diameter of 10 mm, due to the rapid heat extraction and undercooling of the liquid alloy, by applying pressure during solidification.