Preparation, microstructure and mechanical properties of tungsten fiber reinforced LaAlCuNi metallic glass matrix composites

Abstract

In this paper, Wf/La62Al14Cu12Ni12 bulk metallic glass composites (BMGCs) were successfully prepared by a new forward melt infiltrating method. Compared with Wf/Zr-based BMGCs, the preparation of Wf/La62Al14Cu12Ni12 BMGCs is simpler and more convenient. In the experimental part, quasi-static compressive behaviors of composites with different fiber volume fractions were systematically investigated. The volume fraction of the tungsten fiber was found to have remarkable influence on compressive properties and fracture modes of the composites. The introduction of tungsten fiber can significantly improve the strength of composites, strikingly, the composite with fiber volume fraction of 60% shows a significant plastic strain of 11.7% as well as a high fracture strength of 1600 MPa. With the increasing fiber volume fraction, the failure mode of the composites switches from shear of amorphous matrix to splitting. In addition, the relationship between compressive strength and fiber volume fraction of Wf/La62Al14Cu12Ni12 BMGCs and Wf/Zr(Vit1)-based BMGCs was studied, and we found that the theoretical compressive strength of those two composites is approximately consistent with the experimental counterparts. Although the matrix strength of the two varieties of composites has a huge difference, the compression plasticity of composites shows a similar change with the increasing fiber volume fraction.