Fe-based Amorphous Alloy with High Strength and Toughness Synthesized based on nm-scale Phase Separation

Abstract

Experiments have demonstrated that the addition of a moderate amount of V to Fe52Co(20-x)B20Si4Nb4Vx amorphous alloy enhances the plasticity of the alloy. In particular, Fe52Co17.5B20Si4Nb4V2.5 alloy withstood a maximum of 8.3% strain prior to fracture along with a strength exceeding 4.7 GPa. Energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy conducted on the Fe52Co17.5B20Si4Nb4V2.5 alloy exhibited evidence of compositional modulation, indicating that nm-scale phase separation had occurred at local regions. In this study, the role played by nm-scale phase separation on the plasticity was investigated in terms of structural disordering and shear localization in order to better understand the structural origin of the enhanced plasticity shown by the developed alloy.