Mechanical Properties of Zr-Based Bulk Metallic Glass Parts Fabricated by Laser-Foil-Printing Additive Manufacturing

The application of bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) has been traditionally limited to parts with small dimensions and simple geometries, due to the requirement of fast cooling during the conventional process of casting. This research exemplifies a promising additive manufacturing method, i.e., laser-foil-printing (LFP), to fabricate high-quality BMG parts with large dimensions and complex geometries. In this study, Zr52.5Ti5Al10Ni14.6Cu17.9 BMG parts were fabricated by LFP technology in which MG foils are laser welded layer-by- layer upon a substrate. The mechanical properties of the fabricated BMG parts were measured using micro-indentation, tensile test and four-point bending test, and then compared to as-cast BMG parts. Through LFP, as rapid cooling rates can be achieved, fully amorphous and nearly fully dense BMG parts without cracking have been successfully made. The fabricated BMG parts exhibit mechanical properties, including micro-hardness, tensile strength, and flexural strength, comparable with the as-cast BMG parts