Cu50Zr40Ti10 bulk amorphous alloys were fabricated by hot pressing gas-atomized Cu50Zr40Ti10 amorphous powder under different consolidation conditions without vacuum and inert gas protection. The consolidation conditions of the Cu50Zr40Ti10 amorphous powder were investigated based on an L9(34) orthogonal design. The compression strength and strain limit of the Cu50Zr40Ti10 bulk amorphous alloys can reach up to 1090.4 MPa and 11.9 %, respectively. The consolidation pressure significantly influences the strain limit and compression strength of the compact. But the mechanical properties are not significantly influenced by the consolidation temperature. In addition, the preforming pressure significantly influences not the compression strength but the strain limit. The optimum consolidation condition for the Cu50Zr40Ti10 amorphous powder is first precompacted under the pressure of 150 MPa, and then consolidated under the pressure of 450 MPa and the temperature of 380 °C.
Zr-Al-Ni-Cu bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) were developed and their fragility parameters (m) were calculated by Arrhenius and Vogel-Fulcher-Tammann (VFT) equations. The results show that the m values of the Zr-Al-Ni-Cu BMGs derived by Arrhenius equation are in agreement with the corresponding m values derived by VFT equation. These Zr-Al-Ni-Cu BMGs characterize in low m values. The low m values for these BMGs would be due to their network microstructures. In addition, the m values of Zr-Al-Cu-Ni BMGs could be obtained by regulating Zr content. The composition of Zr-Al-Cu-Ni BMGs with the lowest m value would be near 54%Zr (mole fraction) because the m value about 13 of Zr 54 Al 13 Cu 18 Ni 15 BMG is the lowest among these Zr-Al-Ni-Cu BMGs developed.
An artificial neural network (ANN) model was developed for simulating and predicting critical dimension dc of glass forming alloys. A group of Zr-Al-Ni-Cu and Cu-Zr-Ti-Ni bulk metallic glasses were designed based on the dc and their de values were predicted by the ANN model. Zr-Al-Ni-Cu and Cu-Zr-Ti-Ni bulk metallic glasses were prepared by injecting into copper mold. The amorphous structures and the determination of the dc of as-cast alloys were ascertained using X-ray diffraction. The results show that the predicted de values of glass forming alloys are in agreement with the corresponding experimental values. Thus the developed ANN model is reliable and adequate for designing the composition and predicting the de of glass forming alloy.