Microstructure and mechanical properties of a spray-formed Ti-based metallic glass former alloy

A Ti_45.8Zr_6.2Cu_39.9Ni_5.1Sn ₂Si₁ composite plate was spray deposited on a copper substrate. From the bottom substrate-contact surface to the upper free surface of the deposit, a layered microstructure evolution in the order of fully amorphous (for the region 1-2 mm perpendicularly away from the substrate), amorphous/nanocrystalline (3-4 mm from the substrate), ultrafine-grained crystalline (5-6 mm from the substrate) and micron-sized crystalline phases (7-8 mm from the substrate) was observed. The oversprayed powders bellow 50 μm exhibit fully amorphous structure, while the ones above 50 μm show certain crystallization behavior. The fracture strength of 1.58-1.85 GPa with obvious plastic strain can be achieved under compressive tests for the spray-formed deposit. Spray forming can therefore produce bulk-sized high strength Ti-based alloy which evolves gradually from certain non-equilibrium towards equilibrium during deposition, which were considered to be attributable to the chill effect at the bottom substrate-contact surface and the following heat entrapment from the successively deposited droplets or powders.