BULK METALLIC GLASS: A SUPERIOR EROSION AND CAVITATION RESISTANT MATERIAL

摘要

We report on the slurry erosion and cavitation behavior of a zirconium based bulk metallic glass (BMG), Zr_(44)Ti_(11)Cu_(10)Ni_(10)Be_(25). Slurry erosion and cavitation tests were carried out using a non-circulating type test rig at different impingement angles. For comparative analysis, commonly used hydroturbine steel, CA6NM (13Cr4Ni), was also evaluated under similar test conditions. For low impingement angles, BMG demonstrated nearly 3 times higher erosion resistance compared to CA6NM. However, under normal impingement condition, BMG showed marginally better erosion performance. The cavitation resistance for BMG was four times higher compared to hydroturbine steel. The unusually high erosion resistance for BMG is attributed to its uniform amorphous structure with no grain boundaries, higher hardness, and ability to accommodate strain through localized shear bands.