Four groups of Ti-based amorphous composites with a nominal composition of Ti48Zr27Cu6Be14TM5 (at.%, TM = Ta, Nb, V and Co) were prepared and investigated. They were studied to explore the effect of transition metal elements on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Ti-based amorphous composites. The results reveal that V and Nb are predominantly distributed within the crystalline phase, while Ta exhibits no obvious elemental segregation behavior. In contrast, Co is predominantly concentrated within the amorphous matrix. These alloying elements exert a remarkable influence on the mechanical properties, including strength, plasticity and hardness. The Co-doped specimen achieved the highest yield strength and compressive strength, reaching 1942 MPa and 1977 MPa, respectively. Meanwhile, its crystalline and amorphous phases achieved maximum hardness of 566.9 HV0.005 and 451.8 HV0.005, respectively. However, it delivered the lowest plasticity, with the plastic strain nearly approaching zero. The Nb-containing specimen achieved the highest plasticity, with a percent elongation of 6.3%. Furthermore, the strength of amorphous composites is strongly correlated with the characteristics of both the crystalline phase and the amorphous matrix. Their plasticity is predominantly governed by the stress concentration factor of the crystalline phase. This study demonstrates that synergistic regulation of characteristics pertaining to the crystalline phase and amorphous matrix serves as a promising strategy to simultaneously enhance the strength and plasticity of amorphous composites.
Huang et al. (Mon,) studied this question.