Production and properties of light-metal-based amorphous alloys

Amorphous alloys in Al-Ln-M and Mg-Ln-M (Ln = lanthanide metal, M = transition metal) systems were formed by liquid quenching and their highest tensile strengths (σt,f) are 1140 and 830 MPa, respectively. Furthermore, the amorphous alloys were found to exhibit good corrosion resistance as well as glass transition (Tg). The extrusion of Al-Y-Ni amorphous powder near Tg brought about dense bulks with an amorphous phase at 573 K and amorphous and Al phases at 603 K. The alloy extruded at 603 K exhibited a compressive strength (σc,f) of 1470 MPa at 293 K and a hardness of 150 at 573 K. A further increase of extrusion temperature resulted in the formation of fully dense bulks consisting of Al, Al3Y and Al3Ni which exhibited σt,f of 940 MPa at 293 K and 380 MPa at 573 K. Accordingly, the extruded aluminum-based bulks are attractive as a new type of high-strength material with light weight.