Corrosion Behavior of In-situ Zr-Based Metallic Glass Matrix Composites in Aqueous Environments

The purpose of this study is to investigate the corrosion behavior of the Zr58.5Ti14.3Nb5.2Cu6.1Ni4.9Be11 metallic glass matrix composites (MGMCs) in chlorine-containing (1 M KCl and 1 M H2SO4 solution with different concentrations of KCl) and chlorine-free aqueous (KOH and H2SO4) environments at room temperature. The Zr58.5Ti14.3Nb5.2Cu6.1Ni4.9Be11 MGMCs show an excellent corrosion resistance in 1 M H2SO4 and 1 M KOH solutions, while have poor corrosion resistance in 1 M KCl solutions. With the increase of chloride ion (Cl-) concentration, the corrosion properties of the Zr58.5Ti14.3Nb5.2Cu6.1Ni4.9Be11 MGMCs in 1 M H2SO4 solutions with different concentrations of KCl becomes worse. The corrosion behavior of the Zr-based MGMCs is significantly dependent on the increase of Cu content, the decrease of Nb content, and slightly change of Zr and Ti content in the corrosion product film. The corrosion properties of the MGMCs finally is controlled by a series of chemical reactions and the destruction of passive films due to the penetration of passive films by the Cl- as well.