The Three-Dimensional Structure of Mg-Rich Plates in As-Cast Mg-Based Bulk Metallic Glass Composites

The three-dimensional morphology of crystalline plates that form in as-cast Mg65+x (Cu0.667Y0.333)30–x Zn5 (x = 6, 12, 14, and 16) bulk metallic glass (BMG) composites was investigated by focused ion beam (FIB) tomography. The size, shape, and distribution of the plates were found to be dependent both on alloy composition and cooling rate of the melt, whereby rapid cooling and lower x values generated a lower volume fraction of plates due to a decreased propensity for crystallization. Using FIB tomography, it was demonstrated that these plates may nucleate at micron-sized cuboidal, spherical, and irregularly shaped particles that form first during the casting process. The plates subsequently grow in preferential directions during cooling of the alloy to below the glass transition temperature to ultimately generate a multivariant, interwoven crystalline structure throughout the amorphous matrix. This complex structure is argued to contribute to the improved toughness of the alloy by hindering the propagation of gross shear bands and promoting the formation of multiple shear bands.