DEVELOPMENT OF MULTI-COMPONENT IRON-BASED MORPHOUS ALLOY

This study focuses on the development of a new alloy system capable of forming metallic glass upon rapid solidification, rather than modifying existing glass-forming compositions. The objective is to examine the glass-forming ability of an iron-based system, leveraging the cost-effectiveness of iron compared to traditional base elements in metallic glasses. A ternary alloy system comprised of iron, carbon, and boron was selected, with manganese and molybdenum included as secondary alloying elements to assess their impact on glass formation. Methodologically, a diverse range of characterization techniques—including optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffractometry, secondary ion mass spectroscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry—were utilized to analyze both the microstructural features and thermal behavior of the alloys. The results indicate that the ability of the iron-based alloys to achieve vitrification on rapid solidification is not predictable based on the as-cast microstructure or computational models, with successful glass formation occurring only in compositions near a eutectic point, highlighting the complexities associated with stabilizing supercooled liquids in these systems.