Corrosion resistance and mechanical properties stability in simulated seawater of the Vit1 amorphous alloy prepared by controlled cooling rates

Abstract

In this study, Vit1 (Zr_41.2Ti_13.8Cu_12.5Ni₁₀Be_22.5) amorphous alloy has been prepared using copper, graphite, and steel molds, each with different thermal conductivity, to vary the cooling rates. The fabricated alloy samples were then immersed in a 0.6 mol/L NaCl solution for 100 days to investigate their corrosion resistance and mechanical stability. The experimental results reveal that all the Vit1 amorphous specimens prepared under three different molds exhibited excellent corrosion resistance in the simulated seawater. After 100 days of immersion, the weight losses of the Vit1 amorphous specimens prepared using copper, graphite, and steel molds were 19.47, 29.32, 29.48 mg/cm², respectively, corresponding to the corrosion rates of 0.1159, 0.1754, and 0.1755 mm/year. Additionally, the tensile strength of all the specimens remained almost unchanged (with a variation of less than 3.5 %), indicating outstanding stability of mechanical properties. Compared to a titanium alloy used as a control sample, the Vit1 alloy showed superior resistance to corrosion-degradation of mechanical properties. Further analysis manifested that the mechanical properties of the Vit1 amorphous alloy after immersion were mainly influenced by its internal microstructure.