Cryogenic wear behaviors of a metastable Ti-based bulk metallic glass composite

Bulk metallic glass composites (BMGCs) are proven to be excellent candidates for cryogenic engineering applications due to their remarkable combination of strength, ductility and toughness. However, few efforts have been done to estimate their wear behaviors that are closely correlated to their practical service. Here, we report an improvement of ∼ 48% in wear resistance for a Ti-based BMGC at the cryogenic temperature of 113 K as compared to the case at 233 K. A pronounced martensitic transformation (β-Ti→α″-Ti) was found to coordinate deformation underneath the worn surface at 233 K but was significantly suppressed at 113 K. This temperature-dependent structural evolution is clarified by artificially inducing a pre-notch by FIB cutting on a β-Ti crystal, demonstrating a strain-dominated martensitic transformation in the BMGC. The improved wear resistance and suppressed martensitic transformation in BMGC at 113 K is associated with the increased strength and strong confinement of metallic glass on metastable crystalline phase at the cryogenic temperature. The current work clarifies the superior cryogenic wear resistance of metastable BMGCs, making them excellent candidates for safety-critical wear applications at cryogenic temperatures.