Metallic glass-reinforced metal matrix composites are an emerging class of composite materials. The metallic nature and the high mechanical strength of the reinforcing phase offers unique possibilities for improving the engineering performance of composites. Understanding the structure at the amorphous/ crystalline interfaces and the deformation behavior of these composites is of vital importance for their further development and potential application. In the present work, Zr-based metallic glass fibers have been introduced in Al7075 alloy (Al-Zn-Mg-Cu) matrices using spark plasma sintering (SPS) producing composites with low porosity. The addition of metallic glass reinforcements in the Al-based matrix significantly improves the mechanical behavior of the composites in compression. High-resolution TEM observations at the interface reveal the formation of a thin interdiffusion layer able to provide good bonding between the reinforcing phase and the Al-based matrix. The deformation behavior of the composites was studied, indicating that local plastic deformation occurred in the matrix near the glassy reinforcements followed by the initiation and propagation of cracks mainly through the matrix. The reinforcing phase is seen to inhibit the plastic deformation and retard the crack propagation. The findings offer new insights into the mechanical behavior of metal matrix composites reinforced with metallic glasses.Al-based metal matrix composites (MMCs) belong to a technologically attractive class of materials with low density, high specific strength and high wear resistance 1 . Improved mechanical properties can be achieved by combining the properties of ductile metallic matrices with the high strength of reinforcements, such as SiC, Al 2 O 3 or carbon nanotubes. In the past two decades, metallic glasses have been widely studied and are considered as promising candidates for the next-generation structural materials due to their high strength, large elastic limit and high corrosion resistance 2 . Metallic glasses have been suggested as an alternative reinforcement for metal matrix composites that can significantly enhance the mechanical strength while retaining desirable plastic strain before fracture [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17] . The metallic nature of the reinforcing phase plays an important role in achieving good bonding between the matrix and the glassy reinforcement and overcoming many of the usual shortcomings of the conventional ceramic reinforcing phases, such as interfacial reactions, agglomeration of particles and porosity 5,18 . However, up to date, the amorphous/crystalline interfaces in MMCs have not been well studied at the atomic scale. Such studies would be of great fundamental interest and vital importance for advanced structural applications. The nature of the interface plays a significant role determining the mechanical behavior and deformation mechanisms of composite materials. For example, poor adhesion, pores or the formation of brittle intermetallic phases at the interf...

Extraordinary flexible, very long, and individual amorphous nanowires composed of metallic glasses are produced by the drawing process based on superplastic deformation above the glass transition temperature. The outstanding mechanical properties of metallic glasses including low Young's modulus and high strength can be inherited in nanowire.

No abstract

Gas atomization which is a conventional technique in powder metallurgy is adapted for the formation of metallic glass nanowires. This approach is able to produce a large quantity of nanowires with diameters in the 50-2000 nm range. Experiments performed with different conditions and alloy compositions confirm that the key mechanism of the nanowire formation is the spinnability which increases exponentially when the melt stream is supercooled from the liquid state.