Friction and Wear Characteristics of Zr-based Bulk Metallic Glasses

Six kinds of Zr based amorphous alloys with different compositions were designed and prepared according to the rules of constant electron concentration and constant atomic size. The friction and wear characteristics of the amorphous alloys under dry sliding against SAE52100 steel were investigated on an SRV friction and wear tester, in a ball on disc contact configuration. The friction and wear behavior of four crystalline specimens with the same compositions as the amorphous counterparts was also evaluated under the same testing conditions as a comparison. The worn surface morphologies of the alloys were observed with a scanning electron microscope. Results indicated that all the amorphous alloys had nearly the same friction coefficients 0.5~0.6 , while the crystalline counterparts registered friction coefficients 0.4~0.5 . The crystalline alloys showed better wear resistance than the amorphous counterparts, which was dependent on the different wear mechanisms. In other words, the crystalline alloys were characterized by brittle fracture and abrasive wear, while the amorphous counterparts were characterized by severe plastic deformation and flowing.