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Comparing the pitting corrosion behavior of prominent Zr-based bulk metallic glasses

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Abstract

Five well-known Zr-based alloys of the systems Zr–Cu–Al–(Ni–Nb, Ni–Ti, Ag) (Cu = 15.4–36 at.%) with the highest glass-forming ability were comparatively analyzed regarding their pitting corrosion resistance and repassivation ability in a chloride-containing solution. Potentiodynamic polarization measurements were conducted in the neutral 0.01 M Na2SO4 + 0.1 M NaCl electrolyte and local corrosion damages were subsequently investigated with high resolution scanning electron microscopy (HR-SEM) coupled with energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX). Both pitting and repassivation potential correlate with the Cu concentration, i.e., those potentials decrease with increasing Cu content. Pit morphology is not composition dependent: while initially hemispherical pits then develop an irregular shape and a porous rim. Corrosion products are rich in Cu, O, and often Cl species. A combination of low Cu and high Nb or Ti contents is most beneficial for a high pitting resistance of Zr-based bulk metallic glasses. The bulk glassy Zr57Cu15.4Al10Ni12.6Nb5 (Vit 106) and Zr52.5Cu17.9Al10Ni14.6Ti5 (Vit 105) alloys exhibit the highest pitting resistance.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

G.S. Frankel is acknowledged for fruitful discussions and motivation for this study. The authors are grateful to D. Beitelschmidt for fruitful discussions, to M. Johne and F. Mayr for electrochemical tests, and to M. Frey and S. Donath for sample preparation. Funding from the German Research Foundation (DFG) under project Ge1106/11 in the Priority Program SPP-1594 is gratefully acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Leibniz-Institute for Solid State and Materials Research IFW Dresden, Dresden, D-01171, Germany

    Petre Flaviu Gostin, Dimitri Eigel, Jürgen Eckert & Annett Gebert

  2. Department of Chemistry and Food Chemistry, Faculty of Science, TU Dresden, Dresden, D-01069, Germany

    Dimitri Eigel

  3. Materials Testing, University of Kaiserslautern, Gottlieb-Daimler-Straße, Kaiserslautern, D-67663, Germany

    Daniel Grell & Eberhard Kerscher

  4. Institute of Materials Science, Faculty of Mechanical Science and Engineering, TU Dresden, Dresden, D-01062, Germany

    Jürgen Eckert

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  1. Petre Flaviu Gostin
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  2. Dimitri Eigel
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Correspondence to Petre Flaviu Gostin.

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This author was an editor of this journal during the review and decision stage. For the JMR policy on review and publication of manuscripts authored by editors, please refer to http://www.mrs.org/jmr-editor-manuscripts/.

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Gostin, P.F., Eigel, D., Grell, D. et al. Comparing the pitting corrosion behavior of prominent Zr-based bulk metallic glasses. Journal of Materials Research 30, 233–241 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2014.371

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