Effect of W, Ni, and P addition on the glass-forming ability and properties of Fe-based amorphous alloys

In this present paper, the effects of varying the W, Ni, and P ratios on the glass-forming ability (GFA), thermal stability, microstructure, and corrosion resistance of Fe_50−x−yCr₁₅Mo₁₄C_15−2/3zB_6−1/3zW_xNi_yP_z alloys (where x = 2, 4, 6 at. %; y, z = 3, 6, 9 at. %) were systematically investigated. The results indicate that the W₄Ni₃P₆ alloy composition exhibits the best GFA, producing amorphous alloy ribbons with an average thickness of 57.67 μm. Among the three elements, W has the most significant impact on the thermal stability of the Fe-based amorphous alloys, with both the glass transition temperature (T_g) and crystallization temperature (T_x) increasing as the W content increases. As the cooling rate increases, the microstructure of the W₄Ni₃P₆ alloy is gradually refined, eventually forming a fully amorphous structure. Element distribution becomes increasingly uniform, with no noticeable element segregation observed. The corrosion resistance of the W₄Ni₃P₆ amorphous alloy ribbons in a 3.5 wt. % NaCl solution is significantly improved. Specifically, the self-corrosion potential is approximately −0.569 V, the corrosion current density is about 3.227 × 10⁻⁶ A/cm², and the alloy exhibits a wider passivation range.