Abstract
Metallic glasses (MGs) show superplastic behavior in the super-cooled liquid region. This provides a pathway for MG powder consolidation via powder metallurgy processes. The nature of the interface between particles critically influences the mechanical properties of consolidated bulk MGs, whereas the low atomic diffusivity, characteristic of MG, hinders diffusion bonding. In this work, Mg-Cu-Gd amorphous powder was consolidated by Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS), while cast Mg-Cu-Gd rods were used to simulate conditions that are analogous to those present during powder sintering. The SPS studies provided insight into the phenomena of atomic diffusion and interfacial bonding during MG powder consolidation. The microstructural evolution of the bond interface of Mg-Cu-Gd powders and bulk materials was investigated as a function of processing parameters using SEM, XRD, DSC, and TEM. In addition, interfacial bond formation, mechanical response and the underlying mechanisms are discussed in an effort to provide insight into fundamental phenomena in MGs.