Fabrication of bulk metallic glass lattice structures using laser powder bed fusion

Abstract

Bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) exhibit exceptional mechanical properties, including high strength, hardness, and large elastic limits, making them promising candidates for highly-stressed structural parts. However, their application has been limited by the need for rapid quenching to maintain the amorphous structure and the consequent limitation of the size of fully amorphous parts due to thermal diffusion constraints in casting. Recent advances in additive manufacturing, specifically laser powder bed fusion (PBF-LB/M), have overcome these limitations by enabling high cooling rates and decoupling part size from cooling rate. This study explores the fabrication of cubic body-centered lattice structures from Zr59.3Cu28.8Al10.4Nb1.4 using PBF-LB/M, focusing on the effect of processing conditions on the amorphicity and mechanical properties of the lattices. Through compression tests, the lattices' mechanical strength and failure mechanisms are evaluated. The results provide foundational insights for optimizing PBF processing of BMG-based lattice structures, potentially marrying desired plasticity with part-size geometries despite the inherent brittleness of PBF-LB/M manufactured BMGs.