3D Printing of Mg-Based Bulk Metallic Glasses with Proper Laser Power and Scanning Speed

Abstract

Additive manufacturing allows for the fabrication of large-sized metallic glasses with complex geometries, which overcomes the size limitation due to limited glass-forming ability. To investigate the effect of synthesis parameters on the Mg-based metallic glasses, Mg65Cu20Zn5Y10 was fabricated by laser-based powder bed fusion under different scanning speeds and laser powers. For high energy density, the samples showed severe crystallization and macrocracks, while for low energy density, the samples contained pore defects and unfused powders. Three-dimensionally printed samples were used for the compression test, and the mechanical properties were analyzed by Weibull statistics. Our work identifies proper parameters for 3D printing Mg-based metallic glasses, which provide a necessary, fundamental basis for the fabrication of 3D-printed Mg-based metallic glass materials with improved performance.