On the Wear Mechanism and Subsurface Deformation of Zr-Based Metallic Glass at Subzero Temperature

Metallic glasses (MGs) with excellent mechanical properties have significant applications in frontier technological fields such as medical, energy and aerospace industries. Recently, MGs have been considered as ideal candidates for subzero engineering applications due to their disordered atomic structure array. However, the mechanical properties and wear behaviors of MGs at subzero temperatures have rarely been explored. In this work, the wear properties and wear mechanisms of Zr-based MG were systematically evaluated at a subzero temperature of -50 °C. Compared to the wear results at room temperature, MG in a subzero environment shows a ~60% reduction in wear rate. The main contributing factor is that MG at room temperature will easily forms a thin, brittle oxide layer at the sliding interface, which will lead to oxidation, adhesive and abrasive wear on its surface, whereas these wear behaviors do not occur in subzero conditions where only abrasive wear occurs. Meanwhile, MG at subzero temperatures has a higher elastic modulus. These properties make MG more wear-resistant in subzero environments. The current study will provide new perspectives on the wear mechanisms and subsurface deformation of MG in subzero environments and valuable insights into the use of MG in subzero engineering applications, such as deep space and polar exploration.