Improvements in the plasticity and biocompatibility of Zr–Cu–Ni–Al bulk metallic glass by the microalloying of Nb

Bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) of Zr65−xNbxCu17.5Ni10Al7.5 (x = 0, 2, and 5 at.%) were prepared by copper mold casting. Room-temperature uniaxial compression tests revealed that the addition of a small amount of Nb could considerably enhance the compression plasticity of Zr-based BMGs. Electrochemical polarization measurements and ion release tests of the BMGs in an artificial body fluid indicated that Nb addition could highly improve the corrosion resistance and reduce the ion release of all kinds of the base alloy. The results demonstrated that Zr-based BMGs microalloyed with Nb hold promise for biomedical use.