Friction mechanisms of Ni-based and Zr-based bulk metallic glasses under different contact pressures

Pin-on-plane dry friction tests of Ni-based and Zr-based bulk metallic glasses were performed at ambient temperature under reciprocating sliding condition at 4 mm/s, under 160 MPa and 290 MPa. Domed 100Cr6 steel pins were used as counterface material. The friction performance of Ni-based glass is worse than the Zr-based glass but the former has a relatively more stable feature. For all metallic glasses, lower friction and more stable process can be observed upon higher contact pressure. Transfer of material from metallic glass samples onto steel pin surfaces is analyzed in details at the micrometer scale, showing that tribological properties of metallic glasses at high pressure could be related to the volume hardness of materials, together with the glass transition temperature.