Investigation of Thermophysical Properties of Zr-Based Metallic Glass-Polymer Composite

Composites based on Zr65Cu17.5Ni10Al7.5 metallic glass (MG) and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) were prepared by ball milling. Different composites (30/70, 50/50 and 70/30) were produced. Samples for dynamic mechanical analysis and laser flash analysis were fabricated in the supercooled region of the metallic glass and viscous region of the polymer. Spark plasma sintering (SPS) was performed at the supercooled region for the metallic glass powder. Characteristics such as thermal, mechanical, and structural properties were studied. A formation of the Zr2Cu and Zr2Ni intermetallic was found in the metallic glass after SPS. A formation of the nanocrystalline Zr2Cu was found in composite samples. Dynamical mechanical analysis (DMA) was used to study the mechanical behavior of the material. It was concluded that the 70/30-MG/PTFE composite sample had better thermal conductivity than the other composite samples. The thermal conductivity of the metallic glass was the highest among the samples and it increased with the MG content in composites.