Microstructure and corrosion study of Fe-based bulk metallic glass obtained by spark plasma sintering

•Slow heating rates during sintering reduce metallic glass devitrification.•The effect of temperature gradient during SPS was reduced through parameter manipulation.•Crystallinity showed a higher impact on the anticorrosive behavior than porosity for this metallic glass alloy. Due to the necessity of developing new materials with better anti-corrosive properties, bulk metallic glasses are the focus of many research projects. In this study, a metallic glass with Fe48Cr15Mo14C15B6Y2 composition was produced by high-pressure atomization spray and densified by Spark Plasma Sintering. Different sintering cycles, temperatures, and pressures were carried out to conserve the amorphous structure while increasing its density. The temperatures used for this study were below the glass transition temperature, and the uniaxial force was variated between 50 and 400 MPa. Amorphous samples with nearly 98% of relative density were obtained. The effect of the sintering cycle used on the phase transformation and microstructure of the materials was studied. Additionally, the porosity and crystallinity were related to the corrosion resistance properties through electrochemical characterization.