Wetting properties and surface energy of four different amorphous alloys compared to the corresponding crystalline alloys

The surface wetting behavior of solid materials was very important in the application of amorphous alloys. However, the surface wetting behavior of amorphous alloys was not yet well understood. In this study, the difference in surface energy (SE) of four different amorphous alloys (Fe48Cr15Mo14C15B6Y2, Cu46Zr42Al7Y5, Zr65Cu17.5Ni10Al7.5, and Zr55Cu30Ni5Al10) and their corresponding crystalline alloys were systematically analyzed. The results show that the SE of amorphous alloys was much lower than their corresponding crystalline alloys. Among four kinds of amorphous alloys, Fe48Cr15Mo14C15B6Y2 amorphous alloy with the lowest SE was selected to prepare the superhydrophobic surfaces with the largest contact angle of 154 ± 2.4° and strong adsorption ability by electrochemical corrosion and chemical modification. Meanwhile, the corrosion resistance of the Fe48Cr15Mo14C15B6Y2 amorphous alloy was greatly improved. This work aimed to enrich the application of amorphous alloys in the field of extreme wettability. This work demonstrates that the surface energy of all the amorphous alloys was much lower than their crystalline alloys. The superhydrophobic Fe-based amorphous alloy surfaces with very low surface energy and the water contact angle of 154 ± 2.4° (Fig. a) were successfully prepared by electrochemical corrosion and FAS modification. Through the analysis of the “Cassie impregnating wetting state” (Fig. b), the reason for the high adhesion force (Fig. c, d) on the superhydrophobic surface was revealed. This research would be helpful to fully understand the surface properties and broaden the application field of amorphous alloys. [Display omitted] •Amorphous alloys exhibit lower surface energy compared with their corresponding crystalline alloys.•Superhydrophobic Fe-based amorphous alloys with strong adsorption ability were prepared.•Superhydrophobic Fe-based amorphous alloy reduced the corrosion current density of by nearly two orders of magnitude.