Design of process parameters and trabecular-inspired hybrid structures in additive manufacturing of FeCrBSiC bulk metallic glasses

This study investigates the additive manufacturing (AM) of FeCrBSiC, a previously unstudied Fe-based bulk metallic glass (BMG), with the aim of exploring processing parameters and evaluating the mechanical performance of a trabecular-inspired hybrid structure. To establish the process window, various combinations of laser power and scan speed are applied in powder bed fusion (PBF), followed by assessments of surface density, hardness, and crystallinity. When the high laser power is applied, crystallization occurs at high energy density within the process window. In contrast, low laser power maintains the amorphous phase across the entire process window, even at high energy densities, which leads to superior hardness. Using laser parameters that result in high surface density, high hardness, and an amorphous phase, a body-centered cubic (BCC) is fabricated first. The BCC is then used to develop a metal-polymer hybrid structure (MPHS) by infiltrating melted acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) into the interstitial spaces of the BCC. The MPHS exhibits significantly improved compressive strength compared to the BCC and bulk ABS. Finite element analysis further demonstrates that the infiltrated ABS effectively suppresses brittle fracture and promotes internal stress dispersion. Furthermore, the stress-dispersing effect is more effective when high-performance polymers such as polyimide are used. Collectively, this study highlights the process parameter exploration and MPHS to advance the structural application of Fe-based BMGs, FeCrBSiC, in AM.