Effect of Nb on the corrosion behavior of continuous bulk metallic glass-coated steel wire composites

(Zr_41.2Ti_13.8Cu_12.5Ni₁₀Be_22.5)_100−xNb_x (at%, x=0 and 8) bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) were coated on the surface of Q195 steel wires by a continuous coating process. The potentiodynamic polarization tests of these BMGs were conducted in 3.5wt% NaCl aqueous solution. It is found that the addition of 8at% Nb into Zr_41.2Ti_13.8Cu_12.5Ni₁₀Be_22.5 alloy results in the improvement of corrosion resistance with the pitting potential of −52 mV, the open circuit potential of −446 mV, and the corrosion current density of 9.86×10⁻⁶ mA/cm². This may be attributed to that Nb is beneficial to passivate and stabilize Zr and Ti.