Effect of surface oxidation on the nm-scale wear behavior of a metallic glass

Metallic glasses are good candidates for applications in micromechanical systems. With size reduction of mechanical components into the micrometer and submicrometer range, the native surface oxide layer starts playing an important role in contact mechanical applications of metallic glasses. We use atomic force microscopy to investigate the wear behavior of the Ni62Nb38 metallic glass with a native oxide layer and with an oxide grown after annealing in air. After the annealing, the wear rate is found to have significantly decreased. Also the dependency of the specific wear on the velocity is found to be linear in the case of the as spun sample while it follows a power law in the case of the sample annealed in air. We discuss these results in relation to the friction behavior and properties of the surface oxide layer obtained on the same alloy. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3573778]