1 Advances in Science and Technology Research Journal Volume 7, No. 19, Sept. 2013, pp. 1–4 DOI: 10.5604/20804075.1061775 Research Article Received: 2013.06.21 Accepted: 2013.08.07 Published: 2013.09.06 THE SURFACE STRUCTURAL AND MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF THE AMORPHOUS CO 22 Y 54 AL 24 RIBBON Anna Bukowska 1 , Paweł Pietrusiewicz 2 , Kamila Zdrodowska 1 , Michał Szota 1 1 Institute of Materials Science and Engineering. Department of Materials Processing Technology and Applied Physics, Częstochowa University of Technology, 19 Armii Krajowej Str., 42-200 Częstochowa, Poland, e-mail: abukowska@wip.pcz.pl; kzdrodowska@wip.pcz.pl; mszota@wip.pcz.pl 2 Institute of Physics. Department of Materials Processing Technology and Applied Physics, Częstochowa University of Technology, 19 Armii Krajowej Str., 42-200 Częstochowa, Poland, e-mail: pietrusiewicz@wip.pcz.pl ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to manufacture amorphous Co 22 Y 54 Al 24 alloy in a form of thin ribbons and to investigate their properties. The investigated ribbons were prepared by rapid solidification of molten metal on a rotating copper cylinder (melt-spinning). In order to obtain the material with amorphous structure, the cooling rate of the liquid alloy should vary in a range from 10 4 to 10 6 K/s. The microstructure studies were performed using X-ray diffractometery. The mechanical properties were investigated by metallographic studies, micro-hardness and tribological resistance tests moreover the surface roughness profile were analyzed. All studies were performed for two sides of tapes, since the differences in ribbons surface, related with manufacturing process, are clearly visible. The surface from the bottom (drum side) was glossy and from the top side it was shiny. Keywords: amorphous alloy, melt-spinning, ribbons. INTRODUCTION The amorphous alloys manifest significantly better properties then their crystalline counter- parts i.e. higher yield strength and plasticity, hardness and corrosion resistance. It is obvious that the manufacturing method and the chemi- cal composition decide on the microstructure, which is shaping the parameters describing this kind of alloys [1, 2]. The most well-known method for produc- ing amorphous alloys is unidirectional rapid cooling of liquid alloy on-to a rotating copper wheel [3, 4]. Applications of this method allow to obtain the materials in a form of ribbons of a few tens of millimetres. These alloys are pro- duced at high cooling speeds in the range from 10 4 to 10 6 K/s [5]. MATERIALS AND METHODS For measurements amorphous ribbons were used, obtained by continuous casting of liquid al- loy on to the rotating copper wheel. The obtained ribbons are shown in Figure 1. Fig. 1. The amorphous Co 22 Y 54 Al 24 alloy in the form of ribbons