Behavior of Multiple Shear Bands in Zr-Based Bulk Metallic Glass

The deformation behavior of Zr41.2Ti13.8Cu12.5Ni10Be22.5 bulk metallic glass was studied by in situ scanning electron microscopy (SEM) quasi-static uniaxial compression tests at room temperature. Multiple shear bands were observed with a large plasticity. Microscopic examination demonstrates that slipping, branching and intersecting of multiple shear bands are the main mechanisms for enhancing the plasticity of this metallic glass. Additionally, nano/micro-scale voids and cracks at the intersecting sites of shear bands and preferential etching of shear bands were observed as well. These observations demonstrated that the formation of shear bands in bulk metallic glasses is resulted mainly from local free volume coalescence.

Strain Rate Dependence of Plastic Flow in Ce-based Bulk Metallic Glass During Nanoindentation

The strain rate dependence of plastic deformation of Ce60Al15CU10Ni15 bulk metallic glass was studied by nanoindentation. Even though the ratio of room temperature to the glass transition temperature was very high (0.72) for this alloy, the plastic deformation was dominated by shear banding under nanoindentation. The alloy exhibited a critical loading rate dependent serrated flow feature. That is, with increasing loading rate, the alloy exhibited a transition from less prominent serrated flow to pronounced serrated flow during continuous loading but from serrated to smoother flow during stepped loading.

Domain structure of a Nd60Al10Fe20Co10 bulk metallic glass

Magnetic domain structure of Nd60Al10Fe20Co10 bulk metallic glass (BMG) has been studied by using magnetic-force microscopy. In the magnetic-force images it is shown that the exchange-interaction-type magnetic domains with a period of about 360 nm do exist in the BMG, which is believed to be associated with the appearance of hard-magnetic properties in this system. The existence of the large-scale domains demonstrates that the magnetic moments of a great deal of short-scale ordered atomic clusters in the BMG have been aligned by exchange coupling. Annealing at 715 K leads to partial crystallization of the BMG. However, the exchange coupling is stronger in the annealed sample, which is considered to arise from the increase of transition-metal concentration in the amorphous phase due to the precipitation of Nd crystalline phase.

A New Modified Expanding Cavity Model for Characterizing the Spherical Indentation Behaviour of Bulk Metallic Glass with Pile-up

Spherical nanoindentation tests were performed on Zr41.2Ti13.8Cu12.5Ni10Be22.5 bulk metallic glass and pile-ups were observed around the indenter. A new modified expanding cavity model was developed to characterize the indentation deformation behavior of strain-hardening and pressure-dependent materials. By using this model, the representative stress-strain response of this bulk metallic glass to hardness and indentation in the elastic-plastic regime were obtained taking into consideration the effect of pile-up.

Effect of Carbon Addition on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Ti-Based Bulk Metallic Glass Forming Alloys

A kind of novel Ti-based composites was developed by introducing different amounts of carbon element to the Ti-50 Cu-23 Ni-20 Sn-7 bulk metallic glass forming alloys. The thermal stability and microstructural evolution of the composites were investigated. Room temperature compression tests reveal that the composite samples with 1% and 3% (mass fraction) carbon additions have higher fracture strength and obvious plastic strain of 2 195 MPa, 3.1% and 1 913 MPa, 1.3% respectively, compared with those of the corresponding carbon-free Ti-50 Ni-20 Cu-23 Sn-7 alloys. The deformation mechanisms of the composites with improved mechanical properties were also discussed.

Phase Evolution and its Effect on Magnetic Properties of Nd60Al10Fe20Co10 Bulk Metallic Glass

The thermal stability of nanocrystalline clusters, the phase evolution, and their effects on magnetic Propertieswere studied for as-cast Nd60Al10Fe20Co10 alloy using differential scanning calorimetry curves, x-ray diffraction patterns, scanning electron microscopy, and high-resolution transition electron microscopy. Thermomagnetic curves and hysteresis loops of the bulk metallic glass were measured during the annealing process. The high thermostability of the hardmagnetic properties of the samples observed is attributed to the stability of the nanocrystalline clusters upon annealing, while the slight enhancement in the magnetization is due to the precipitation of some Nd-rich metastable phases. The mechanism of thermostability of the nanocrystalline clusters and the formation of the metastable phases are discussed.

Melting and Crystallization of Nd60Al10Fe20Co10 Bulk Metallic Glass under High Pressure

Crystallization, melting and structural evolution upon crystallization in Nd60Al10Fe20Co10 bulk metallic glass (BMG) are in situ investigated by x-ray diffraction with synchrotron radiation under high pressure. It is found that the crystallization is pressure promoted, while themelting is inhibited. The crystallization and melting process are also changed under high pressure. The features of the crystallization and melting under high pressure are discussed.

Elastic Behaviour and Microstructural Characteristics of Nd60Al10Fe20Co10 Bulk Metallic Glass Investigated by Ultrasonic Measurement under Pressure

An ultrasonic pulse-echo method was used to measure the transit time of longitudinal and transverse (10 MHz) elastic waves in a Nd60Al10Fe20Co10 bulk metallic glass (BMG). The measurements were carried out under hydrostatic pressure up to 0.5 GPa at room temperature. On the basis of experimental data for the sound velocities and density, the elastic moduli and Debye temperature of the BMG were derived as a function of pressure. Murnaghan's equation of state is obtained. The normal behaviour of the positive pressure dependence of the ultrasonic velocities was observed for this glass. Moreover, the compression curve, the elastic constants, and the Debye temperature of the BMG are calculated on the basis of the similarity between their physical properties in the glassy state and those in corresponding crystalline state. These results confirm qualitatively the theoretical predictions concerning the features of the microstructure and interatomic bonding in the Nd60Al10Fe20Co10 BMG.

Instability Of Crack Propagation In Brittle Bulk Metallic Glass

The instability of the crack tip in brittle Mg-based bulk metallic glass (BMG) is studied. The formation of various fractographic surfaces of the BMG is associated with the instability of the fluid meniscus, which is due to viscous fluid matter being present on the fracture process zone. Depending on the values of the wavelength of the initial perturbation of the fluid meniscus and the local stress intensity factor, different fracture surface profiles, i.e. a dimple-like structure, a periodic corrugation pattern and a pure mirror zone are formed. The fractographic evolution is significantly affected by the applied stress. A decreased fracture Surface roughness is observed under a low applied stress. An increased fracture surface roughness, which has frequently been reported by other researchers, is also observed in the present studies under a high applied stress. Unique fractographic features are attributed to the non-linear hyperelastic stiffening for less softening) mechanism. (C) 2008 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ductile To Brittle Transition In Dynamic Fracture Of Brittle Bulk Metallic Glass

We report an unusual transition from a locally ductile to a pure brittle fracture in the dynamic fracture of brittle Mg65Cu20Gd10 bulk metallic glass. The fractographic evolution from a dimple structure to a periodic corrugation pattern and then to the mirror zone along the crack propagation direction during the dynamic fracture process is discussed within the framework of the meniscus instability of the fracture process zone. This work might provide an important clue in understanding of the energy dissipation mechanism for dynamic crack propagation in brittle glassy materials. (C) 2008 American Institute of Physics.

Dynamic Fracture Instability Of Tough Bulk Metallic Glass

We report the observations of a clear fractographic evolution from vein pattern, dimple structure, and then to periodic corrugation structure, followed by microbranching pattern, along the crack propagation direction in the dynamic fracture of a tough Zr41.2Ti13.8Cu12.5Ni10Be22.5 (Vit.1) bulk metallic glass (BMGs) under high-velocity plate impact. A model based on fracture surface energy dissipation and void growth is proposed to characterize this fracture pattern transition. We find that once the dynamic crack propagation velocity reaches a critical fraction of Rayleigh wave speed, the crack instability occurs; hence, crack microbranching goes ahead. Furthermore, the correlation between the critical velocity of amorphous materials and their intrinsic strength such as Young's modulus is uncovered. The results may shed new insight into dynamic fracture instability for BMGs. (C) 2008 American Institute of Physics.

Deformation Behavior Of Fe-Based Bulk Metallic Glass During Nanoindentation

Fe-based bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) normally exhibit super high strength but significant brittleness at ambient temperature. Therefore, it is difficult to investigate the plastic deformation behavior and mechanism in these alloys through conventional tensile and compressive tests due to lack of distinct macroscopic plastic strain. In this work, the deformation behavior of Fe52Cr15Mo9Er3C15B6 BMG was investigated through instrumented nanoindentation and uniaxial compressive tests. The results show that serrated flow, the typical plastic deformation feature of BMGs, could not be found in as-cast and partially crystallized samples during nanoindentation. In addition, the deformation behavior and mechanical properties of the alloy are insensitive to the applied loading rate. The mechanism for the appearance of the peculiar deformation behavior in the Fe-based BMG is discussed in terms of the temporal and spatial characteristics of shear banding during nanoindentation.

Numerical Study Of Pile-Up In Bulk Metallic Glass During Spherical Indentation

Pile-up around indenter is usually observed during instrumented indentation tests on bulk metallic glass. Neglecting the pile-up effect may lead to errors in evaluating hardness, Young's modulus, stress-strain response, etc. Finite element analysis was employed to implement numerical simulation of spherical indentation tests on bulk metallic glass. A new model was proposed to describe the pile-up effect. By using this new model, the contact radius and hardness of Zr41.2Ti13.8Cu12.5Ni10Be22.5 bulk metallic glass were obtained under several different indenter loads with pile-up, and the results agree well with the data generated by numerical simulation.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of a novel Zr-based bulk metallic glass composite

Zr48.5Cu46.5Al5 bulk metallic glass (BMG) composites with diameters of 3 and,4 mm were prepared through suction casting in an arc melting furnace by modulating the alloy composition around the monothetic BMG composition of the high glass forming ability. Microstructural characterization reveals that the composites contain micron-sized CuZr phase with martensite structure, as well as nano-sized Zr2Cu crystalline particles and Cu10Zr7 plate-like phase embedded in an amorphous matrix. Room temperature compression tests showed that the composites exhibited significant strain hardening and obvious plastic strain of 7.7% for 3 nun and 6.4% for 4 nun diameter samples, respectively.

Effect of quasicrystalline phase on the deformation behavior of Zr62Al9.5Ni9.5Cu14Nb5 bulk metallic glass

Quasicrystalline phase with different volume fraction were formed by isothermally annealing the as-castZr(62)Al(9.5)Ni(9.5)Cu(14)Nb(5) bulk metallic glass at 723 K for different times. The effects of quasicrystals on the deformation behavior of the materials were studied by nanoindentation and compression test. It revealed that the alloys with homogeneous amorphous structure exhibit pronounced flow serrations during the nanoindentation loading, while no obvious flow serration is observed for the sample with quasicrystals more than 10 vol.%. However, further compression tests confirm that the no-serrated flows are formed due to different reasons. For annealed samples containing quasicrystals less than 35 vol.%, continuous plastic deformation occurs due to propagation of multiple shear bands. While the disappearance of serrated flow cannot be explained by the generation of multiple shear bands for samples containing quasicrystals more than 35 vol.%, which will fracture with a totally different fracture mode, namely, dimple fracture mode under loading instead of shear fracture mode. (c) 2005 Published by Elsevier B.V.