Enhanced plastic deformation in a metallic glass induced by notches

Abstract

It is shown that the compressive plasticity of a metallic glass, namely Zr_52.5Ni_14.6Al₁₀Cu_17.9Ti₅, can be improved by the introduction of two symmetrical notches. The enhanced plasticity may be ascribed to a blocking effect of the propagation of shear bands caused by large stress gradients around the notches. In contrast to ceramic specimens with similar notches, the plasticity enhancement of metallic glass induced by notches can provide a new approach to understanding its unique mechanism of deformation.

Keywords:

• metallic glass
• shear bands
• notches
• plasticity
• deformation

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Professor Y.S. Yang for providing technical assistance with the finite element software and for facilitating stimulating discussions with Professor A.L. Greer and Professor L.Z. Sun. The Zr-based metallic glasses were supplied by Professor J. Shen and this study was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) under Grant Nos. 50625103, 50871117, 50931005 and 50890173 and the National Basic Research Program of China under Grant No. 2010CB631006.