Effects of cooling rates on the mechanical properties of a Ti-based bulk metallic glass

Mechanical properties of the glassy specimens fabricated at different cooling rates with a composition of Ti40Zr25Cu12Ni3Be20 were systematically investigated. It was confirmed that faster cooling rates caused not only a larger amount of frozen-in free volume but also a higher glass transition temperature in the bulk glassy alloy. Increase in the free volume was found to favor plastic deformation and then to give rise to larger compressive plasticity, whilst the rise in the glass transition temperature seem...     

Compressive fracture characteristics of Zr-based bulk metallic glass

The compressive fracture characteristics of Zr-based bulk metallic glass under uniaxial compression tests are studied.The zigzag rheological behavior is observed in the compression stress-strain curves of amorphous alloys.At room temperature the uniaxial compression fracture takes place along the plane which is at a 45-degree angle to the direction of the compressive stress.The microstructure of a typical fracture pattern is the vein network.A unique,finger-like vein pattern is found to exist at the fractur...     

Dual self-organised shear banding behaviours and enhanced ductility in phase separating Zr-based bulk metallic glasses

The multiplication and interaction of self-organised shear bands often transform to a stick-slip behaviour of a major shear band along the primary shear plane, and ultimately the major shear band becomes runaway and terminates the plasticity of bulk metallic glasses (BMGs). Here, we examined the deformation behaviours of the nanoscale phase-separating Zr_65–xCu₂₅Al₁₀Fe_x (x = 5 and 7.5 at.%) BMGs. The formation of multi-step phase separation, being mainly governed by nucleation and growth, results in the microstructural inhomogeneity on a wide range of length-scales and leads to obviously macroscopic and repeatable ductility. The good deformability can be attributed to two mechanisms for stabilizing shear banding process, i.e. the mutual interaction of multiple shear bands away from the major shear band and the delaying slip-to-failure of dense fine shear bands around the major shear band, both of which show a self-organised criticality yet with different power-law exponents. The two mechanisms could come into effect in the intermediate (stable) and later plastic deformation regime, respectively. Our findings provide a possibility to enhance the shear banding stability over the whole plastic deformation through a proper design of microstructure heterogeneities.     

Correlation between flow characteristics and interfacial friction behaviour of a Zr-based metallic glass during micro-extrusion

The interfacial friction behaviour of Zr₃₅Ti₃₀Be_26.75Cu_8.25 metallic glass during micro-extrusion was investigated at various strain rates and temperatures in the supercooled liquid region. A friction mechanism map that distributes adhesion regime, furrow regime and mechanical engagement regime was constructed. These regimes respectively correspond to Newtonian flow, non-Newtonian flow and inhomogeneous flow by comparing with the typical deformation map. The correlation between flow characteristics and interfacial friction behaviour is well analysed by combining the viscosity theory with the finite-element simulations.     

Effect of spatial heterogeneity on level of rejuvenation in Ni80P20 metallic glass

Understanding the relation between spatial heterogeneity and structural rejuvenation is one of the hottest topics in the field of metallic glasses (MGs). In this work, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation is implemented to discover the effects of initial spatial heterogeneity on the level of rejuvenation in the Ni$_{80}$P$_{20 }$MGs. For this purpose, the samples are prepared with cooling rates of $10^{10}$ K/s-$10^{12}$ K/s to make glassy alloys with different atomic configurations. Firstly, it is found that the increase in the cooling rate leads the Gaussian-type shear modulus distribution to widen, indicating the aggregations in both elastically soft and hard regions. After the primary evaluations, the elastostatic loading is also used to transform structural rejuvenation into the atomic configurations. The results indicate that the sample with intermediate structural heterogeneity prepared with 10$^{11}$ K/s exhibits the maximum structural rejuvenation which is due to the fact that the atomic configuration in an intermediate structure contains more potential sites for generating the maximum atomic rearrangement and loosely packed regions under an external excitation. The features of atomic rearrangement and structural changes under the rejuvenation process are discussed in detail.     

非晶合金的离子辐照效应

非晶合金作为一种快速凝固形成的新型合金材料,引起了材料研究者的极大兴趣.微观结构上长程无序、短程有序的特征使其具有独特的物理、化学和力学性能,在许多领域展现出良好的应用前景,尤其是有望成为核反应堆、航空航天等强辐照环境下的备选结构材料.本文深入探讨非晶合金的辐照效应,主要讨论离子辐照对非晶合金微观结构、宏观力学性能以及其他物理化学性能的影响,可为进一步理解非晶合金的微观结构和宏观力学性能之间的关系提供有效的实验和理论基础,也可为非晶合金在强辐照环境下的服役性能预测提供实验依据,对推进非晶合金这一先进材料的工程化应用具有重要的理论与实际意义.     

金属玻璃的键态特征与塑性起源

由于缺乏位错、晶界等典型的晶格缺陷,金属玻璃体系中承载力的形变单元为短程序或中程序原子团簇,键的强度及成键方向是影响原子间协调变形能力主要因素.本文通过与晶态合金对比,指出金属玻璃中原子键合方式与宏观力学性能的潜在关系,综述了金属材料电子结构与力学性能内在关系的最新研究进展,并系统介绍了金属玻璃电子结构特征、表征参量和主要测试手段,使读者对金属玻璃体系中原子间的键态特征有较清晰的认识,对进一步探索本征塑性较好的金属玻璃体系具有一定指导意义.     

Effects of crystallization fractions on mechanical properties of Zr-based metallic glass matrix composites

The Zr41Ti14Cu12.5Ni10Be22.5 (at.%) bulk metallic glass composites with various crystallization fractions were prepared by pretreating the bulk metallic glassy samples with pulsing current, and then by isothermal annealing at near initial crystallization temperature for different periods of time. The precipitations and crystallization fractions were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and their effects on mechanical properties of the composite were studied by micr...     

Atomic structures of Zr-based metallic glasses

The atomic structures of Zr-Ni and Zr-Ti-Al-Cu-Ni metallic glasses were investigated by using classical molecular dynamic (MD), reverse Monte Carlo (RMC), ab initio MD (AIMD) simulations and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) techniques. We focused on the short-range order (SRO) and medium-range order (MRO) in the glassy structure. It is shown that there are icosahedral, FCC-and BCC-type SROs in the Zr-based metallic glasses. A structural model, characterized by imperfect ordered packing (IOP), was proposed based on the MD simulation and confirmed by the HRTEM observation. Furthermore, the evolution from IOP to nanocrystal during the crystallization of metallic glasses was also explored. It is found that the growth from IOP to nanocrystal proceeds through three distinct stages: the formation of quasi-ordered structure with one-dimensional (1D) periodicity, then 2D periodicity, and finally the formation of 3D nanocrystals. It is also noted that these three growth steps are crosslinked. Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 50431030 and 50471097), the National Basic Research Program of China (Grant No. 2007CB613901), and the Programme of Introducing Talents of Discipline to Universities (Grant No. B07003)     

Thermodynamical properties of Zr-based bulk metallic glasses

The temperature dependence of Gibb's free energy difference (ΔG), entropy difference (ΔS) and enthalpy difference (ΔH) between the undercooled melt and the corresponding equilibrium solid phases of bulk metallic glass (BMG) forming melts has been proved to be very useful in the study of their thermodynamical behavior. The present study is made by calculating ΔG, ΔS and ΔH in the entire temperature range T_m (melting temperature) to T_g (glass transition temperature) for three Zr-based samples of BMGs: Zr₅₇Cu_15.4Ni_12.6Al₁₀Nb₅, Zr_41.2Ti_13.8Ni₁₀Cu_12.5Be_22.5 and Zr_58.5Cu_15.6Ni_12.8Al_10.3Nb_2.8. The study is made on the basis of Taylor's series expansion and a comparative study is also performed between the present result and the result obtained in the framework of expansions proposed by earlier workers, and also with the experimental results. An attempt has also been made to study the glass forming ability for BMGs.     

Structural relaxation of metallic glass forming melts

The fragility of superheated melts, M, for 13 kinds of metallic alloys has been evaluated from the data of the dynamic viscosity above their liquidus temperatures. The authors find that the glass forming ability of metallic melts depends on the fragility of superheated melts rather than on the value of viscosity. In the present work the value of fragility is less than 1 for good glass-forming melts but more than 1 for the other melts. The variation rate of atomic coordination number with temperature indicat...     

新型Pr基大块非晶及其特性研究

用铜模吸铸法获得了直径为5mm的一种新的Pr基大块非晶.与以往其他稀土-过渡金属(RE-TM)大块非晶不同的是，这种新的Pr基大块非晶具有明显的玻璃转变和稳定的过冷液相区，且其玻璃转变温度在目前已知的大块非晶中是最低的，T_g=409K.研究了该大块非晶的玻璃转变动力学，并给出了Kauzmann温度T_k、Vogel-Fulcher温度T⁰_g及脆性参数m等重要参数. 关键词： 大块非晶 玻璃转变 脆性参数m     

Tribological characterisation of Zr-based bulk metallic glass in simulated physiological media

Due to their excellent wear resistant properties and high strength, as well as a low Young's modulus, Zr-based bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) are potentially suitable biomaterials for low-friction arthroplasty. The wear characteristics of the Zr_60.14Cu_22.31Fe_4.85Al_9.7Ag₃ bulk amorphous alloy against ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) compared to a CoCrMo/UHMWPE combination were investigated in two different wear screening test devices, reciprocating and unidirectional. Hank's solution and sterile calf bovine serum were selected as the lubricant fluid media. It was found that different fluid media had insignificant effect on polyethylene wear against BMG counterfaces. The wear behaviour obtained on both test devices demonstrated that Zr-based BMG achieved UHMWPE counterface wear rates superior to conventional cast CoCrMo alloy, where the wear rate of UHMWPE is decreased by over 20 times. The tribological performance of these joints is superior to that of conventional metal-on-polymer designs. Contact angle measurements suggested that the advantage of BMG over a CoCrMo alloy counterface is attributed to its highly hydrophilic surfaces.     

Notch fatigue of Cu_(50)Zr_(50) metallic glasses under cyclic loading: molecular dynamics simulations

Molecular dynamics simulation is performed to simulate the tension–compression fatigue of notched metallic glasses(MGs), and the notch effect of MGs is explored. The notches will accelerate the accumulation of shear transition zones, leading to faster shear banding around the notches' root causing it to undergo severe plastic deformation. Furthermore, a qualitative investigation of the notched MGs demonstrates that fatigue life gradually becomes shorter with the increase in sharpness until it reaches a critical scale. The fatigue performance of blunt notches is stronger than that of sharp notches. Making the notches blunter can improve the fatigue life of MGs.     

局部塑性变形下铁基金属玻璃的致密化和非均匀性增强

本文研究了经局部塑性变形后, Fe₇₈Si₉B₁₃金属玻璃在原子尺度上的结构演变及其对合金显微硬度的影响.借助砂纸作为传力的媒介,充分放大了作用于带材表面上的等效压力,发生塑性变形后合金表面产生了大量的剪切带.基于倒空间和实空间的同步辐射X射线衍射分析,在塑性变形后,合金结构的致密度增大,过剩自由体积被排出,并由此揭示了Fe₇₈Si₉B₁₃金属玻璃在短程及中程尺度上原子协同重排行为.结合高分辨透射电子显微镜观察的结果, Fe₇₈Si₉B₁₃金属玻璃在发生塑性变形后,结构不均匀的程度将会加剧.此外,不同于单轴加载下金属玻璃的加工软化, Fe₇₈Si₉B₁₃金属玻璃在发生局部塑性变形后,维氏硬度增大,表现出局部的加工硬化行为.从自由体积的角度看,合金表面的大量剪切带可能是由于剪切带影响区域的重叠和交叉发生相互作用,并加速原子迁移,...     

Spatial correlation of irreversible displacement in oscillatory-sheared metallic glasses

We report computer simulations on the oscillatory of CuZr metallic glasses at zero temperature with different shear amplitudes. In small system a homogenous shear deformation is found, while in large system an inhomogeneous shear deformation is found with a shear band formed. Concomitantly, spatial correlation of irreversible displacement exhibits an isotropic and exponential decay in the case of homogeneous deformation, whereas a mixed power-law and exponential decay in the case of anisotropic and inhomogeneous deformation. By projecting the azimuthal-dependent correlation function onto the spherical harmonics, we found a strong polar symmetry that accounts for the emerged shear band, and a weaker quadrupolar symmetry that accounts for the elastic filed generated by Eshelby inclusions. By this, we conclude that the anisotropy and decaying formula of the plastic correlation are dominated by the homogeneity or inhomogeneity for the deformation in the metallic glasses.     

脆性金属玻璃断面上的奇妙图案

文章简要介绍了脆性块体金属玻璃(简称BMG)断裂面上几种主要的图案花样:河流花样、"韧窝"结构花样和自组装条纹结构花样,并总结了目前对上述各种形貌形成机理的可能的物理解释.对BMG断裂面上形貌的研究可以揭示材料的断裂机理,有助于更深刻地理解材料的力学性能,开发高性能金属玻璃材料,并为工程选材提供安全标准.     

金属玻璃研究简史

金属玻璃的发明和研究已经整整50年了.半个世纪以来,金属玻璃不但成为性能独特的新材料,同时也是研究材料科学和凝聚态物理中一些重要问题的模型体系.金属玻璃的研究已经成为凝聚态物理的一个重要分支.文章简要介绍了金属玻璃的研究历史以及最新的进展,并扼要介绍了这门学科的发展前景.     

Thin tantalum films on crystalline silicon – a metallic glass

Thin amorphous tantalum films are prepared on Si(111) substrates in a metallic glassy state. The amorphous monoatomic state of the film is characterized by X‐ray diffraction studies. The glassy state leads to a negative t emperature c oefficient of the r esistivity (TCR) for low sample temperatures <200 K which is attributed to incipient localization. Above 200 K a positive TCR is observed as expected for a normal Boltzmann transport regime. Upon heating the Si substrate to 1200 K TaSi₂ is formed out of the amorphous tantalum film and the silicon substrate. The TaSi₂ layer is crystalline as evident from X‐ray diffraction data.

     

脆性金属玻璃断面上的奇妙图案

文章简要介绍了脆性块体金属玻璃(简称BMG)断裂面上几种主要的图案花样：河流花样、“韧窝”结构花样和自组装条纹结构花样,并总结了目前对上述各种形貌形成机理的可能的物理解释.对BMG断裂面上形貌的研究可以揭示材料的断裂机理,有助于更深刻地理解材料的力学性能, 开发高性能金属玻璃材料,并为工程选材提供安全标准.