Serration behaviours in metallic glasses with different plasticity

We present a statistical study of serration behaviours in Pd_77.5Cu₆Si_16.5, Ti₄₁Zr₂₅Be₂₆Ag₈, Zr_41.2Ti_13.8Cu_12.5Ni_10.0Be_22.5 and Fe₅₀Ni₃₀P₁₃C₇ metallic glasses with different plasticity. The four samples show similar serration patterns in the beginning of yielding, and different patterns during later loading. These results indicate that the shear band initiation process in metallic glasses follow some similar dynamics. And the later serration process follows different dynamics and will lead to different plasticity. Here we interpret these serration behaviours from a perspective of inhomogeneity. The different serration patterns and shear band dynamics could be reasonably understood. The serration pattern of the Fe-based sample suggests that the brittleness of metallic glasses might result from a lower degree of inhomogeneity, and a less tendency of forming shear band intersections. This study might provide new experimental evidences for different micro-structures (or inhomogeneity) and dynamic behaviours in metallic glasses with different plasticity.     

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.     

探索塑性金属玻璃

缺乏室温宏观塑性是限制金属玻璃应用,制约金属玻璃形变机理研究的主要障碍,因此探索具有室温宏观塑性的金属玻璃材料成为金属玻璃研究领域的热点.文章首先介绍了作者为提高金属玻璃室温塑性所采用的三种在实践中可行的方法,然后根据金属玻璃的弹性模量（泊松比）与塑性的关系,报道了作者在设计大塑性金属玻璃材料方面的最新进展.     

How does the structural inhomogeneity influence the shear band behaviours of metallic glasses

ABSTRACT

Here we propose a model to understand the influence of structural inhomogeneity on the shear band behaviours of metallic glasses. By considering the inhomogeneous structure and stress concentration, the model predicts that the strain for shear band nucleation in metallic glasses can be variable and far below the theoretical elastic limit. During sliding, the shear band will approach a dynamic equilibrium state of balanced free volume generation and annihilation. By considering the accumulation of irreversible structure change, the shear band will finally develop into fracture. Under fluctuating load, the shear band shows an ‘activate-arrest’ behaviour, which results from a delayed response to the external load change. These results reasonably explain and correlate the physics behind the elastic limit, stick-slip shear band behaviour, implicit shear events, and shear band fracture in metallic glasses. The study can provide another perspective and platform to understand the correlations between structural inhomogeneity and shear band behaviours in metallic glasses, and further explore other shear band related phenomena not only in metallic glasses but also in the class of shear-softened materials.     

Deformation behavior and enhanced plasticity of Ti-based metallic glasses with notches

The plasticity of Ti-based metallic glasses with different aspect ratios can be improved by introducing two semicircular notches on the edges of the samples, owing to the interactions of shear bands (SBs) under conventional compression tests. The interaction of SBs can be ascribed to the easy initiation of SBs around the notches due to the large stress gradient, and the consequent blocking effect of notches on the propagation of shear bands. Additionally, the current findings provide a new way to understand the physical nature for the plastic deformation behavior of some brittle metallic glasses and supply an effective approach to enhance the plasticity to some extent.     

Stored energy in metallic glasses due to strains within the elastic limit

Room temperature loading of metallic glasses, at stresses below the macroscopic yield stress, raises their enthalpy and causes creep. Thermal cycling of metallic glasses between room temperature and 77 K also raises their enthalpy. In both cases, the enthalpy increases are comparable to those induced by heavy plastic deformation, but, as we show, the origins must be quite different. For plastic deformation, the enthalpy increase is a fraction (<10%) of the work done (WD) (and, in this sense, the behaviour is similar to that of conventional polycrystalline metals and alloys). In contrast, the room temperature creep and the thermal cycling involve small strains well within the elastic limit; in these cases, the enthalpy increase in the glass exceeds the WD, by as much as three orders of magnitude. We argue that the increased enthalpy can arise only from an endothermic disordering process drawing heat from the surroundings. We examine the mechanisms of this process. The increased enthalpy (‘stored energy’) is a measure of rejuvenation and appears as an exothermic heat of relaxation on heating the glass. The profile of this heat release (the ‘relaxation spectrum’) is analysed for several metallic glasses subjected to various treatments. Thus, the effects of the small-strain processing (creep and thermal cycling) can be better understood, and we can explore the potential for improving properties, in particular the plasticity, of metallic glasses. Metallic glasses can exhibit a wide range of enthalpy at a given temperature, and small-strain processing may assist in accessing this for practical purposes.     

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.     

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.     

LaGa-based bulk metallic glasses

We report the formation of La Ga-based bulk metallic glasses. Ternary La–Ga–Cu glassy rods of 2–3 mm in diameter can be easily formed in a wide composition range by the conventional copper mold casting method. With minor addition of extra elements such as Co, Ni, Fe, Nb, Y, and Zr, the critical diameter of the full glassy rods of the La–Ga–Cu matrix can be markedly enhanced to at least 5 mm. The characteristics and properties of these new La Ga-based bulk metallic glasses with excellent glass formation ability and low glass transition temperature are model systems for fundamental issues investigation and could have some potential applications in micromachining field.     

纳米结构非晶合金材料研究进展

迄今为止,人类社会新技术的发展主要是基于各种晶体材料(如金属、半导体等)的应用.晶体材料的性能可以通过改变它们的微观缺陷结构和/或微观化学结构来调控,但这对于当前的非晶材料而言却是难以实现的.新型的纳米结构非晶材料可以通过引入大量的非晶/非晶界面来改变非晶材料的微观缺陷结构和/或微观化学结构,从而实现对其性能的调控.本文主要讨论了目前纳米结构非晶合金材料的研究进展,包括其制备方法、结构特征和新性能.通过利用这些新特性,有可能会开启一个基于非晶材料的新技术时代.     

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.     

Pressure-induced polyamorphism in Nd60Fe30Al10 and Ce70Al10Cu20 metallic glasses by high-energy X-ray diffraction and electrical resistance measurements

In situ high-energy X-ray diffraction of Nd₆₀Fe₃₀Al₁₀ and Ce₇₀Al₁₀Cu₂₀ metallic glasses is carried out under high pressure. During compression, Ce₇₀Al₁₀Cu₂₀ and Nd₆₀Fe₃₀Al₁₀ exhibit a polyamorphic transition from low-density state below 2.0 and 10.0?GPa, to high-density state above 8.4 and 21.1?GPa, respectively. The intermediate hysteresis regions are the mixture of both phases. Electrical resistance measurements under high pressure show that Ce₇₀Al₁₀Cu₂₀ display a discontinuous change in pressure dependence curve of resistivity at around 1.7?GPa. The addition of Fe atom gives a significant standoff of phase transition pressure in Nd₆₀Fe₃₀Al₁₀. The results in this work suggest that the solute element and microstructure of lanthanide solvent aggregates have implications on the polyamorphic transition in metallic glasses.     

金属玻璃的热塑性成型

金属玻璃在其过冷液相区内表现出随着温度升高黏度逐渐降低的特性,因此可以对其进行热塑性加工.该性质颠覆了传统金属的加工成型方式,使得其在远低于传统金属材料加工的温度和应力作用下可以按照人们的要求进行成型.因此,一些具有低玻璃转变温度的金属玻璃又被称作金属塑料.另外,由于金属玻璃是一种无序结构材料,不存在位错、晶界等晶体缺陷,且热膨胀系数小,在热塑性成型中具有优异的尺寸精度,因此被认为是理想的微成型材料,有广阔的应用前景.本文系统介绍了金属玻璃的热塑性成型性质及其应用,从热塑性成型的基本概念出发,阐述了金属玻璃热塑性成型能力的评估指标、热塑性成型技术、热塑性微成型及其理论、热塑性微成型的应用等,对认识金属玻璃的热塑性及扩展其应用有重要的意义.     

Developing aluminum-based bulk metallic glasses

This paper details a systematic investigation of the formation of Al-based bulk metallic glasses, expanding on an earlier brief report [Scripta Mater. 61 (2009) p.423]. We discuss an approach for designing and predicting the best glass-forming composition in the Al–TM–RE systems, based on the atomic cluster packing model for the internal structure of the glass. The effects of additional elements in quaternary and quinary systems on the glass-forming ability and thermal stability of the glasses are also discussed. Three new compositions, Al₈₆Ni₆Y_4.5Co₂La_1.5, Al₈₆Ni₇Y₅Co₁La₁ and Al₈₆Ni₇Y_4.5Co₁La_1.5, are capable of forming fully glassy rods of 1 mm in diameter; their glass transition and other thermal properties are systematically characterized.     

Magnetic properties of Sm-based bulk metallic glasses

We perform detailed investigation on the magnetization and specific heat of Sm-based ternary bulk metallic glasses with different Co contents at low temperature. A low temperature cluster spin-glass phase below T_f ∼25 K is evidenced for all samples. This cluster spin-glass behavior is ascribed to competition among the multi-fold magnetic interactions and the intrinsic structural inhomogeneity. The magnetic relaxation behavior of the spin-glass phase can be well described using the stretched exponential dynamics. The magnetic hysteresis under field-cooling condition and spin dynamics further demonstrate the low temperature cluster spin-glass behavior. It is revealed that the Co atoms play an important role in modulating the physical properties of the present Sm-based ternary metallic glasses.     

Ni-based Ni-Fe-B-Si-Ta bulk metallic glasses

The glass-forming ability and properties of Ni-based Ni-Fe-B-Si-Ta bulk metallic glasses are explored in this work. The alloy compositions are determined by using a combination of the cluster line approach, the multi-alloying strategy and the substitutions of similar elements. Bulk metallic glasses with diameters of 3 mm take shape at compositions formulated under the clus- ter-plus-glue-atom model [M9B]B~[(Ni1-xFex)7.71(Si0.66Ta0.34)1.29B]B0.94=(Ni1-xFex)70.5B17.7Si7.8Ta4, x=0.35–0.45, where the bracketed part is the cluster and the unbracketed part is the glue atoms. These alloys exhibit good magnetic properties. The maximum Is is found in the (Ni0.55Fe0.45)70.5B17.7Si7.8Ta4 alloy which reaches 0.51 T, with its Hc as low as 8.5 A/m. Interestingly, these alloys display dual glass transitions at (Ni0.65Fe0.35)70.5B17.7Si7.8Ta4, (Ni0.60Fe0.4)70.5B17.7Si7.8Ta4 and (Ni0.55Fe0.45)70.5B17.7- Si7.8Ta4 as unveiled by Temperature-Modulated Differential Scanning Calorimetry.     

不均匀性:非晶合金的灵魂

非晶合金,即金属玻璃,是一类特殊的由基本化学元素组成的非晶态物质,由于其独特的微观组织结构,展现出了不同于传统晶态合金材料的特殊物性,而成为高性能材料应用领域的重要一员.由于非晶合金的结构无序性,且当前精确表征其微观结构的实验手段缺乏,相应的理论模型也不完善,人们对非晶合金中一些基础物理问题的认识尚且不足,无法形成基本的理论框架来精确地描述其物性产生的微观机理.因而,当前非晶合金研究的核心问题可以概括为:如何建立以微观特征或结构为基础的基本理论框架,准确地概括非晶合金物性的微观机理.在过去几十年里,针对非晶合金的大量研究表明,在非晶合金长程无序的特征中,隐藏着本征的不均匀性和有序,且这些不均匀性的特征与材料物性有着密切的关联,使得建立以不均匀性特征为基础的理论框架成为可能.本文从非晶合金微观特征的不均匀性包括静态不均匀性和动态不均匀性的视角出发,概括性地总结了非晶合金材料与物理研究中取得的丰硕成果,及当前需要关注的重要科学问题,并针对未来可能的研究模式进行了展望.     

非晶合金的磁热效应及磁蓄冷性能

非晶合金的功能物性开发是突破非晶合金应用瓶颈的关键点之一.磁相变是非晶合金的一个重要特征.利用非晶合金的磁相变所带来的独特效应,可以将其应用于制冷领域.一方面非晶合金的磁热效应可以作为磁制冷材料应用于磁制冷机,另一方面非晶合金的比热突变可以作为磁蓄冷材料应用于低温制冷机.本文就非晶合金的磁热效应和磁蓄冷性能的原理、特征及其应用前景进行了详细介绍.