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Instrumented indentation study of plastic deformation in bulk metallic glasses

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Abstract

Mechanical properties and micro-plastic deformation behavior of five bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) were studied by instrumented indentation. These materials included La60Al10Ni10Cu20, Mg65Cu25Gd10, Zr52.5Al10Ni10Cu15Be12.5, Cu60Zr20Hf10Ti10, and Ni60Nb37Sn3 alloys. Remarkable difference in deformation behavior was found in the load–displacement curves of nanoindentation and pileup morphologies around the indents. Serrated plastic deformation depended on the loading rate was found in Mg-, Zr-, and Cu-based BMGs. The subsurface plastic deformation zone of typical alloys was investigated through bonded interface technique using depth-sensing microindentation. Large and widely spaced shear bands were observed in Mg-based BMG. The effect of loading rate on the indentation deformation behaviors in different BMGs was elucidated by the change of shear band pattern.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Materials, Shanghai University, Shanghai, 200072, People’s Republic of China

    W. H. Li & Y. D. Dong

  2. State Key Laboratory of Nonlinear Mechanics, Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100080, People’s Republic of China

    T. H. Zhang & D. M. Xing

  3. National Microgravity Laboratory, Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100080, People’s Republic of China

    B. C. Wei & Y. R. Wang

Authors
  1. W. H. Li
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  2. T. H. Zhang
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  3. D. M. Xing
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  4. B. C. Wei
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  5. Y. R. Wang
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  6. Y. D. Dong
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Correspondence to B. C. Wei.

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Li, W.H., Zhang, T.H., Xing, D.M. et al. Instrumented indentation study of plastic deformation in bulk metallic glasses. Journal of Materials Research 21, 75–81 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2006.0037

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