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Mechanical behavior of a Zr-based bulk metallic glass and its composite at cryogenic temperatures

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 March 2011

Cang Fan*
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science & Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37916
Y.F. Gao
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science & Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37916; and Computer Science & Mathematics Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831
H.Q. Li
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science & Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37916
H. Choo
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science & Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37916; and Materials Science and Technology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831
P.K. Liaw
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science & Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37916
A. Inoue
Affiliation:
Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577, Japan
C.T. Liu
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science & Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37916
*
a) Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

The mechanical behavior of Zr-Cu-Al bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) and in situ Ta-particle-containing composites (BMGCs) was investigated at 77 K. Their strengths increased significantly whereas the plastic strains remained at comparable levels, when compared to that at 298 K. The interaction between shear bands and particles shows that shear extension in particles has limited penetration, and shear bands build up around particles. Pair distribution functions (PDFs), which carried out at cryogenic and ambient temperatures on the as-cast Zr-Cu-Al bulk metallic glasses, were studied, and simulations with reverse Monte Carlo (RMC) were performed by combining icosahedral and cubic structures as the initial structures. Based on the studies of the pair distribution functions and the Reverse Monte Carlo simulations, the concept of free volume was defined—spaces between clusters with longer bond lengths of atom pairs; the structural model of BMGs was proposed—the strongly bonded clusters correlated with each other and separated by free volume. An attempt has been made to connect the relationship between amorphous structures and their mechanical properties.

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Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2007

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