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Damage-tolerant Zr–Cu–Al-based bulk metallic glasses with record-breaking fracture toughness

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 August 2014

Jian Xu  and
Evan Ma
Jian Xu*
Affiliation:
Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China
Evan Ma*
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, USA
*
a)Address all correspondence to these authors. e-mail: jianxu@imr.ac.cn
b)e-mail: ema@jhu.edu
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Abstract

Bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) exhibit high yield strength but little tensile ductility. For this class of materials, damage tolerance is a key mechanical design parameter needed for their engineering use. Recently we have discovered a correlation between the local structural characteristics in the glass and the propensity for shear transformations. Based on the dependence of glass structure on alloy composition, zirconium (Zr)-rich Zr–titanium (Ti)–copper (Cu)–aluminum (Al) compositions are predicted to be more prone to spread-out plastic deformation and hence profuse shear banding. This structural perspective has guided us to locate a Zr61Ti2Cu25Al12 (ZT1) BMG that exhibits a record-breaking fracture toughness, on par with the palladium (Pd)-based BMG recently developed at Caltech. At the same time, the new BMG consists of common metals and has robust glass-forming ability. Interestingly, the ZT1 BMG derives its high toughness from its high propensity for crack deflection and local loading-mode change (from mode I to substantially mode II) at the crack tip due to extensive shear band interactions. A crack-resistance curve (R-curve) has been obtained following American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards, employing both “single-specimen” and “multiple-specimen” techniques as well as fatigue precracked specimens. The combination of high strength and fracture toughness places ZT1 atop all engineering metallic alloys in the strength–toughness Ashby diagram, pushing the envelop accessible to a structural material in terms of its damage tolerance.

Keywords

metallic glassesfracture toughnessR-curvecrack growthzirconium alloys
Type
Invited Feature Review
Information
Journal of Materials Research , Volume 29 , Issue 14 , 28 July 2014 , pp. 1489 - 1499
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2014 

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