Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Direct observations on the evolution of shear bands into cracks in metallic glass

  • Published:
Journal of Materials Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The evolution of shear bands (SBs) into cracks was observed by using a high-resolution scanning electron microscope in Zr59Cu20Al10Ni8Ti3 metallic glassy samples after a small punch test with different strain rates. As shear strain increased along a radial SB, three distinctive regions of morphologies were found (I) bonded SB, (II) microcrack plus bonded SB, and (III) full crack. In region II with moderate shear strain, some glassy “extrusions” were also observed. Once shear offset increases to a critical value, the SB becomes a full crack. For two different SBs in one specimen, the critical shear offsets maintain approximately the same value, which sheds light on the critical shear failure condition of metallic glass. The critical shear offset was also found to be sensitive to the strain rate and a higher strain rate led to less critical shear offset. It is suggested that the structure evolution and heat evolution within a shearing SB should be responsible for the previous results.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. A.L. Greer: Metallic glasses. Science 267, 1947 (1995).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. W.L. Johnson: Fundamental aspects of bulk metallic glass formation in multicomponent alloys. Mater. Sci. Forum 225–227, 35 (1996).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. M.F. Ashby and A.L. Greer: Metallic glasses as structural materials. Scr. Mater. 54, 321 (2006).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. J. Eckert, J. Das, S. Pauly and C. Duhamel: Mechanical properties of bulk metallic glasses and composites. J. Mater. Res. 22, 285 (2007).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. C.A. Schuh, T.C. Hufnagel and U. Ramamurty: Mechanical behavior of amorphous alloys. Acta Mater. 55, 4067 (2007).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. H. Guo, P.F. Yan, Y.B. Wang, J. Tan, Z.F. Zhang, M.L. Sui and E. Ma: Tensile ductility and necking of metallic glass. Nat. Mater. 6, 735 (2007).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. D.C. Hofmann, J-Y. Suh, A. Wiest, G. Duan, M-L. Lind, M.D. Demetriou and W.L. Johnson: Designing metallic glass matrix composites with high toughness and tensile ductility. Nature 451, 1085 (2008).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. D.C. Hofmann, J-Y. Suh, A. Wiest, M-L. Lind, M.D. Demetriou and W.L. Johnson: Development of tough, low-density titaniumbased bulk metallic glass matrix composites with tensile ductility. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 105, 20136 (2008).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. F.F. Wu, Z.F. Zhang, B.L. Shen, S.X. Mao and J. Eckert: Size effect on shear fracture and fragmentation of a Fe57.6Co14.4 B19.2Si4.8Nb4 bulk metallic glass. Adv. Eng. Mater. 10, 727 (2008).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. F.F. Wu, Z.F. Zhang, J. Shen and S.X. Mao: Shear deformation capability of different metallic glasses. J. Mater. Res. 23, 2662 (2008).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. F.F. Wu, Z.F. Zhang and S.X. Mao: Size-dependent shear fracture and global tensile plasticity of metallic glasses. Acta Mater. 57, 257 (2009).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. F.F. Wu, Z.F. Zhang, S.X. Mao, A. Peker and J. Eckert: Multiplication of shear bands and ductility of metallic glass. Appl. Phys. Lett. 90, 191909 (2007).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. F.F. Wu, Z.F. Zhang, J. Shen and S.X. Mao: Shear deformation and plasticity of metallic glass under multiaxial loading. Acta Mater. 56, 894 (2008).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. T. Mukai, T.G. Nieh, Y. Kawamura, A. Inoue and K. Higashi: Effect of strain rate on compressive behavior of a Pd40Ni40P20 bulk metallic glass. Intermetallics 10, 1071 (2002).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Z.F. Zhang, J. Eckert and L. Schultz: Difference in compressive and tensile fracture mechanisms of Zr59Cu20Al10Ni8Ti3 bulk metallic glass. Acta Mater. 51, 1167 (2003).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Z.F. Zhang, G. He, J. Eckert and L. Schultz: Fracture mechanisms in bulk metallic glassy materials. Phys. Rev. Lett. 91, 045505 (2003).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. A.S. Argon and M. Salama: The mechanism of fracture in glassy materials capable of some inelastic deformation. Mater. Sci. Eng. 23, 219 (1976).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. W.J. Wright, R.B. Schwarz and W.D. Nix: Localized heating during serrated plastic flow in bulk metallic glasses. Mater. Sci. Eng., A 319–321, 229 (2001).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. J.J. Lewandowski and A.L. Greer: Temperature rise at shear bands in metallic glasses. Nat. Mater. 5, 15 (2006).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. D. Deng and B. Lu: Density change of glassy Pd77Si16.5Cu6.5 alloy during cold drawing. Scr. Metall. 17, 515 (1983).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. R.W. Cahn, N.A. Pratten, M.G. Scott, H.R. Sinning and L. Leonardsson: Studies of relaxation of metallic glasses by dilatometry and density measurements. Mater. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 28, 241 (1984).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. A.S. Argon, J. Megusar and N.J. Grant: Shear band induced dilations in metallic glasses. Scr. Metall. 19, 591 (1985).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. A. Vandenbeukel and J. Sietsma: The glass transition as a free volume related kinetic phenomenon. Acta Metall. Mater. 38, 383 (1990).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. P.E. Donovan and W.M. Stobbs: The structure of shear bands in metallic glasses. Acta Metall. 29, 1419 (1981).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. J. Li, Z.L. Wang and T.C. Hufnagel: Characterization of nanometer-scale defects in metallic glasses by quantitative highresolution transmission electron microscopy. Phys. Rev. B 65, 144201 (2002).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. W.H. Jiang and M. Atzmon: The effect of compression and tension on shear-band structure and nanocrystallization in amorphous Al90Fe5Gd5: A high-resolution transmission-electron-microscopy study. Acta Mater. 51, 4095 (2003).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. W.J. Wright, T.C. Hufnagel and W.D. Nix: Free volume coalescence and void formation in shear bands in metallic glass. J. Appl. Phys. 93, 1432 (2003).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. P.E. Donovan and R.F. Cochrane: Deformation-induced microcracking in Pd40Ni40P20 metallic glass. Scr. Metall. 22, 1765 (1988).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. T.L. Anderson: Fracture Mechanics: Fundamentals and Applications (CRC Press LLC, Boca Raton, FL, 1995).

    Google Scholar 

  30. G. Wang, Y.H. Liu, P. Yu, D.Q. Zhao, M.X. Pan and W.H. Wang: Structural evolution in TiCu-based bulk metallic glass with large compressive plasticity. Appl. Phys. Lett. 89, 251909 (2006).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. H. Guo, J. Wen, N.M. Xiao, Z.F. Zhang and M.L. Sui: The more shearing, the thicker shear band and heat-affected zone in bulk metallic glass. J. Mater. Res. 23, 2133 (2008).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Y. Zhang, N.A. Stelmashenko, Z.H. Barber, W.H. Wang, J.J. Lewandowski and A.L. Greer: Local temperature rises during mechanical testing of metallic glasses. J.Mater. Res. 22, 419 (2007).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. H.S. Carslaw and J.C. Jaeger: Conduction of Heat in Solids (Clarendon Press, Oxford, UK, 1986).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110016, People’s Republic of China

    Rui-Tao Qu & Jürgen Eckert

  2. School of Materials and Chemical Engineerin, Liaoning University of Technology, Jinzhou, 121001, People’s Republic of China

    Fu-Fa Wu

  3. Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110016, People’s Republic of China

    Fu-Fa Wu & Zhe-Feng Zhang

Authors
  1. Rui-Tao Qu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Fu-Fa Wu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Zhe-Feng Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Jürgen Eckert
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Zhe-Feng Zhang.

Additional information

This author was an editor of this journal during the review and decision stage. For the JMR policy on review and publication of manuscripts authored by editors, please refer to http://www.mrs.org/jmr_policy

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Qu, RT., Wu, FF., Zhang, ZF. et al. Direct observations on the evolution of shear bands into cracks in metallic glass. Journal of Materials Research 24, 3130–3135 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2009.0374

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2009.0374

Search

Navigation