| Combining low density, high strength, large elastic strains, and a high fracture toughness, bulk metallic glasses are ideal for a variety of applications. This study focuses on the fracture and plastic deformation mechanisms of a recently developed Zr-Ti-Ni-Cu-Be bulk metallic glass. These alloys exhibit failure strengths of ∼2 GPa and toughness values of 10–30 MPa√m with remarkably little plastic deformation. Intense shear bands, associated with localized changes in free volume and glass viscosity, form and propagate seemingly unimpeded through the material, causing catastrophic failure. Shear band formation is associated with localized melting of the glass, as evidenced by molten droplets and vein patterns on the fracture surface. A central question regarding the formation of shear bands is whether this melting is a result of adiabatic heating or due to a mean stress induced free volume dilatation. To address these issues, the temperature increase on the side face of fracture samples was measured. Utilizing heat conduction and dissipation models, a crack tip temperature increase of 139 K was predicted at fracture initiation, consistent with the dissipation of plastic work as heat. The effect of mean stresses on the softening behavior of the metallic glass was also examined. A superimposed mean stress alters the initial free volume, changing the stress required for strain localization in a shear band. Experimental results indicated that a constant tensile mean stress characterized failure, and that this stress was sufficient to cause a significant viscosity decrease.; In the vicinity of crack tips, shear bands form stable damage zones. When properly stabilized, these zones increase the apparent toughness to more than 80 MPa√m. By modeling the damage zone as an array of branch cracks, we show that the intrinsic toughness of the material is ∼15 MPa√m, consistent with estimates based on Taylor's fluid meniscus instability. This has important implications for the design of metallic glass matrix composites. A ductile particle reinforcement phase blocks the propagation of shear bands and distributes plastic deformation over a larger volume, giving rise to extensive stable crack growth at stress intensities double the intrinsic toughness of the unreinforced bulk metallic glass. |
