Usually, monolithic bulk metallic glasses undergo inhomogeneous plastic deformation and exhibit poor ductility (< 1%) at room temperature. We present a new class of bulk metallic glass, which exhibits high strength of up to 2265 MPa together with extensive "work hardening" and large ductility of 18%. Significant increase in the flow stress was observed during deformation. The "work-hardening" capability and ductility of this class of metallic glass is attributed to a unique structure correlated with atomic-scale inhomogeneity, leading to an inherent capability of extensive shear band formation, interactions, and multiplication of shear bands.

No abstract

An in situ bulk ultrafine bimodal eutectic Al–Cu–Si composite was synthesized by solidification. This heterostructured composite with microstructural length scale hierarchy in the eutectic microstructure, which combines an ultrafine-scale binary cellular eutectic (α-Al + Al2Cu) and a nanometer-sized anomalous ternary eutectic (α-Al + Al2Cu + Si), exhibits high fracture strength (1.1 ± 0.1 GPa) and large compressive plastic strain (11 ± 2%) at room temperature. The improved compressive plasticity of the bimodal-nanoeutectic composite originates from homogeneous and uniform distribution of inhomogeneous plastic deformation (localized shear bands), together with strong interaction between shear bands in the spatially heterogeneous structure.

Microstructural investigations of an ultrafine eutectic Fe83Ti7Zr6B4 alloy reveal that spherical eutectic colonies are composed of nanoeutectic areas which are encapsulated by submicron eutectic areas indicating length-scale heterogeneity of lamellar structure. Furthermore, formation of the wavy and discontinuous shear bands indicative of dissipation of the shear stress are possibly caused by a rotation of the eutectic colonies along the submicron eutectic areas during deformation, leading to developing typical dimples on the fracture surface. The rotation of the eutectic colonies containing the length-scale heterogeneity is proposed to be responsible for macroscopic plasticity of the ultrafine eutectic Fe83Ti7Zr6B4 alloy.

No abstract