Shock compression response of a Zr-based bulk metallic glass up to 110 GPa J. Appl. Phys. 108, 083537 (2010); 10.1063/1.3501044 Temperature-dependent shear band dynamics in a Zr-based bulk metallic glass Appl. Phys. Lett. 96, 061901 (2010); 10.1063/1.3309686Effect of high strain rates on peak stress in a Zr-based bulk metallic glass J. Appl. Phys.Instrumented nanoindentation tests were used to investigate the mechanical properties of Zr 52.5 Cu 17.9 Ni 14.6 Al 10 Ti 5 bulk metallic glass. The corresponding loading strain rates were ranged from 0.002 s À1 , 0.02 s À1 to 0.2 s À1 . Plastic flow of this material exhibited remarkable serrations at low strain rates and increasingly became weakening until disappearance with increasing indentation strain rate, implying strong rate sensitivity. A significant pile-up around the indents was observed through atomic force microscopy, which suggested a highly localized plastic deformation. Mechanism governing the deformation was tentatively discussed in terms of the increasing process of free volume with a negligible temperature rise under low strain rate, which well explained the declining trend of elastic modulus and hardness with an increase of indentation depth. V C 2014 AIP Publishing LLC. [http://dx.