Mechanical properties of bulk metallic glasses and composites

The development of bulk metallic glasses and composites for improving the mechanical properties has occurred with the discovery of many ductile metallic glasses and glass matrix composites with second phase dispersions with different length scales. This article reviews the processing, microstructure development, and resulting mechanical properties of Zr-, Ti-, Cu-, Mg-, Fe-, and Ni-based glassy alloys and also considers the superiority of composite materials containing different phases for enhancing the strength, ductility, and toughness, even leading to a “work-hardening-like” behavior. The morphology, shape, and length scale of the second phase dispersions are crucial for the delocalization of shear bands. The article concludes with some comments regarding future directions of the investigations of spatially inhomogeneous metallic glasses.