Pressure-dependent flow behavior of Zr_41.2Ti_13.8Cu_12.5Ni₁₀Be_22.5 bulk metallic glass

An experimental study of the inelastic deformation of bulk metallic glass Zr_41.2Ti_13.8Cu_12.5Ni₁₀Be_22.5 under multiaxial compression using a confining sleeve technique is presented. In contrast to the catastrophic shear failure (brittle) in uniaxial compression, the metallic glass exhibited large inelastic deformation of more than 10% under confinement, demonstrating the nature of ductile deformation under constrained conditions in spite of the long-range disordered characteristic of the material. It was found that the metallic glass followed a pressure (p) dependent Tresca criterion τ = τ₀ + βp, and the coefficient of the pressure dependence β was 0.17. Multiple parallel shear bands oriented at 45° to the loading direction were observed on the surfaces of the deformed specimens and were responsible for the overall inelastic deformation.