Enhanced room-temperature plasticity in a Zr-based glassy alloy by micro-arc oxidation treatment

Abstract In this work, an enhanced room-temperature plasticity was achieved in a Zr62.8Cu15Co9.2Ti6Al7 glassy alloy through the application of micro-arc oxidation (MAO) treatment. After treated for 15 and 30 min, the glassy alloy specimen exhibited an enhanced plastic strain of 5.5% and 7.9%, respectively. Both the introduction of nucleation sites for shear band at the coating/substrate interface owing to stress concentration and the physical constraint effect for the propagating shear bands from the in-situ formed coating are responsible for the enhanced plasticity. This finding may open a new avenue for developing ductile metallic glasses from a surface modification aspect.