Effect of shot peening on the fatigue life of a Zr-based bulk metallic glass

The fatigue lives of a Zr-based bulk metallic glass (BMG) in the as-cast and shot-peened conditions were evaluated. Results suggest that shot peening does not cause significant enhancement of the fatigue performance of the BMG. Cracks were observed to nucleate in subsurface regions. This was attributed to the domination of the compressive residual stress field on the surface over deformation-induced plastic flow softening that otherwise leads to easy nucleation of shear bands which act like microcracks.