Mechanism of the deformation-induced nanocrystallization in a Cu-based bulk amorphous alloy under uniaxial compression

A high resolution electron microscopy examination of the fractured Cu50Zr43Al7 amorphous alloy revealed abundant nanocrystallites that had precipitated homogeneously in an amorphous matrix. The mechanism underlying the deformation-induced nanocrystallization behavior observed in a monolithic amorphous alloy was examined from thermodynamic and kinetic perspectives.