Multi-step shear banding for bulk metallic glasses at ambient and cryogenic temperatures

Analysis of energy dissipation during shear-banding aids to understand plastic deformations of bulk metallic glasses (BMGs). For Zr55Al10Ni5Cu30 BMGs at 298 K, multi-step shearing is proposed, and the thermal energy during serrations cannot result in a temperature rise (ΔT) higher than Tm. At 77 K, N-step shearing is supposed. When N is in the range of 24–47, it is reasonable to deduce the resulting temperature from 0.8Tg to Tm, accompanied by a continuous plastic deformation.

► Multi-step shearing is reasonable to analyze energy conversion upon shear banding.
► At 77 K, the serrations disappear, and an N-step method is chosen to analyze the energy dissipation.
► The present investigation gives a proper method to reveal the shear banding for BMGs at different temperatures.