Plastic Flow of a Cu50Zr45Ti5 Bulk Metallic Glass Composite

By modifying the cooling rate, a Cu50Zr45Ti5 alloy with various structures was developed. A fully glassy rod and specimens with different sizes and volume fractions of nanocrystals were produced. The relationship between the structure and mechanical properties of the Cu50Zr45Ti5 alloy was investigated. The different structures result in a transition of the deformation mechanism from being dominated by shear banding to being governed by dislocation action accompanied by shear band formation. These different plastic deformation mechanisms were discussed in the framework of self-organized critical behavior.