Insight into plasticity mechanisms in metallic glasses by means of a Brazilian test and numerical simulation

Multiaxial and heterogeneous mechanical experiments, by means of the diametral compression test (Brazilian test), were carried out on Zr-based Bulk Metallic Glass. Attention was notably focused on obtaining the displacement field in the area of interest (large strains) employing a Digital Image Correlation device, in addition to the measurement of the usual global load–displacement curve. In order to reproduce the behaviour of the BMG at stake, several constitutive equations were considered with growing complexity: von Mises, Drucker–Prager (pressure dependence), free volume based model as well as a viscoplastic Coulomb–Mohr type model. The two latter were implemented as user-material in a Finite Element computation code. The results of these investigations including experiments and computational simulations are discussed.

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► The diametral compression (Brasilian test) is employed to characterise the plasticity in a Zr-based bulk metallic glass.
► Finite Element modelling with constitutive models with growing complexity is employed to match experimental and computational results.
► Most models succeed in matching global experimental data. The need for local information to discriminate models is highlighted.