Simulation of shear banding in bulk metallic glass composites containing dendrite phases

• Dendrite formation in BMG composite is simulated using phase-field modeling.
• Phase field models are developed to investigate shear banding in BMG matrix and fracture in crystalline dendrites.
• Geometry and fracture energy of the dendrites affect the branching, multiplication and detour of the shear bands.

The mechanisms of shear banding in Zr-based bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) containing dendrite phase such as β-Zr2Cu are numerically investigated using the phase-field simulation approaches. The growth of dendrite is simulated based on Elder’s solidification theory. The interactions between the shear bands and the dendrites are studied using the phase-field model for shear banding in BMGs. It is found that the properties of dendrites such as the rotation angle representing their dispersion patterns and their fracture energy significantly affect the branching, multiplication and detour of shear bands, which result in the improved ductility of the composites. The simulation evaluates quantitatively the properties of dendrites that determine the features of shear banding in the composites.