Effect of ball-milling and shot-peening on Zr55Al10Ni5Cu30 alloys

Effect of ball-milling and shot-peening on a metallic glass Zr55Al10Ni5Cu30, which possesses a large supercooled liquid region, has been investigated by means of differential scanning calorimetry, x-ray diffractometry and transmission electron microscopy. Metallic glassy ribbons, powders and plates were prepared by melt-spinning, gas-atomizing and mold-clamp casting techniques, respectively. No structural changes were observed in both the ribbon and powder specimens by ball-milling for around 100 h; however, the powder specimens were crystallized by Fe contamination when they were ball-milled for 540 h. No structural evolution was also observed when the plate specimens were subjected to shot-peening, while crystallized plate specimens were easily amorphized by mild and short period shot-peening. These results imply high phase stability of the Zr55Al10Ni5Cu30 metallic glass against deformation.