Mechanical spectroscopy study on the Cu54Zr40Al6 amorphous matrix alloy at low temperature

A mechanical spectroscopy study of Cu54Zr40Al6 bulk metallic glasses composites was carried out in the kHz and MHz frequency ranges, by means of flexural and ultrasonic methods, respectively, in the temperature interval 150-300 K. In internal friction and attenuation curves at low temperature were observed peaks which were associated with distortions in the configuration of atomic clusters, which absorbed different quantities of energy due to short and medium order rearrangements. Changes within the clusters or atomic jumps between clusters occurring in the specimen induced the onset of polyamorphic peaks, since electronic interactions and bonding changed abruptly.