Thermal stability and mechanical properties of the TiCuZrPd glasses with 10, 14 and 20Â at.% Pd

Metallic glasses of the composition Ti40Zr10Cu40−xPd10+x with x = 0, 4 and 10, were investigated from the point of view of the thermal stability, crystallization and hardness. The samples in the form of melt spun ribbons and rods 2.8 mm in diameter, were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Thermo-Mechanical Analysis (TMA), macro-Vickers hardness (MHv10) and depth-sensing indentation measurements. The TMA experiments were performed on ribbons in the modulated constant load tensile mode. The processes of relaxation, glass transition and crystallization were observed with DSC and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The relative length changes rates as a function of temperature (dL/dTL0) showed influence of the thermal stability of the amorphous phase on the materials ductility. High ductility was available in the wide range of temperature including primary crystallization range. Vickers-macrohardness of BMG was about 5500 MPa and nanohardness was about 9300 MPa, increasing after crystallization completion by about 18%. At small nanoindentation rates deformed amorphous phase revealed local plastic instability resulting from the shear bands formation.