Achieving macroscopic tensile plasticity of monolithic bulk metallic glass by surface treatment

A rapid defect-printing (RDP) treatment for achieving macroscopic tensile plasticity in a monolithic Zr-based bulk metallic glass (BMG) is proposed. Obvious yielding and certain tensile plasticity are observed for the RDP-treated BMG samples. The surface defects introduced, such as geometrical and mechanical heterogeneities, facilitate the formation of multiple shear band zones and the homogenization of plastic deformation. The proposed RDP treatment may shed light on the structural application of conventional BMGs with large critical size but poor plasticity.