Radial and longitudinal variations in the Young's modulus of a Zr55Al10Ni5Cu30 bulk metallic glass rod

Radial and longitudinal variations in the Young's modulus of a Zr55Al10Ni5Cu30 metallic glass cylindrical rod were examined by means of nanoindentation. The metallic glass rod, 2.4 mm in diameter, was prepared using a novel mold-casting method designed to suppress crystallization resulting from the heterogeneous nucleation originating from slag covering a molten alloy. In this study, Young's modulus was measured using a multiple partial unloading technique with a spherical indenter. In general, it is assumed that the cooling rate of a metallic glass rod depends on the radius of its cross section. However, no significant difference was found in the measured Young's modulus.

► We cast a bulk metallic glass rod by using a novel horizontal mold. ► This mold can quench a molten alloy slowly. ► The metallic glass rod is structurally relaxed and becomes uniform. ► The variation in the Young's modulus of the rod is negligible.