A mean-field model for anelastic deformation in metallic-glasses

In this article, a simple mean-field model is developed for quantitatively understanding the anelastic deformation in metallic-glasses (MGs). By relating the anelastic strain of an MG under a constant stress to the constrained configurational transition of liquid-like phases, we are able to derive the dynamic equation that captures the essential features of anelastic deformation hitherto reported. The important implications of this mean-field model are also discussed with reference to the recent findings of nano-scale structural heterogeneity in MGs.

Graphical abstract(a) The typical energy dissipation map obtained via the AM-AFM scanning of the Zr70Ni30 thin film, and (b) the similarity between the typical nano-scale structural feature being experimentally revealed and the core–shell structural unit being theoretically studied.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide