Effects of strain rates on shear band and serrated flow in a bulk metallic glass

Effects of different strain rates on the shear band and serrated flow in Ti30.81Cu48.83Ni7.44Zr12.92 bulk metallic glass compressed at the room temperature were investigated. With increasing strain rates, the plastic strain, maximum compressive strength, and numbers and densities of shear bands increases, and the serrated flow in the second stage translates from similar uniformity to heterogeneity. No uniformity serrated flow in the second stage was found to be the combination of the no uniformity serrated flow in the first stage and the uniformity serrated flow in the second stage. The range of the stress drop in the second stage of the serrated flow coming from the discontinuous slip of the primary shear plane, is from 22 ± 1 MPa to 35 ± 1 MPa at different strain rates; the corresponding maximum value of stress drop is 35 ± 1 MPa. The range and maximum value of stress drop is crucial to further understand the mechanism of plastic strain in the metallic glass field.