Ductile fracture of bulk metallic glass Zr50Cu40Al10 under high strain-rate loading

We investigate dynamic fracture or spallation of a ternary bulk metallic glass, Zr50Cu40Al10, under high strain-rate (4-5×105 s−1) loading. Both incipient and full spall are achieved. Free-surface velocity histories and microstructure features of the recovered samples, such as necking, softening, microvoids, and rounded cups/cones, indicate exceptional ductility in deformation and fracture of this glass. Softening/necking is attributed to decreased glass transition temperature with increasing tension, and rounded cups/cones, to localized shear banding, void formation, and their interactions.