A molecular dynamics analysis of internal friction effects on the plasticity of Zr65Cu35 metallic glass

•Effects of internal friction on plasticity is investigated at the atomic level.•The simulations allow reproduction of images of internal friction evolution.•The simulation results are in good agreement with experiments and theories.•This simulation can predict the deformation mode with different internal friction.

The effects of internal friction (IF) on Zr65Cu35 metallic glass plasticity are investigated through molecular dynamics simulations. Results show that the Voronoi polyhedron 〈0, 3, 6, 3〉 increases as IF increases, thereby effectively inhibiting localized deformation and improving metallic glass plasticity. The simulations allow reproduction of images of IF evolution in metallic glasses subjected to isothermal annealing at 730 K and 850 K respectively, which can help explain the experimental observations. IF could be adjusted by selecting suitable annealing temperatures and cooling rates. The results of this work provide a strong foundation for future metallic glass designs.

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