Work

In situ mechanical characterization of Cu-Zr based metallic glass micropillars under varying strain rates

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: In this study, micropillar specimens were fabricated using focused ion beam (FIB) milling. The mechanical properties of these micropillars were systematically investigated through a combined approach incorporating in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) compression testing, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations under varying strain rate conditions. Our experimental results demonstrate that the deformation behavior is strongly strain-rate dependent: at high strain rates, the micropillars predominantly form small, randomly oriented shear zones, whereas at lower strain rates, they exhibit more uniform and elongated shear zones patterns accompanied by enhanced plastic deformation. Through atomic-scale MD simulations, we have elucidated the fundamental mechanisms underlying shear zones formation and evolution. These findings provide valuable insights into the strain-rate dependent deformation mechanisms of amorphous alloys and offer potential strategies for enhancing their plasticity through strain rate control.

Source: Materials & Design

DOI: 10.1016/j.matdes.2025.114549

Authors: Lei Zhang, Yajie Huang, Chunyu Zhao

Institutions: Shandong First Medical University, Xinjiang University

Language: English

Topic: Metallic Glasses and Amorphous Alloys

Subfield: Mechanical Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,650

Funders: Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province, Science and Technology Support Plan for Youth Innovation of Colleges and Universities of Shandong Province of China