Comparison of compressive deformation and fracture behaviors of Zr- and Ti-based metallic glasses with notches

Compressive tests on the Zr- and Ti-based metallic glasses with different notches were investigated to compare their shear fracture mechanism and plastic deformation abilities. It is found that the plasticity of the two metallic glasses can be improved by installing two semicircular symmetrical notches even for the Ti-based metallic glass which has nearly zero compressive plasticity. The enhanced plasticity may be ascribed to the easy initiation of shear bands (SBs) around the notches, and the consequent blocking effect of notches on the propagation of shear bands according to the large-scale stress gradient. Additionally, based on a theoretical model originated from the concept of critical steady shear displacement (CSSD), compared with the sizes of smooth regions on the fracture surface, the plasticity difference of the two different metallic glasses was analyzed quantitatively. The current findings might provide an approach to understand and estimate the difference in the plastic deformation abilities on diverse metallic glasses, as well as the ones with large-scale stress gradient.