Ductility enhancement of a Ti-based bulk metallic glass through annealing treatment below the glass transition temperature

The effect of annealing treatment on mechanical properties has been investigated for a Ti-based bulk metallic glass (BMG). A series of compression tests as well as Vickers hardness tests has thus been performed at room temperature for the BMG specimens annealed in an Ar atmosphere at several temperatures near the glass transition temperature (Tg). The ductility under compression was found to increase up to about 42% without reducing the maximum strength, but with higher hardness values. Thermal properties were also analyzed by using a differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), while microstructures of annealed specimens were studied through X-ray diffraction (XRD) and also a high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM).