Shear band formation and ductility of metallic glasses

Variations in microstructure and chemical compositions of the metallic glasses found in the literature, as well as an overall lack of experimental data on inhomogeneous behavior of metallic glass make the evaluation of the effects of shear band/fracture behavior on mechanical properties of metallic glasses difficult. Investigating the effect of strain localization alone on inhomogeneous flow seems to be a first step in approaching this problem. Mechanical behavior of metallic glasses at room temperature and various strain rates in tension and compression was investigated. Formation of multiple shear bands was observed at high strain rates. An increase in strain rate leads to enhanced ductility in tension, whereas, the ductility of the material in compression decreases with increasing strain rate. Differences in deformation processes in tension and compression were compared.