Composition and size dependent brittle-to-malleable transitions of Mg-based bulk metallic glasses

Mg-based bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) were often treated as brittle materials. However, some Mg-based BMGs were recently reported to show malleability. In order to identify the reasons for the achievement of the brittle-to-malleable transitions in the Mg-based BMGs, we systematically investigated the mechanical properties of four Mg-based BMGs (Mg65Cu25Gd10, Mg65Cu20Ni5Gd10, Mg75Ni15Gd10, and Mg75Ni15Gd5Nd5 BMGs) using the uniaxial compression tests on the samples with sizes of ∅1×2 mm2 and ∅2×4 mm2. The corresponding fracture morphology was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). These Mg-based BMGs displayed the composition or size dependent brittle-to-malleable transitions, accompanied by the fracture mode transition from the cleavage fracture to the shear fracture. It appeared that the Mg-based BMGs were sensitive to cleavage cracks upon loading. The brittle-to-malleable transitions of the Mg-based BMGs were related to not only the stability of shear banding but also the nucleation and propagation of cleavage cracks. It was demonstrated that the suppression of the nucleation and propagation of cleavage cracks could favor the transition from the cleavage fracture to the shear fracture and encourage the brittle-to-malleable transition for the Mg-based BMGs. The underlying mechanism for the brittle-to-malleable transitions of the Mg-based BMGs was discussed with respect to both the composition and size effects.