Bulk metallic glass matrix composites

摘要

A method of forming bulk metallic glass engineering materials, and more particularly a method for forming coarsening microstructures within said engineering materials is provided. Specifically, the method forms ‘designed composites’ by introducing ‘soft’ elastic/plastic inhomogeneities in a metallic glass matrix to initiate local shear banding around the inhomogeneity, and matching of microstructural length scales (for example, L and S) to the characteristic length scale RP (for plastic shielding of an opening crack tip) to limit shear band extension, suppress shear band opening, and avoid crack development.

主权项

1. A bulk metallic glass composite material comprising: a plurality of dendrites homogenously disposed within a glassy matrix formed from a Zr—Ti—Nb—Cu—Be bulk metallic glass, wherein the shear modulus of the dendrite material is lower than that of the bulk metallic glass, and wherein the average spacing L between dendrites is of the same order of magnitude of the theoretical length scale of the plastic zone (RP) of the bulk metallic glass such that the toughness of the composite is increased over a composite with the same composition wherein L is not of the same order of magnitude of RP.