摘要

Plate impact experiments were conducted to examine the dynamic tensile response of Zr-based bulk amorphous alloys (BAAs) having a nominal composition of Zr56.7Cu15.3Ni12.5Nb5.0Al10.0Y0.5. The experimental configuration used in our work permitted soft recovery of the samples to allow a careful examination of the fractured samples along with real-time measurements of the sample free-surface velocity (FSV) histories. Tensile loading was preceded by elastic compressive loading to peak stresses in the 3.6 to 6.0 GPa range. Tensile damage in the recovered samples was examined using optical and electron microscopy. The microscopy results showed that the BAA samples exhibit a brittle behavior (as a glass) at the macroscopic level and a ductile behavior (as a metal) at the microscopic level; in addition, corrugations and bumps are observed at the nanoscale. The observed fracture morphologies are related to three key features present in our spall experiments: preceding compressive stress (3.6-6.0 GPa), high tensile loading rate (similar to 10(6)/s), high mean tensile stress (similar to 2.3 GPa); and are intrinsically related to the amorphous glassy structure of the BAAs (free volume content). We propose that the compressive stress depletes the free volume content. With increasing compressive stress, the available free volume decreases causing a suppression of shear stresses during tension. Thus, the mean tensile component becomes more dominant at higher stresses. Consequently, the observed surface morphology results from brittle cleavage, causing an increased damage localization in the recovered samples spalled at higher stresses. These observations support the inferences made from measurements of FSV histories. The high tensile loading rate is proposed to be responsible for cracking by multiple shear band propagation and interception, rendering the observed serrated surface morphology. Finally, we proposed that the corrugations are created due to a succession of arrest and propagation of mode I cracks. A subsequent dilatation, due to the effect of the tensile mean stress, caused the corrugations to evolve to bump-type features with sizes in the range of 10-100 nm. Our proposed mechanisms, although qualitative, constitute a systematic attempt to provide an explanation for the fracture morphologies observed in spalled BAA samples.

  • 出版日期2010-6-15