Room-temperature dynamic quasi-elastic mechanical behavior of a Zr-Cu-Fe-Al bulk metallic glass

The paper represents storage modulus and internal friction modulation upon cyclic loading of Zr₆₁Cu₂₇Fe₂Al₁₀ bulk metallic glassy samples within quasi-reversible deformation regime. The structure of the samples was studied by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy including high-resolution imaging and selected-area electron diffraction. It is found that kinetically frozen anelastic deformation accumulates on mechanical cycling at room temperature and causes an increase in the storage modulus and even nanocrystallization of a metallic glassy phase after a certain number of cycles. The study has shown that even a minor cyclic deformation in an elastic region can lead to the changes the atomic structure and in turn affect the elastic modulus.