Ageing effect on nanoindentation creep behaviors of CuZrTiNb bulk metallic glass

This work reports the room-temperature nanoindentation creep behaviors of as-cast and aged CuZrTiNb bulk metallic glasses and investigates the ageing influences on the heterogeneity evolution. With ageing, the hardness shows an increasing trend with the ageing time and indicates 3 stepped increase. The aged specimens still have amorphous nature. The ageing shows a strong effect on the ending creep displacement but a weak effect on the initial displacement. Meanwhile, it decreases the resistance to localized plastic deformation but increases the creep resistance of current bulk metallic glass. The analysis of compliance and retardation spectra demonstrates that the quantity of large hole decreases but that of small void increases with ageing.

Automated summary

This study investigates the room-temperature nanoindentation creep behaviors of as-cast and aged CuZrTiNb bulk metallic glasses, showing that ageing influences the hardness, creep displacement, and resistance to localized plastic deformation of the materials. Ageing decreases the resistance to localized plastic deformation but increases the creep resistance of current bulk metallic glass. The quantity of large holes decreases while that of small voids increases with ageing, as revealed by compliance and retardation spectra analysis.