Characterization of free volume in cold-rolled Zr55Cu30Ni5Al10 bulk metallic glasses

Cold-rolled Zr55Cu30Ni5Al10 bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) exhibited volume dilatation across the entire range of thickness reduction fractions from 5.7% to 63%. The dilatation was dominantly attributed to the free volume generated during cold-rolling, together with any open volumes, like the voids or microcracks, or both, which survived even after sufficiently annealing the rolled sample at the temperature in the supercooled liquid region. The relaxation of free volume formed during cold-rolling resulted in more heat evolution per unit volume than that of as-cast glass. The structural change during cold-rolling could be ascribed to the increased fluctuation of atomic-level hydrostatic stress, < p(2)>, in the glass. (C) 2013 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.