Viscoelastic and viscoplastic properties of bulk metallic glasses - Comparison with oxide glasses and amorphous polymers

Mechanical behavior of non-crystalline solids is strongly dependent upon temperature: at low temperature they behave like elastic solids whereas at high temperature their behavior is that of a viscous liquid. In an intermediate temperature range, near the glass transition, viscoelastic behavior is preponderant, characterized by strong relaxation effects. In this paper, the viscoelastic behavior of bulk metallic glasses is compared to the one of oxide glasses and amorphous polymers. Both linear and non-linear aspects are considered. A special attention is paid to similarities and differences. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.