Evidence for viscous flow nature in Zr60Al15Ni25 metallic glass subjected to cold rolling

The microstructure changes of Zr60Al15Ni25 metallic glass upon cold rolling and their influences on the thermally induced crystallization kinetics are investigated. The results show that atomic redistribution occurs within the localized zones in the glassy matrix, resulting from the softening of the shear modulus, which retards the crystallization behaviors during the subsequent heating. The present work provides direct evidence for the viscous flow nature in a metallic glass subjected to plastic deformation, during which the softened zones act as potential shear transformation zones. (C) 2013 AIP Publishing LLC.