Effect of network structure on plasticity and fracture mode of Zr？Al？Ni？Cu bulk metallic glasses （BMGs） was investigated. The microstructures of transversal and longitudinal sections were exposed by chemical etching and observed by scanning electron microscopy （SEM）. The mechanical properties were examined by room-temperature uniaxial compression test. The results show that both plasticity and fracture mode are significantly affected by the network structure and the alteration occurs when the size of the network structure reaches up to a critical value. When the cell size （dc） of the network structure is ~3μm, Zr-based BMGs characterize in plasticity that decreases with increasingdc. The fracture mode gradually transforms from single 45° shear fracture to double 45° shear fracture and then cleavage fracture with increasingdc. In addition, the mechanisms of the transition of the plasticity and the fracture mode for these Zr-based BMGs are also discussed.
Cu50Zr40Ti10 bulk amorphous alloys were fabricated by hot pressing gas-atomized Cu50Zr40Ti10 amorphous powder under different consolidation conditions without vacuum and inert gas protection. The consolidation conditions of the Cu50Zr40Ti10 amorphous powder were investigated based on an L9（34） orthogonal design. The compression strength and strain limit of the Cu50Zr40Ti10 bulk amorphous alloys can reach up to 1090.4 MPa and 11.9 %, respectively. The consolidation pressure significantly influences the strain limit and compression strength of the compact. But the mechanical properties are not significantly influenced by the consolidation temperature. In addition, the preforming pressure significantly influences not the compression strength but the strain limit. The optimum consolidation condition for the Cu50Zr40Ti10 amorphous powder is first precompacted under the pressure of 150 MPa, and then consolidated under the pressure of 450 MPa and the temperature of 380 °C.
