Plasticity enhancement of bulk amorphous alloys via equal channel angular pressing

Abstract

This study investigated the effect of excess free volume generated by the application of elastic shear stress on the mechanical properties of bulk amorphous alloys. A shear deforming device that can create excess free volume without fracturing samples was designed. With repeated elastic stress, the plasticity of shear-deformed amorphous alloys increased, while the yield strength decreased. These behaviors were analyzed from the perspective of the microsturctural changes characterized by the free volume generation, and quantified using the effective activation energy for crystallization.