Self-thermal cycling rejuvenation of Zr-based bulk metallic glasses by the treatment of loading direct current

Abstract

The potential applications of bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) are constrained by their brittleness at room temperature. In this study, a method of pre-loading direct current was proposed to increase the plasticity of Zr-based BMGs. It was proved that the treatment of loading direct current improved the energy and rejuvenated the structure of Zr₆₀Ni₂₅Al₁₅ BMG. The series parallel resistance model and finite element simulation of the two-dimensional region module show that the current will choose a preferred path through the Zr₆₀Ni₂₅Al₁₅ BMG and generation of Joule's heat along this path. The temperature difference between the preferred path of the current and the environment promoted self-thermal cycling of BMGs, resulting in the rejuvenation of the structure of Zr₆₀Ni₂₅Al₁₅ BMG.