New features of the low temperature ductile shear failure observed in bulk amorphous alloys

Fractographic studies of ductile shear failure under the uniaxial compression for rod-like samples of the Zr(41.2)Ti(13.8)Ni(10)Cu(12.5)Be(22.5) and Cu(50)Zr(35)Ti(8)Hf(5)Ni(2) bulk amorphous alloys at temperatures 300 and 77 K are presented. The mechanisms of shear deformation and failure appeared to have characteristics in common with other amorphous alloys prepared in the form of thin ribbons. However, there were a number of new fractographic features observed due to the bulk character of the samples and to the large supercooled liquid region of these alloys. (C) 2000 Kluwer Academic Publishers.