Bending deformation behavior of Zr65Cu17.5Ni10Al7.5 bulk metallic glass with different solidification cooling rate

In order to further clarify the relationship between the free volume and bending plasticity, the bending properties of Zr65Cu17.5Ni10Al7.5 bulk metallic glass (BMG) samples with different thicknesses corresponding to different solidification cooling rates were investigated. The results show that the bending plasticity of Zr65Cu17.5Ni10Al7.5 BMG decreases with the decrease of cooling rate, which is consistent with the evolution of shear bands density revealed by the investigation of microstructure. These phenomena are mainly attributed to the decrease of free volume content with the decrease of cooling rates in spite of the increase of nanocrystallization fraction, which further confirm that free volume plays a crucial role in the deformation process of the BMGs.