Abstract
N+ ion irradiation is utilized to tune the structure and mechanical properties of a Cu48Zr47.2Al4Nb0.8 bulk metallic glass composite (BMGC). Ion irradiation increases the disorder near the surface, as probed by neutron diffraction, and, moreover, causes the phase transformation from B2 CuZr to B19’ CuZr martensitic phase in the studied BMGC. The tensile plasticity of the BMGC is dramatically improved after ion irradiation, which results from multiple shear banding on the surface and the martensitic transformation of the B2 to B19’ CuZr martensitic phase. The experimental results are strongly corroborated by complementary molecular dynamic simulations.
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