Tensile behavior of bulk metallic glasses by in situ x-ray diffraction

The authors report the use of in situ high-energy x-ray diffraction to detect the tensile behavior of two Zr- and La-based bulk metallic glasses (BMGs). Based on the diffraction data, the tensile elastic modulus and Poisson’s ratio can be accurately evaluated. No excess free volume appears in the fractured region. However, a drastic change in atomic-level strains is found in the La-based BMG along the tensile direction, while a tiny crystalline component is detected in the fracture region of Zr-based BMG, which may be the different factors leading to the catastrophic failure of them, respectively.