Microstructural investigations of bulk metallic glass using small-angle neutron scattering techniques

Bulk metallic glasses (BMG) are very attractive materials exhibiting high specific strength, decent corrosion resistance and other benefiting features due to their amorphous microstructure. However, the mechanisms of mechanical properties as an issue of structure-properties relation in BMGs are not understood as well as those in polycrystalline materials. For example, the driving force for fatigue in crystalline materials is connected to grain boundary slip and the formation of dislocations i.e. to those structural elements whose existence in BMGs is still debatable. In order to find a link between the mechanical properties and the microstructure in BMG, researchers investigate structural heterogeneities i.e. clusters. The size order of the clusters and intercluster boundaries are within the resolution of small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) techniques. Here we present the results of SANS and very-small-angle neutron scattering (VSANS) studies of Zr46.75Ti8.25Cu7.5Ni10Be27.5 bulk metallic glass after deformation with and without ultrasonic vibrations. VSANS measurements revealed the creation and growth of large micropores induced by ultrasonic vibration.