A Framework for Ductility in Metallic Glasses

The understanding and quantification of ductility in crystalline metals, which has led to their widespread and effective usage as a structural material, is lacking in metallic glasses (MGs). Here, we introduce such a framework for ductility. This very practical framework is based on a MGs ability to support stable shear band growth, quantified in a stress gradient, gradSDB, which we measure and calculate for a range of MGs. Whether a MG behaves ductile or brittle in an application is determined by the comparison between gradsDB the applied stress field gradient, gradsapp. If gradsDB > gradsapp, the MG will behave brittle, if gradsDB < gradsapp, the MG will behave ductile, and gradsapp - gradsDB indicates how ductile. This framework can explain observed plastic properties of MGs and their apparent contradicting brittle and ductile characteristics. Looking forward, proposed framework provides the constitutive relation to quantitatively model their plastic behavior in any application, a requirement to use MGs as structural materials.