Viscoplastic Forming of Mg Bulk Metallic Glasses in the Supercooled Liquid Region

The Mg-Cu-rare earth (RE) alloys are produced under the form of amorphous cylindrical rods and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Their capacity to be deformed in the supercooled liquid regions (SLRs) is studied. In the SLRs, crystallization can occur and strongly affect the viscoplastic forming conditions. Consequently, the thermal stabilities of the glasses are studied, in particular in the case of a Mg-Cu-Gd glass for which the kinetics of crystallization are quantified and the associated populations of crystallites identified. By appropriate heat treatments, various fractions of crystallites are thus produced and the effects of crystallization on the viscoplastic properties in the SLR are discussed in relation to mechanical models developed for materials containing rigid inclusions dispersed in a viscous medium. Finally, the possible effect of deformation on crystallization kinetics is also considered. This article is based on a presentation given in the symposium entitled “Bulk Metallic Glasses IV,” which occurred February 25–March 1, 2007 during the TMS Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida under the auspices of the TMS/ASM Mechanical Behavior of Materials Committee.