Understanding the Fracture Behaviors of Metallic Glasses—An Overview

Abstract

Fracture properties are crucial for the applications of structural materials. The fracture behaviors of crystalline alloys have been systematically investigated and well understood. The fracture behaviors of metallic glasses (MGs) are quite different from that of conventional crystalline alloys and have drawn wide interests. Although a few reviews on the fracture and mechanical properties of metallic glasses have been published, an overview on how and why metallic glasses fall out of the scope of the conventional fracture mechanics is still needed. This article attempts to clarify the up-to-date understanding of the question. We review the fracture behaviors of metallic glasses with the related scientific issues including the mode I fracture, brittle fracture, super ductile fracture, impact toughness, and fatigue fracture behaviors. The complex fracture mechanism of MGs is further discussed from the perspectives of discontinuous stress/strain field, plastic zone, and fracture resistance, which deviate from the classic fracture mechanics in polycrystalline alloys. Due to the special deformation mechanism, metallic glasses show a high variability in fracture toughness and other mechanical properties. The outlook presented by this review could help the further studies of metallic glasses. The review also identifies some key questions to be answered.