The structural change rate of amorphous alloys under elastostatic compression

Abstract

This study deals with the fundamental issue of whether the atomistic-scale structure of amorphous alloys can be altered by the application of elastic stress. It was found that elastostatic stress imposed on amorphous alloys for a prolonged time induces permanent structural change, whose rate largely depends on their atomic packing density characterized by the fractions of various short-range ordered (SRO) clusters. This structural change was accompanied by the formation of excess free volume, which in turn affected the mechanical properties in subsequent compression tests. These findings were analyzed using a combined technique consisting of experiments and molecular dynamics simulations in view of the atomistic-scale structural changes.