A real-time TEM study of the deformation mechanisms in β-Ti reinforced bulk metallic glass composites

The deformation mechanisms in a β-Ti reinforced Zr-based bulk metallic glass composite (BMGC) are studied by extracting submicron sized tensile coupons of the crystalline and amorphous phase in their monolithic and bilaminate composite forms and tensile testing them inside a TEM. Results show that the monolithic BCC crystalline phase and amorphous phase have high yield strains, owing to small length scale effects, but undergo negligible post-yield elongation before failure. However, the ductility of the bilaminate composite is significantly higher (~12.4%), provided the thickness of its amorphous portion is