Effect of low-temperature annealing on the structure and mechanical properties of Zr–Cu metallic glasses

The changes in the atomic structure and mechanical properties of Zr–Cu metallic glasses caused by low-temperature annealing were studied by X-ray diffraction synchrotron radiation and nanoindentation. Results show that the nanohardness, wear resistance, and uniformity were improved by low-temperature annealing, which indicated that annealing plays a significant contribution. Diffractions patterns showed that the content of high-strength Zr–Cu pairs was increased whereas those of Zr–Zr and Cu–Cu pairs were decreased after low-temperature annealing. Thus, the process improvement was achieved by increasing the proportion of Zr–Cu pairs.