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Nature Research, Nature Communications, 1(15), 2024

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45472-z

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Amorphous alloys surpass E/10 strength limit at extreme strain rates

Journal article published in 2024 by Wenqing Zhu ORCID, Zhi Li ORCID, Hua Shu, Huajian Gao ORCID, Xiaoding Wei ORCID
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.

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Abstract

AbstractTheoretical predictions of the ideal strength of materials range from E/30 to E/10 (E is Young’s modulus). However, despite intense interest over the last decade, the value of the ideal strength achievable through experiments for metals remains a mystery. This study showcases the remarkable spall strength of Cu50Zr50 amorphous alloy that exceeds the E/10 limit at strain rates greater than 107 s−1 through laser-induced shock experiments. The material exhibits a spall strength of 11.5 GPa, approximately E/6 or 1/13 of its P-wave modulus, which sets a record for the elastic limit of metals. Electron microscopy and large-scale molecular dynamics simulations reveal that the primary failure mechanism at extreme strain rates is void nucleation and growth, rather than shear-banding. The rate dependence of material strength is explained by a void kinetic model controlled by surface energy. These findings help advance our understanding on the mechanical behavior of amorphous alloys under extreme strain rates.