Self-thermal cycling rejuvenation of Zr-based bulk metallic glasses by the treatment of loading direct current

The potential applications of bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) are constrained by their brittleness at room temperature. In this study, a method of pre-loading direct current was proposed to increase the plasticity of Zr-based BMGs. It was proved that the treatment of loading direct current improved the energy and rejuvenated the structure of Zr₆₀Ni₂₅Al₁₅ BMG. The series parallel resistance model and finite element simulation of the two-dimensional region module show that the current will choose a preferred path through the Zr₆₀Ni₂₅Al₁₅ BMG and generation of Joule's heat along this path. The temperature difference between the preferred path of the current and the environment promoted self-thermal cycling of BMGs, resulting in the rejuvenation of the structure of Zr₆₀Ni₂₅Al₁₅ BMG.