Dynamic behavior of nanocrystalline materials and bulk metallic glasses

Nanocrystalline and bulk glassy metallic materials have attracted extensive attentions due to some of their excellent mechanical properties (like high strength, hardness, good wear resistance, etc.), though most of them lack sufficient plasticity. A great deal of research has been done to reveal the uniqueness of microstructure characteristics and their corresponding effects on mechanical behaviors and deformation mechanisms over the past decades. Therein many investigations have indicated very significant loading conditions dependence of mechanical behaviors, particularly the loading rate effect on microstructure evolutions and their deformation or failure behaviors. In this chapter, based on the published results, we briefly reviewed the influences of loading rate on the mechanical properties, plasticity mechanisms, and failure modes for these two special metallic materials, focusing on the dynamic behaviors. This may help establish a clear understanding of their mechanical behaviors and micro-mechanisms, promoting further development of advanced metallic materials.