Deformation behavior and dilatometric measurements of Nd–Fe based bulk metallic glass

Mechanical deformation and thermal expansion behavior of Nd60Fe20Co10Al10 bulk metallic glass (BMG) were studied. A stress overshoot followed by a viscous flow approaching a steady state can be seen in the stress–strain curves within a wide temperature range. Moreover, the flow behavior of the BMG is strongly dependent on the strain rate. The dilatometric measurements of the alloys during continuous heating suggest that the glass transition begins above 470 K, which is accompanied by several weak crystallization processes. The rather unique thermal stability of the Nd–Fe based BMGs is responsible for the difference in homogeneous deformation behavior between the present BMG and other BMGs.