Variability in Fatigue Behavior of a Zr-Based Bulk Metallic Glass (BMG) as a Result of Average Surface Roughness and Pronounced Surface Defects

Recent interest in bulk-metallic glasses (BMGs) has led to the development of amorphous alloys designed for structural applications in various fields as aircraft frames, rotating equipment, automobiles, and medical implants. Although the mechanical behavior of BMGs is being studied extensively, little attention has been paid to their fatigue behavior. Moreover, early fatigue characteristics have exhibited contradictory results. In the current research, uniaxial tension-tension fatigue experiments were performed on notched Zr52.5Cu17.9Al10Ni14.6Ti5 button-head fatigue specimens with various surface finishes. The fatigue studies were designed to better understand the influence of the average surface roughness and/or critical surface defects on the fatigue behavior of glassy alloys. It was hypothesized that geometric surface flaws would lower the observed life of a BMG sample by shortening the crack initiation phase and providing local stress concentrators. The current studies of surface conditions indicate that fatigue-endurance limits are greatly impacted by the average surface roughness with possible reductions of greater than fifty percent.