Bulk amorphous metals have potential applications as high strength, light-weight, corrosion resistant structural materials, but only if we understand their plastic deformation properties. We will combine mechanical behavior data and atomic structural data to develop a comprehensive, atomistic model of plastic deformation in amorphous metals. Variable temperature nanoindentation will measure the activation energy and activation volume for plastic flow, and electron diffraction, spectroscopy, and fluctuation microscopy will measure the atomic structure. This project will enhance undergraduate education in engineering through the involvement of undergraduates in research and through incorporating experiments on the mechanical properties of amorphous metals into undergraduate materials science laboratory courses.
