Advances in transmission electron microscopy: in situ straining and in situ compression experiments on metallic glasses.
In the field of transmission electron microscopy (TEM), fundamental and practical reasons still remain that hamper a straightforward correlation between microscopic structural information and deformation mechanisms in materials. In this article, it is argued that one should focus in particular on in situ rather than on postmortem observations of the microstructure. This viewpoint has been exemplified with in situ straining and in situ compression studies on metallic glasses. In situ TEM straining of amorphous metals permits an evaluation of the thickness of the liquid-like layer (LLL) formed because of heat evolution after shear band development. The experimental evaluation confirms that the thickness of a LLL present at the last moment of fracture substantially exceeds the generally accepted thickness of a shear band. In situ TEM and in situ SEM compression experiments on metallic glass pillars lead to the conclusion that smaller sized pillars deform more homogeneously than larger sized pillars.
De Hosson
Jeff Th M
JT
Department of Applied Physics, Netherlands Institute for Metals Research and Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands. j.t.m.de.hosson@rug.nl
D005898:Glass / Q000737:chemistry*; D008670:Metals / Q000737:chemistry*; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013499:Surface Properties
D008670:Metals