Abstract Scope |
Bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) are promising structural materials owing to their high elastic limit and high yield strength-to-weight ratio. Despite the attractive tribological properties (e.g., high wear resistance) of BMGs, the scientific basis for this behavior is not yet established. Notably, our understanding of shear-induced changes in the structure and surface chemistry of BMGs is still elusive. Here, we combined extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopic measurements with simulations of EXAFS spectra (through molecular dynamic simulations and FEFF9 calculations) to investigate tribologically-induced variations of the short-range structure of a class of BMG, namely CuZr-based BMGs. Additionally, the evolution of the surface chemistry of these BMGs was evaluated by X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS). The results, shedding light on the occurrence of both shear-induced changes in the short-range structure and surface chemistry of BMGs, add significantly to our understanding of the tribological behavior of Zr-BMG in general. |