Tuning the mechanical properties of cellular metallic glasses

The mechanical properties of cellular metallic glasses (MGs) are governed by the shape of their cellular structures. We employ finite element method analysis to characterize the mechanical behavior under quasi-static compression of cellular MGs with the same porosity but different shape, including stochastic (disordered) structures with uniform or gradient porosity and periodic (ordered) microlattice structures such as honeycomb, chiral, and body-centered cubic structures. The results show that stochastic structures with graded porosities degrade the yield strength and Young's modulus compared to uniform cellular MGs. MGs with microlattice structures display much lower Young's modulus and yield strength than stochastic cellular MGs with uniform porosity. However, the chiral structure presents the largest Young's modulus of all cellular MG models investigated. Furthermore, MGs with stochastic cellular structures exhibit much higher energy absorption capacity than those with microlattice structures. It is found that the deformation behaviors of cellular MGs can be tuned by adjusting their cellular structures. The obtained structure-mechanical properties relationship can provide useful guidance for designing cellular MG-based composites for advanced multifunctional applications.