Strength-plasticity synergy enabled by symmetric notches in nanoglass

Nanoglasses (NGs) have received much attention due to their superior ductility and well-retained strength compared to their metallic glass counterparts. However, the effect of notch configuration on the mechanical behavior of NGs remains unexplored. In this paper, molecular dynamics simulations are performed on un-notched and notched Mg 33 Cu 67 NGs to investigate how the notch configuration affects both the strength and plastic deformation capacity. The notched configurations include single-edge, symmetric double-edge, and asymmetric double-edge notches. Our results show that symmetric double-edge notches simultaneously enhance both strength and plasticity of Mg 33 Cu 67 NGs. This strengthening effect stems from the constrained growth of the plastic zone, which requires a higher stress for its continued propagation. The improved plasticity is attributed to a transition in the failure mode from localized shear banding to necking. In contrast, single-edge and asymmetric double-edge notches lead to notch-insensitive behavior and negligible effects on plasticity. These findings provide important insights into the deformation and failure mode of the notched NGs and offer useful guidelines for designing NGs with strength-plasticity synergy.