The attractive mechanical properties of bulk metallic glasses (BMG) such as high strengths, large elastic strains, wear resistance, and corrosion resistance are often accompanied by inherent brittleness. Their plastic deformation is an inhomogneous process, dominated by intrinsically instable shear bands that develop rapidly into cracks and the outcome is catastrophic failure.

Properties desired for industrial applications are toughness, ductility, and work-hardening ability and should be achieved by the formation of crystalline precipitates, so-called BMG matrix composites. During deformation, the crystalline particles can effectively inhibit the rapid propagation of shear bands by changing the actual stress distribution in the glassy matrix and thus enhance the ductility of the composite at room temperature. Thereby the deformation behaviour strongly depends on the distribution, the size, and the volume fraction of the crystalline particles in the glassy matrix.

Essential approaches for the systematic study of these influencing factors are the chemical composition, the casting parameters, and subsequent rapid heating with subsequent quenching (flash annealing). 

The aim is to understand the relationship between microstructure and mechanical properties and to determine the influence of the glassy matrix, the crystalline particles and their interfaces on the deformation behavior.

With this knowledge, high-strength and damage-tolerant composite materials could be manufactured for industrial applications.