Elastic and anelastic behavior of Zr55Al10Ni5Cu30 bulk metallic glass around the glass transition temperature under ultrasonic excitation

Elastic and anelastic properties of Zr55Al10Ni5Cu30 bulk glass have been investigated at high temperatures with the electromagnetic acoustic resonance technique within the frequency range of 300-1500 kHz. The elastic constants of as-cast sample decrease monotonically up to the glass transition temperature Tg and jump up just above Tg, but such jumps disappear in the cooling and subsequent heating processes. This indicates that an irreversible structural stabilization occurs at Tg under ultrasound vibration. As for ultrasonic attenuation, prominent peaks appear at Tg in the first heating process. These attenuation peaks can be attributed to the atom movements in the initial glassy state