Pronounced energy absorption capacity of cellular bulk metallic glasses

Cellular bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) with macroscopic cellular structures were designed and fabricated. The cellular BMGs exhibited remarkable energy absorption capacity as compared with reported BMG foams and honeycombs. The enhanced energy absorption capability is attributed to the large plastic bending of the struts, the blunting of the cracks, and the large plastic deformation at the nodes. This work shows that, in cellular BMGs, the macroscopic cellular structures are more efficient in dissipating mechanical energy than microscopic cellular structures, opening a window for developing energy absorption devices using BMGs.