Compressibility and hardness of Co-based bulk metallic glass: A combined experimental and density functional theory study

An incompressible Co54Ta11B35 bulk metallic glass (BMG) was investigated using in situ high-pressure synchrotron diffraction and nanoindendation. The elastic constants were deduced from the experiments based on the isotropic model. The Vickers hardness was measured to be 17.1 GPa. The elastic moduli and hardness are the highest values known in BMGs. The theoretically calculated elastic properties by density-functional study were well consistent with experimental measurements. The analysis of charge density and bonding character indicates the covalent character of Co-B and B-B bonds, underlying the unusually high elastic modulus and hardness in this material.