We find that the failure of bulk metallic glassy (BMG) materials follows three modes, i.e., shear fracture with a fracture plane significantly deviating from 45° to the loading direction, normal tensile fracture with a fracture plane perpendicular to the loading direction, or distensile fracture in a break or splitting mode with a fracture plane parallel to the loading direction. The actually occurring type of failure strongly depends on the applied loading mode and the microstructure of the material. Extensive evidence indicates that the Tresca fracture criterion is invalid, and for the first time, three fracture criteria are developed for isotropic materials with high strength, such as advanced BMGs or the newly developed bulk nanostructural materials.

• Received 7 March 2003

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.91.045505