Bulk Metallic Glasses: The Quintessential Engineering Materials

Materials scientists have long known how to make disordered solids, or glasses, from polymers, organics, and other chemical compounds, but only recently have they learned to do so with metals. Known as bulk metallic glasses (BMGs), the new materials are prized for their strength and ease of processing and are finding diverse applications – from nanoscale catalytic fibers to jewelry casings.

In this month's issue of Physics Today, mechanical engineering and materials science professor Jan Schroers describes the fundamentals of BMGs, his experience with their unique fabrication, and the exciting potential applications of the material.

Click here to read the article.