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What is Amorphous Metal?

Michael Anissimov
Michael Anissimov
Michael Anissimov
Michael Anissimov

An amorphous metal is a metal with a disordered atomic structure, in contrast to most metals, which have a regular structure. These substances are also called metallic glasses, because one way of making amorphous metals resembles the procedure for making glass, but using metal instead of silica. Studies indicate that amorphous metals may be more than twice as strong as normal metal, and are ideal for military armor, weighing the same as ordinary metal. Because of the material's disordered structure, it is also more resistant to corrosion and wear.

Amorphous metals were first created at Caltech by Pol Duwez in 1957. Duwez created the amorphous metal by cooling an alloy (Au80Si20) from a liquid state in under a fraction of a second. The cooling rate had to exceed a million degrees Kelvin per second, so cooling the metal from the liquid state to a solid state had to occur in milliseconds. Cooling this quickly prevented the metal from crystallizing like a typical metal, giving it its unique amorphous structure. At the beginning, the forms of amorphous metal were limited, consisting mostly of thin ribbons, foils, and wires. These constraints were enforced by the necessity of a fast cooling rate.

Pol Duwez created amorphous metal by cooling an alloy from a liquid state in under a fraction of a second.
Pol Duwez created amorphous metal by cooling an alloy from a liquid state in under a fraction of a second.

Amorphous metal suitable for commercialization was first made in 1976 by C. Graham and H. Liebermann. They used a supercooled fast-spinning wheel to create bulk quantities of amorphous metal suitable for low-loss power distribution transformers, commercialized under the name Metglas. Amorphous metal can be quickly magnetized and demagnetized, leading to power savings when used in transformers on the electrical grid. 70–80% less power is consumed by amorphous metal transformers, reducing CO2 emissions and saving power. Today, amorphous metal transformers are used widely in India and China, where they have been used to successfully cut greenhouse gas emissions.

Amorphous metal can be used in electrical transformers.
Amorphous metal can be used in electrical transformers.

Throughout the 1980s, materials scientists experimented with different alloys, to decrease the necessary cooling rate for creating amorphous metals. They succeeded in bringing down the critical cooling rate from hundreds of Kelvins per second to just one Kelvin per second, making the manufacturing of bulk metallic glasses more feasible. In 2004, researchers succeeded in bulk amorphous steel, paving the way for wider commercialization of the material.

Michael Anissimov
Michael Anissimov

Michael is a longtime AllTheScience contributor who specializes in topics relating to paleontology, physics, biology, astronomy, chemistry, and futurism. In addition to being an avid blogger, Michael is particularly passionate about stem cell research, regenerative medicine, and life extension therapies. He has also worked for the Methuselah Foundation, the Singularity Institute for Artificial Intelligence, and the Lifeboat Foundation.

Michael Anissimov
Michael Anissimov

Michael is a longtime AllTheScience contributor who specializes in topics relating to paleontology, physics, biology, astronomy, chemistry, and futurism. In addition to being an avid blogger, Michael is particularly passionate about stem cell research, regenerative medicine, and life extension therapies. He has also worked for the Methuselah Foundation, the Singularity Institute for Artificial Intelligence, and the Lifeboat Foundation.

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    • Pol Duwez created amorphous metal by cooling an alloy from a liquid state in under a fraction of a second.
      By: Oleksiy Mark
      Pol Duwez created amorphous metal by cooling an alloy from a liquid state in under a fraction of a second.
    • Amorphous metal can be used in electrical transformers.
      By: Sarah Fields
      Amorphous metal can be used in electrical transformers.