Thermophysical Properties of Bulk Metallic Glasses

Metallic glass formers are alloys that can be solidified without the formation of crystalline structures. When their liquid phase is cooled sufficiently fast, crystallization is avoided, and a metallic glass is formed at the glass transition temperature. Bulk metallic glasses are amorphous solids with bulky size formed at low cooling rates of typically 1–10 K/sec and represent a material class of interest for a wide variety of applications. These range from the application in highly efficient electric transformers, over applications in the health, sports, and automotive sector to applications in aerospace and robotics, where the high strength-to-weight ratio, corrosion and wear resistance, and high elastic limit are of central importance. The production of bulk metallic glass parts from the liquid phase relies critically on the control over the cooling conditions. Their simulation requires the exact knowledge of thermophysical properties of the liquid, as well as the formed solid phase. Hence, the thermophysical properties of bulk metallic glass formers are of prime interest for the development of production routes, as well as for gaining a better understanding of glass formation.