Another smart class of materials is growing in applications: amorphous metals, also called metallic glasses. Brand names like Liquid Metal® and others are getting known in the community.
Applications e.g. in:
- medicine
- consumer electronics
- material finishing
- jewelry
- sports and leisure
- aerospace
- military
Conventional metals typically contract suddenly when solidifying. Since solidification as a glass is not a phase transition in the physical sense, this volume jump does not take place here. If the melt of a metallic glass fills a shape, it will keep this shape when it solidifies. It's a behavior known for example from polymers where it offers a great advantage in processing (e.g. injection molding). The greatest hopes for the future importance of amorphous metals are placed in this property.
