# Bulk metallic glasses: outrun the crystal

> A time–temperature–transformation chart as the whole figure: a metal melt becomes a glass only if its cooling curve misses the crystallization nose. Pure metals need more than 10¹² K/s; multicomponent alloys of mismatched atoms push the nose to long times, so bulk metallic glasses form below about 1 K/s. Reheated above the glass transition, they can be moulded like polymers; a side column shows the two products, a DSC trace and the numbers.

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- Updated: 2026-10-14
- Category: Graphical abstracts
- Method: Graphical abstract
- Starting materials: A multicomponent metal melt of atoms with different sizes
- Product: A bulk amorphous alloy, shaped by thermoplastic forming
- Key result: Rc > 10¹² K/s (pure metals) vs below ~1 K/s (BMGs) (Zhang et al. 2015); supercooled liquid region 136 K, 3.7 GPa at 1,000 K, 3 mm critical casting thickness (Li et al. 2019); 58 K (Saksl et al. 2025); 13 nm features (Kumar et al. 2009)
- Figure: 1920 × 1080 px, 112 editable layers (1 generated objects with settings)

## Steps

1. **Outrun the nose**: Cooled faster than the critical rate Rc, a melt bypasses crystallization and freezes as a glass; the TTT diagram gives Rc (Zhang et al. 2015; Sato et al. 2017)
2. **Pure metal vs bulk glass former**: Pure metals need Rc > 10¹² K/s; specific multicomponent alloys form bulk metallic glasses below ~1 K/s; alloys of three or more components, smallest-to-largest size ratio mostly below 0.8, glass more easily (Zhang et al. 2015)
3. **Reheat and mould**: Between the glass transition and crystallization lies the supercooled liquid region: 58 K for Mg–Zn–Ca, 136 K for Ir–Ni–Ta–(B); there the glass is shaped like a polymer in minutes (Saksl et al. 2025; Li et al. 2019; Sarac et al. 2018)
4. **What it buys**: Strength and elasticity beyond conventional alloys (3.7 GPa at 1,000 K for Ir–Ni–Ta–(B)), no grain-size limit (13 nm embossed features), at the price of brittleness (Li et al. 2019; Kumar et al. 2009; Yang et al. 2026)

## Uses

- Graphical abstracts on metallic glasses and amorphous alloys
- Talks on glass-forming ability and thermoplastic forming
- Teaching TTT diagrams and critical cooling rates

## References

1. Zhang et al., “On the origin of multi-component bulk metallic glasses: Atomic size mismatches and de-mixing”, The Journal of Chemical Physics 2015. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4927560 (primary)
2. Zhang et al., “Beyond packing of hard spheres: The effects of core softness, non-additivity, intermediate-range repulsion, and many-body interactions on the glass-forming ability of bulk metallic glasses”, The Journal of Chemical Physics 2015. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4935002 (primary)
3. Li et al., “High-temperature bulk metallic glasses developed by combinatorial methods”, Nature 2019. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-019-1145-z (primary)
4. Kumar et al., “Nanomoulding with amorphous metals”, Nature 2009. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature07718 (primary)
5. Saksl et al., “Relaxation and Devitrification of MgZnCa Metallic Glass”, Materials 2025. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18112464 (primary)
6. Sarac et al., “Elastostatic reversibility in thermally formed bulk metallic glasses: nanobeam diffraction fluctuation electron microscopy”, Nanoscale 2018. https://doi.org/10.1039/c7nr06891c (primary)
7. Sato et al., “Predictive modeling of Time-Temperature-Transformation diagram of metallic glasses based on atomistically-informed classical nucleation theory”, Scientific Reports 2017. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-06482-8 (method origin)
8. Yang et al., “Rejuvenated Amorphous Alloys: Processing Methods, Microstructures and Mechanical Properties”, Advanced Science 2026. https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.75703 (review)

Credit: Drawn by LabCanvas after Zhang et al., J. Chem. Phys. 2015 (doi:10.1063/1.4927560); Li et al., Nature 2019 (doi:10.1038/s41586-019-1145-z); Kumar et al., Nature 2009 (doi:10.1038/nature07718); Saksl et al., Materials 2025 (doi:10.3390/ma18112464) and Sarac et al., Nanoscale 2018 (doi:10.1039/c7nr06891c).

## Questions

**What does the “Bulk metallic glasses: outrun the crystal” template show?** A time–temperature–transformation chart as the whole figure: a metal melt becomes a glass only if its cooling curve misses the crystallization nose. Pure metals need more than 10¹² K/s; multicomponent alloys of mismatched atoms push the nose to long times, so bulk metallic glasses form below about 1 K/s. Reheated above the glass transition, they can be moulded like polymers; a side column shows the two products, a DSC trace and the numbers.

**What are the steps shown in “Bulk metallic glasses: outrun the crystal”?** 1. Outrun the nose: Cooled faster than the critical rate Rc, a melt bypasses crystallization and freezes as a glass; the TTT diagram gives Rc (Zhang et al. 2015; Sato et al. 2017). 2. Pure metal vs bulk glass former: Pure metals need Rc > 10¹² K/s; specific multicomponent alloys form bulk metallic glasses below ~1 K/s; alloys of three or more components, smallest-to-largest size ratio mostly below 0.8, glass more easily (Zhang et al. 2015). 3. Reheat and mould: Between the glass transition and crystallization lies the supercooled liquid region: 58 K for Mg–Zn–Ca, 136 K for Ir–Ni–Ta–(B); there the glass is shaped like a polymer in minutes (Saksl et al. 2025; Li et al. 2019; Sarac et al. 2018). 4. What it buys: Strength and elasticity beyond conventional alloys (3.7 GPa at 1,000 K for Ir–Ni–Ta–(B)), no grain-size limit (13 nm embossed features), at the price of brittleness (Li et al. 2019; Kumar et al. 2009; Yang et al. 2026).

**What are the starting materials and the product?** Starting materials: A multicomponent metal melt of atoms with different sizes. Product: A bulk amorphous alloy, shaped by thermoplastic forming.

**Which papers is “Bulk metallic glasses: outrun the crystal” based on?** Zhang et al., “On the origin of multi-component bulk metallic glasses: Atomic size mismatches and de-mixing”, The Journal of Chemical Physics 2015 (doi:10.1063/1.4927560); Zhang et al., “Beyond packing of hard spheres: The effects of core softness, non-additivity, intermediate-range repulsion, and many-body interactions on the glass-forming ability of bulk metallic glasses”, The Journal of Chemical Physics 2015 (doi:10.1063/1.4935002); Li et al., “High-temperature bulk metallic glasses developed by combinatorial methods”, Nature 2019 (doi:10.1038/s41586-019-1145-z); Kumar et al., “Nanomoulding with amorphous metals”, Nature 2009 (doi:10.1038/nature07718); Saksl et al., “Relaxation and Devitrification of MgZnCa Metallic Glass”, Materials 2025 (doi:10.3390/ma18112464); Sarac et al., “Elastostatic reversibility in thermally formed bulk metallic glasses: nanobeam diffraction fluctuation electron microscopy”, Nanoscale 2018 (doi:10.1039/c7nr06891c); Sato et al., “Predictive modeling of Time-Temperature-Transformation diagram of metallic glasses based on atomistically-informed classical nucleation theory”, Scientific Reports 2017 (doi:10.1038/s41598-017-06482-8); Yang et al., “Rejuvenated Amorphous Alloys: Processing Methods, Microstructures and Mechanical Properties”, Advanced Science 2026 (doi:10.1002/advs.75703).

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