Synthesis and Mechanical Properties of Bulk Metallic Nanoglasses: A Brief Review

Metallic nanoglass is a newly developed metallic glass material exhibiting nanometer-sized glassy clusters interspersed with glass/glass interfaces.The glass/glass interfaces with greater free volume offer more shear transformation sites during plastic deformation while the relative denser nanometer-sized glassy clusters could effectively hinder shear band sliding, resulting in considerably improved mechanical properties in metallic glasses.This article reviews three synthesis methods for bulk metallic nanoglasses.The first method is inert gas condensation.The second method -with the appropriate morphology and distribution of the glass material -allows bulk metallic nanoglasses to be obtained using chemical methods initiated through phase separation.The third method includes the introduction of large numbers of shear bands with different orientations by using severe plastic deformation.The article concludes with a discussion of the mechanical properties of the different bulk metallic nanoglasses prepared using the various methods described.