Amorphous metals: Redefining the limits of metallic materials

Stéphanie
Oct 9
3 min read

In the constant pursuit of higher performance materials, amorphous metals, also known as metallic glasses, stand out as a quiet revolution. Combining the strength of metals with the structural disorder of glass, these alloys challenge conventional metallurgy and open new opportunities across electronics, healthcare, energy, and advanced manufacturing.

What are amorphous metals?

In most metals, atoms are arranged in a regular crystalline lattice. In contrast, amorphous metals have a disordered atomic structure, similar to that of glass. This unique organization is achieved through extremely rapid cooling of the molten alloy, which prevents crystallization.

Originally discovered in the 1960s, metallic glasses could initially only be produced as thin ribbons. Recent progress in powder metallurgy and additive manufacturing (laser powder bed fusion, LPBF) now allows the production of bulk metallic glasses (BMGs), that is, massive parts with amorphous structures and complex geometries.

Representation of atomic structure: a grid of metallic spheres with one distinct red sphere symbolizing amorphous metals and the disruption of crystalline order.

Key advantages

Outstanding mechanical strength: Amorphous metals exhibit strength and hardness far beyond those of steel or titanium while remaining lightweight. Their lack of grain boundaries and defects prevents crack propagation.
High elasticity: They can elastically deform up to 2%, compared with about 0.2% for conventional metals, which makes them ideal for applications requiring energy absorption or precise spring action.
Excellent corrosion and wear resistance: Their homogeneous composition offers remarkable stability in harsh environments.
Unique magnetic and electrical properties: Certain compositions, especially those based on iron or cobalt, exhibit low magnetic losses, useful for transformers, sensors, and electric motors.
Precision processing capability: In their supercooled liquid state, amorphous metals can be molded with micrometer accuracy, combining metallic performance with the formability of polymers.

Promising applications

Amorphous metals are attracting attention in multiple industrial sectors.

Consumer electronics: casings, connectors, and mechanical components requiring strength and high finish quality. Apple has filed several patents involving amorphous alloys such as Liquidmetal®.
Medical devices: biocompatible implants, scalpels, and surgical tools resistant to corrosion and sterilization.
Aerospace and automotive: lightweight high-performance gears, springs, and structural components.
Energy and power electronics: magnetic cores and soft magnetic components for efficient transformers.
Luxury and watchmaking: ultra-precise parts combining durability, elasticity, and aesthetics.

Satellite orbiting Earth with solar panels deployed, symbolizing aerospace applications of advanced materials and amorphous metals

Industrial and research landscape

Several industrial players and research institutions are shaping the field of amorphous metals.

Heraeus Amloy (Germany): industrial production of zirconium- and titanium-based amorphous alloys compatible with additive manufacturing.
Liquidmetal Technologies (United States): pioneer and licensor of bulk metallic glasses technologies.
Vulkam (France): a Grenoble-based company developing a proprietary process enabling the shaping of amorphous metals at industrial scale for micro-mechanical and medical applications.
Eontec (China): producer of amorphous alloy components for electronics and industrial applications.

Technological challenges

Although amorphous metals hold remarkable promise, several scientific and technical challenges still limit their widespread adoption. Producing and maintaining their amorphous structure requires extremely precise control of processing conditions, as even slight variations in cooling rate or temperature can lead to unwanted crystallization.

In additive manufacturing, this difficulty is amplified. Each new layer melts and re-solidifies the previous one, creating thermal cycles that may locally trigger partial crystallization, a phenomenon known as devitrification. Maintaining a fully amorphous structure throughout an entire component therefore remains a delicate balancing act between process stability and thermal management.

Another important limitation concerns mechanical ductility. While these materials are exceptionally strong, they can fracture abruptly under tension, without significant plastic deformation. This behavior poses constraints for structural applications that require both strength and toughness.

On the materials supply side, the production of powders suitable for additive manufacturing brings its own challenges. Ensuring consistent particle quality, limiting oxidation, and reusing powders without degradation are critical aspects for industrial scalability.

Finally, cost and availability remain barriers to broader adoption. The large-scale production of high-purity amorphous alloy powders is still expensive, which restricts their use to high-value applications such as aerospace, medical technology, and precision engineering.

European research and funding

Innovative advanced materials are a key focus for Europe. The European Union supports their development through Horizon Europe, with dedicated funding lines for materials that enable greener manufacturing, higher energy efficiency, and technological sovereignty. These initiatives aim to strengthen Europe’s leadership in sustainable and high-performance materials, supporting sectors such as clean energy, mobility, and healthcare. In this context, the Innovative Advanced Materials Initiative (IAM-I) plays a central role by coordinating research efforts and aligning industry and academia around next-generation materials, including smart, functional, and sustainable alloys. Within this framework, projects like AM2SoftMag focus on the additive manufacturing of amorphous metals for soft magnetic applications, illustrating the growing European interest in metallic glasses and their potential to improve the performance and efficiency of electrical systems.

Conclusion

Amorphous metals represent a new frontier for materials science. They are ultra-strong, precise, and multifunctional. As additive manufacturing and alloy design progress, their industrial adoption is becoming increasingly realistic.

At NETO Innovation, we help research teams, SMEs, and industrial leaders design and finance their R&D strategies in materials science, advanced manufacturing, and Horizon Europe projects. Our expertise bridges science and strategy to turn innovative concepts into successful proposals.