Amorphous alloys are “frozen” metallic liquids which, unlike conventional crystalline metals, contain randomly organized atoms with no grain boundaries. The favorable properties exhibited by amorphous alloys, such as high strength and good corrosion resistance, have been known for some time. However, the use of amorphous alloys for engineering applications has until recently been somewhat restricted due to the requirement of rapid cooling from the melt, which limited the size of cast parts to very thin shapes. In the last few decades there have been exciting developments in this area of research, leading to the discovery of bulk glass-forming alloy systems, some of which are now marketed for commercial use by Liquidmetal Technologies under the trade name Liquidmetal Alloy.

Liquidmetal Alloys offer good corrosion resistance, exceptional hardness, up to 2% elasticity, and extremely high yield strengths in the as-cast condition. Furthermore, the unique characteristics of Liquidmetal Alloys allow for near net shape component fabrication with reduced post-cast finishing, obviating the need for expensive machining processes. Because of their good biocompatibility and non-magnetic properties, these high strength alloys are a promising material for bioimplants, and their glassy nature also offers the unique possibility to generate surface textures at the micro and nanoscale. Finally, these materials can be joined to other conventional alloys, ceramics, and even polymers via various means, providing a versatile material solution for the next generation of biomedical devices and implants.