Amorphous and nanocrystalline materials are a class of their own. Their properties are quite different to those of the corresponding crystalline materials. This book gives systematic insight into their physical properties, structure, behaviour, and design for special advanced applications.

Amorphous-nanocrystalline alloys are a new class of materials born at the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries as a result of the rapid development of new technologies and, in particular, nanotechnology They arose at the intersection of intensive research and development of promising amorphous and nanocrystalline materials. In terms of the level of physical and mechanical properties, two-phase amorphous-nanocrystalline materials in some cases exceed the properties of both nanocrystalline and amorphous materials, thereby creating a noticeable synergistic effect. In this book, the methods of obtaining amorphous-crystalline materials (quenching from a melt, controlled crystallization, deformation effect, pulsed [photon, laser and ultrasonic] treatment thin film deposition, and ion implantation) are considered successively. Detailed information is then given on the structural features of the transition from the amorphous phase state to the nanocrystalline state under thermal and deformation effects. Theoretical and experimental studies are analyzed in which the mechanisms of plastic deformation and the features of the emerging physico-mechanical properties are described. The authors then go on to describe areas of practical application of amorphous-nanocrystalline alloys. This book is a comprehensive resource for specialists in materials, science and nanotechnology, specifically researchers studying crystalline and amorphous materials as it highlights the various properties that are important for practical use. Book jacket.

This book concentrates on both understanding and development of nanocrystalline materials. The original relation that connects grain size and strength, known as the Hall-Petch relation, is studied in the nanometer grain size region. The breakdown of such a relation is a challenge. Why and how to overcome it? Is the dislocation mechanism still operating when the grain size is very small, approaching the amorphous limit? How do we go from the microstructure information to the continuum description of the mechanical properties?

A detailed presentation of the physics of the various hysteresis models that are currently used to explain the magnetization reversal process, including coherent and incoherent magnetization processes, micromagnetism and its application in thin films, multilayers, nanowires, particles and bulk magnets, domain wall pinning and domain wall dynamics, and Preisach modelling. Some of the faulty concepts and interpretations that still exist in the literature are rectified. Magnetic imaging techniques are reviewed, including TEM, SEM, magnetic force microscopy, and optical microscopy. Temperature, field and angular dependence of coercivity, magnetic interactions and magnetic phenomena are reviewed and their effect on magnetic hysteresis is discussed. The magnetic properties of novel materials are discussed, including nanoparticles, nanocrystalline granular solids, particulate media, thin films, and bulk magnets. Finally, present and future applications of novel materials are presented, including magnetic and magneto-optic recording media, magneto-electronics, sensors, magnetic circuit design, and novel structures created from rigid, high-energy permanent magnets.

Nanocrystalline materials exhibit remarkable structural, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties, which can be exploited in a wide variety of structural and nonstructural applications. Potential uses have been identified in the automotive, electronic, aerospace, clothing, chemical, fuel, and lubrication industries, with applications ranging from flat panel displays to medical implants. Bringing together contributions from leading researchers in academia and industry throughout Europe and Japan, Novel Nanocrystalline Alloys and Magnetic Nanomaterials presents a valuable overview of this fast moving field. Divided into three sections, the book first describes the fabrication and structural characterization of nanocrystalline and amorphous alloys, such as aluminium, nickel, copper, titanium, and zirconium. The second part examines novel nanocrystalline materials that include nano-optoelectronics, steels manufactured by heavy plastic deformation, and metal-ceramic and ceramic-ceramic nanocomposites. The final section reviews the current understanding of magnetic nanomaterials, including nanograined materials, Ni and Fe nanocrystals, soft magnetic Fe-M-B nanocrystalline alloys, and soft and hard ferromagnetic nanocrystalline alloys. It also explores the industrial applications of these nanomaterials, focusing on their use in the energy and telecommunications fields. Combining key coverage of topical developments with well-informed indications of potential trends, this book lays the groundwork for future advances in nanocrystalline alloys and magnetic nanomaterials.

Reflecting the fast pace of research in the field, the Second Edition of Bulk Metallic Glasses has been thoroughly updated and remains essential reading on the subject. It incorporates major advances in glass forming ability, corrosion behavior, and mechanical properties. Several of the newly proposed criteria to predict the glass-forming ability of alloys have been discussed. All other areas covered in this book have been updated, with special emphasis on topics where significant advances have occurred. These include processing of hierarchical surface structures and synthesis of nanophase composites using the chemical behavior of bulk metallic glasses and the development of novel bulk metallic glasses with high-strength and high-ductility and superelastic behavior. New topics such as high-entropy bulk metallic glasses, nanoporous alloys, novel nanocrystalline alloys, and soft magnetic glassy alloys with high saturation magnetization have also been discussed. Novel applications, such as metallic glassy screw bolts, surface coatings, hyperthermia glasses, ultra-thin mirrors and pressure sensors, mobile phone casing, and degradable biomedical materials, are described. Authored by the world’s foremost experts on bulk metallic glasses, this new edition endures as an indispensable reference and continues to be a one-stop resource on all aspects of bulk metallic glasses.

Index of amorphous alloys