An
amorphous metal (also known
metallic glass or
glassy metal) is a solid
metallic material, usually an
alloy, with a disordered atomic-scale structure. Most metals are
crystalline in their solid state, which means they have a highly ordered arrangement of
atoms. Amorphous metals are non-crystalline, and have a
glass-like structure. But unlike common glasses, such as window glass, which are typically electrical
insulators, amorphous metals have good
electrical conductivity. There are several ways in which amorphous metals can be produced, including
extremely rapid cooling,
physical vapor deposition,
solid-state reaction,
ion irradiation, and
mechanical alloying.