Here's a quote from the August issue of Physics Today that may be of interest.
Amorphous steel for structural applications has been fabricated at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Some amorphous iron-based alloys were made previously, but their cross sections were limited to about 4 mm. Adding a small amount of yttrium, which frustrates the onset of crystallization as the liquid metal solidifies, allows the new alloys to be cast, using commercial techniques, in 12-mm-diameter rods. The new glassy steel is more than twice as hard as the best ultra-high-strength conventional steel, and yet is less dense.
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Amorphous steel for structural applications has been fabricated at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Some amorphous iron-based alloys were made previously, but their cross sections were limited to about 4 mm. Adding a small amount of yttrium, which frustrates the onset of crystallization as the liquid metal solidifies, allows the new alloys to be cast, using commercial techniques, in 12-mm-diameter rods. The new glassy steel is more than twice as hard as the best ultra-high-strength conventional steel, and yet is less dense.
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