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Related Concept Videos

Metallic Solids02:37

Metallic Solids

Metallic solids such as crystals of copper, aluminum, and iron are formed by metal atoms. The structure of metallic crystals is often described as a uniform distribution of atomic nuclei within a “sea” of delocalized electrons. The atoms within such a metallic solid are held together by a unique force known as metallic bonding that gives rise to many useful and varied bulk properties.
All metallic solids exhibit high thermal and electrical conductivity, metallic luster, and malleability. Many...
Structures of Solids02:22

Structures of Solids

Solids in which the atoms, ions, or molecules are arranged in a definite repeating pattern are known as crystalline solids. Metals and ionic compounds typically form ordered, crystalline solids. A crystalline solid has a precise melting temperature because each atom or molecule of the same type is held in place with the same forces or energy. Amorphous solids or non-crystalline solids (or, sometimes, glasses) which lack an ordered internal structure and are randomly arranged. Substances that...
Lattice Centering and Coordination Number02:33

Lattice Centering and Coordination Number

The structure of a crystalline solid, whether a metal or not, is best described by considering its simplest repeating unit, which is referred to as its unit cell. The unit cell consists of lattice points that represent the locations of atoms or ions. The entire structure then consists of this unit cell repeating in three dimensions. The three different types of unit cells present in the cubic lattice are illustrated in Figure 1.
Types of Unit Cells
Imagine taking a large number of identical...
Ionic Crystal Structures02:42

Ionic Crystal Structures

Ionic crystals consist of two or more different kinds of ions that usually have different sizes. The packing of these ions into a crystal structure is more complex than the packing of metal atoms that are the same size.
Most monatomic ions behave as charged spheres, and their attraction for ions of opposite charge is the same in every direction. Consequently, stable structures for ionic compounds result (1) when ions of one charge are surrounded by as many ions as possible of the opposite...
Bonding in Metals02:32

Bonding in Metals

Metallic bonds are formed between two metal atoms. A simplified model to describe metallic bonding has been developed by Paul Drüde called the “Electron Sea Model”.
Network Covalent Solids02:18

Network Covalent Solids

Network covalent solids contain a three-dimensional network of covalently bonded atoms as found in the crystal structures of nonmetals like diamond, graphite, silicon, and some covalent compounds, such as silicon dioxide (sand) and silicon carbide (carborundum, the abrasive on sandpaper). Many minerals have networks of covalent bonds.
To break or to melt a covalent network solid, covalent bonds must be broken. Because covalent bonds are relatively strong, covalent network solids are typically...

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Updated: Jun 21, 2026

Methods of Ex Situ and In Situ Investigations of Structural Transformations: The Case of Crystallization of Metallic Glasses
08:55

Methods of Ex Situ and In Situ Investigations of Structural Transformations: The Case of Crystallization of Metallic Glasses

Published on: June 7, 2018

Atomic level structure in multicomponent bulk metallic glass.

Y Q Cheng1, E Ma, H W Sheng

  • 1Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, USA.

Physical Review Letters
|August 8, 2009
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Adding aluminum to copper-zirconium metallic glass significantly enhances atomic structure stability. This creates more icosahedral clusters and improves their connectivity, leading to stronger bulk metallic glass materials.

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Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Condensed Matter Physics
  • Computational Materials Science

Background:

  • Bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) are advanced materials with unique properties.
  • Understanding the atomic-level structure of BMGs is crucial for designing new alloys.
  • Ternary Cu-Zr-Al alloys are promising candidates for various applications.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To resolve the atomic-level structure of a representative ternary Cu-Zr-Al bulk metallic glass (BMG).
  • To identify the fundamental local structural motifs.
  • To elucidate the role of aluminum in stabilizing the BMG structure.

Main Methods:

  • High-resolution structural analysis of the ternary Cu-Zr-Al BMG.
  • Identification and quantification of atomic clusters.
  • Analysis of structural connectivity and electronic interactions.

Main Results:

  • Identified Cu- and Al-centered icosahedral clusters as the primary local structural units.
  • Observed a significant increase in the population and spatial connectivity of full icosahedra upon addition of Al.
  • Determined that Al's stabilizing effect stems from both topological and electronic factors, including bond shortening.

Conclusions:

  • Aluminum plays a critical role in enhancing the structural integrity of Cu-Zr-Al BMGs.
  • The increased population and connectivity of icosahedral clusters contribute to improved material stability.
  • Electronic interactions and bond shortening are key mechanisms behind aluminum's beneficial effects.