Structure of metallic glasses

Metallic glasses or amorphous alloys have been produced by rapid quenching of alloys from the liquid or vapour phase. This paper is a review of the studies on the structure of metallic glasses. The theory of diffraction by amorphous materials is dealt with at length followed by a description of the procedure of obtaining and analysing the RDF of amorphous alloys. Various models have been put forward to explain the structure of the metallic glasses, and these are fully discussed. A dense random packing model or modifications thereof can best explain the structure and range of stability of amorphous alloys. © 1974 Chapman and Hall Ltd.