Support for the 11th International Conference on Bulk Metallic Glasses

Washington University, Saint Louis MO

Investigators

Abstract

Nontechnical Abstract Metallic glasses were discovered over one-half of a century ago. It was immediately clear that these are fascinating novel materials. They have led to new insights into the reasons for glass formation and the processes by which a liquid turns into a glass upon cooling. Additionally, sustained research has shown that they have superior properties that make them of potential technological interest. These include strengths greater than those of steels, high hardness and good corrosion resistance. However, the first glasses required that the liquid be cooled at rates approaching one million degrees per second, limiting their practical applications. About 20 years ago new families of metallic glasses (?Bulk Metallic Glasses,? or BMGs) were discovered, which could be formed and processed in ways similar to those used for more common glasses. This caused an intense resurgence of research that now appears to be moving metallic glasses from the laboratory into the market place. To sustain this fast paced fundamental and technological research, frequent conferences and workshops are needed for scientists and engineers to present new results and exchange ideas. Because of the intense activity of this field in Asia, almost all of the meetings of the BMG conference series, the central conference for bulk metallic glasses, have taken place there. The only one held outside of Asia was BMG IV, held in 2005 in the United States. Travel expenses and limited research funds has limited the participation of US scientists, post-docs and students in these conferences. The support provided for BMG XI, which is to be held from June 5 ? 9, 2016 on the campus of Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, will enable broader participation of US students and young researchers.   Technical Abstract Metallic glasses, first discovered in 1960, remained primarily a laboratory curiosity for most of the time between 1960 and 1990. The extremely high cooling rates required for the liquid to form a glass (105 oC to 106 oC) limited their usefulness. In spite of this, a few applications did emerge during this time. Their combination of high electrical resistivity, low susceptibility and low magnetic coercivity, for example, led to their use as core materials for high-quality electrical transformers. In the 1990s, new families of metallic glasses (?Bulk Metallic Glasses,? or BMGs) were discovered that formed at much lower cooling rates and could be processed under conditions similar to those used for silicate glasses. This led to an intense research activity, now resulting in the emergence of metallic glasses as potentially very important new technological materials. Because the research activity is particularly intense in Asia, almost all of the meetings in the BMG conference series (the central conference for bulk metallic glasses) have taken place there. The last BMG meeting outside of Asia was held in the US in 2005 (BMG IV). The increasingly limited research funding and significant travel expenses have resulted in small US participation in these conferences, particularly among young US researchers and students. To maintain a vibrant research activity, it is critical that researchers meet frequently to exchange ideas and present new results. The lack of significant US participation in this series, particularly among our future scientific leadership, hampers US advancements in this important field. To address this, BMG XI will be held from June 5 ? 9, 2016 on the campus of Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. Many outstanding issues of basic and practical importance will be discussed, including glass design, stability and relaxation, structure, dynamics, properties, and applications. For the first time, panels will discuss establishing testing standards and explore new manufacturing possibilities that take full advantage of the unique properties of metallic glasses. Two keynote, 10 plenary, 22 invited and 58 contributed oral presentations are scheduled, along with 28 poster presentations. To encourage greater participation among US graduate student and young faculty, funds will be used to provide travel and/or registration assistance. By hosting BMG XI in the US, we are increasing the US participation, which will allow US researchers to be exposed to cutting edge ideas and results, and provide new opportunities for interaction and collaborations.