Abstract
Since the first synthesis of glassy alloys in 1960, a great large number of studies have been carried out in basic science and technological aspects. At present, glassy alloys and composites have been used as functional and structural materials. The production method for their practical materials was limited to a quenching type technique for many years before around 1990, but the finding of bulk glassy alloys caused a drastic change in production method of glassy alloys to a copper mold casting type technique which has enabled the production of glassy alloys in a three dimensional bulk form. Furthermore, glass alloy composites produced by semi-solid progressive solidification have been successfully developed recently, even using impure charge materials. The drastic changes in the production method and material form have also resulted in significant extension of application fields of glassy alloys. This paper aims to review the production methods and properties of glassy alloys and composites with useful critical sizes above 100 mu m or below 4 mu m in thickness for glassy powder in conjunction with the present situation of applications for their glassy alloys and composites which do not belong to materials with an ordinary thickness size range of 10-50 mu m. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.