I offered my explanation in response to this and other post regarding the misconception that "metallic glass" is the same as glass used for windows. I tried to explain the difference.
Liquid metal alloys are amorphous metals and it appears that most amorphous metals are synthetic or man made materials. Of course steel and stainless steel are also man made, but they have a crystalline structure. Perhaps the term I used "Liquid Metal" was incorrect in the sense that it refers to the company and not the class of materials that they make. But the name implies that the amorphous composition of metallic glass is like glass which, by some is considered a liquid. see comments below
Structure of Metals:
PBS
?At the atomic heart of metal is a crystalline structure?tightly packed atoms arranged in orderly rows.?
?[A]s the metal solidifies and the grains grow, they grow independently of each other, which means eventually these different areas of growing grains have to meet. When they do, the arrangement of the atoms in the grain structure is disrupted at that meeting point. This is called a grain boundary. Grain boundaries form a continuous network throughout the metal, and because of the disrupted structure at the boundary, the metal often acts differently at the boundary locations.
?...all metals and alloys are crystalline solids, although some metals have been formed in the lab without crystalline structure. And most metals assume one of three different lattice, or crystalline, structures as they form...?
?An alloy is a solid solution composed of two or more metals, or of a metal(s) with one or more nonmetals.?
?When discussing a metal?s microstructure (in micrometers - μm), a grain represents the small crystals that grow around a nucleus in all directions when a molten metal is cooled. Where one grain meets another at the edge is called a grain boundary. However, dislocations can be present, which are defects in the metal lattice structure where a few ions in a layer are missing, causing the neighboring layers to be displaced slightly to minimize the strain. The more grain boundaries there are the more difficult it is for the dislocations to move and for the metal to change shape. The result is that the metal is stiffer and harder. It is also stronger.?
?An amorphous metal is a metallic material with a disordered atomic-scale structure. In contrast to most metals, which are crystalline and therefore have a highly ordered arrangement of atoms, amorphous alloys are non-crystalline. Materials in which such a disordered structure is produced directly from the liquid state during cooling are called 'glasses', and so amorphous metals are commonly referred to as 'metallic glasses' or 'glassy metals'.?
?The first reported metallic glass was an alloy (Au75Si25) produced at Caltech by W. Klement (Jr.), Willens and Duwez in 1960.?
"The atomic structure is the most striking characteristic of the Liquidmetal alloys as it fundamentally differentiates Liquidmetal alloys from ordinary metals.
The atomic structure of ordinary or conventional metals and alloys is periodic, where the layout of atomic elements shows repeating patterns over an extended range. This atomic structure is called "crystalline" and limits the overall performance of conventional metals.
Liquid metal alloys possess an "amorphous" atomic structure, which is truly unique. By contrast to the crystalline structure, no discernable patterns exist in the atomic structure of the unique Liquidmetal alloys. As such, properties superior to the limits of conventional metals can be achieved."
?There is no clear answer to the question "Is glass solid or liquid?".* In terms of molecular dynamics and thermodynamics it is possible to justify various different views that it is a highly viscous liquid, an amorphous solid, or simply that glass is another state of matter that is neither liquid nor solid.* The difference is semantic.*?
?Glasses are amorphous solids. There is a fundamental structural divide between amorphous solids (including glasses) and crystalline solids. Structurally, glasses are similar to liquids, but that doesn't mean they are liquid. It is possible that the "glass is a liquid" urban legend originated with a misreading of a German treatise on glass thermodynamics.?
The concept of what a solid is, is biased by our humanness. We live in a zone of temperature that allows some materials to be in a gaseous state, a liquid state, or a solid state.
Change that temperature zone, and the material states change.
For example, an obvious one; water. In tropical zones, anything other than liquid or gaseous water is never seen (before modern technical civilization, of course). But in polar regions, ice is considered to be a mineral, and is hard as the average rock.
So is water a gas, a liquid, or a solid?
Whatever state it's in within our living temperature zone, is the state, that for us, is natural to it. Therefor, quartz based glass is a solid. Mercury (the metal) is a liquid, and ammonia is a gas.
The concept of what a solid is, is biased by our humanness. We live in a zone of temperature that allows some materials to be in a gaseous state, a liquid state, or a solid state.
Change that temperature zone, and the material states change.
For example, an obvious one; water. In tropical zones, anything other than liquid or gaseous water is never seen (before modern technical civilization, of course). But in polar regions, ice is considered to be a mineral, and is hard as the average rock.
So is water a gas, a liquid, or a solid?
Whatever state it's in within our living temperature zone, is the state, that for us, is natural to it. Therefor, quartz based glass is a solid. Mercury (the metal) is a liquid, and ammonia is a gas.
The concept of what a solid is, is biased by our humanness. We live in a zone of temperature that allows some materials to be in a gaseous state, a liquid state, or a solid state.
Change that temperature zone, and the material states change.
For example, an obvious one; water. In tropical zones, anything other than liquid or gaseous water is never seen (before modern technical civilization, of course). But in polar regions, ice is considered to be a mineral, and is hard as the average rock.
So is water a gas, a liquid, or a solid?
Whatever state it's in within our living temperature zone, is the state, that for us, is natural to it. Therefor, quartz based glass is a solid. Mercury (the metal) is a liquid, and ammonia is a gas.
As was said, just semantics.
Ah, you'd make a fine high school teacher... Chemistry, materials science, physics, astrobiology and philosophy all rolled into one class.
Comments
I offered my explanation in response to this and other post regarding the misconception that "metallic glass" is the same as glass used for windows. I tried to explain the difference.
Liquid metal alloys are amorphous metals and it appears that most amorphous metals are synthetic or man made materials. Of course steel and stainless steel are also man made, but they have a crystalline structure. Perhaps the term I used "Liquid Metal" was incorrect in the sense that it refers to the company and not the class of materials that they make. But the name implies that the amorphous composition of metallic glass is like glass which, by some is considered a liquid. see comments below
Structure of Metals:
PBS
?At the atomic heart of metal is a crystalline structure?tightly packed atoms arranged in orderly rows.?
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/wtc/metal.html
Metal crystal structure
?Metal crystal structure and specific metal properties are determined by metallic bonding ? force, holding together the atoms of a metal.?
http://www.substech.com/dokuwiki/dok...stal_structure
?[A]s the metal solidifies and the grains grow, they grow independently of each other, which means eventually these different areas of growing grains have to meet. When they do, the arrangement of the atoms in the grain structure is disrupted at that meeting point. This is called a grain boundary. Grain boundaries form a continuous network throughout the metal, and because of the disrupted structure at the boundary, the metal often acts differently at the boundary locations.
?...all metals and alloys are crystalline solids, although some metals have been formed in the lab without crystalline structure. And most metals assume one of three different lattice, or crystalline, structures as they form...?
http://www.thefabricator.com/article...cture-of-metal
Metal Alloys:
?An alloy is a solid solution composed of two or more metals, or of a metal(s) with one or more nonmetals.?
?When discussing a metal?s microstructure (in micrometers - μm), a grain represents the small crystals that grow around a nucleus in all directions when a molten metal is cooled. Where one grain meets another at the edge is called a grain boundary. However, dislocations can be present, which are defects in the metal lattice structure where a few ions in a layer are missing, causing the neighboring layers to be displaced slightly to minimize the strain. The more grain boundaries there are the more difficult it is for the dislocations to move and for the metal to change shape. The result is that the metal is stiffer and harder. It is also stronger.?
http://www.nsec.northwestern.edu/S.Z...%20Project.pdf
Amorphous Metals
?An amorphous metal is a metallic material with a disordered atomic-scale structure. In contrast to most metals, which are crystalline and therefore have a highly ordered arrangement of atoms, amorphous alloys are non-crystalline. Materials in which such a disordered structure is produced directly from the liquid state during cooling are called 'glasses', and so amorphous metals are commonly referred to as 'metallic glasses' or 'glassy metals'.?
?The first reported metallic glass was an alloy (Au75Si25) produced at Caltech by W. Klement (Jr.), Willens and Duwez in 1960.?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amorphous_metal
LIQUID METAL
"The atomic structure is the most striking characteristic of the Liquidmetal alloys as it fundamentally differentiates Liquidmetal alloys from ordinary metals.
The atomic structure of ordinary or conventional metals and alloys is periodic, where the layout of atomic elements shows repeating patterns over an extended range. This atomic structure is called "crystalline" and limits the overall performance of conventional metals.
Liquid metal alloys possess an "amorphous" atomic structure, which is truly unique. By contrast to the crystalline structure, no discernable patterns exist in the atomic structure of the unique Liquidmetal alloys. As such, properties superior to the limits of conventional metals can be achieved."
http://www.liquidmetal.com/index/default.asp
Is glass a liquid or solid?
?There is no clear answer to the question "Is glass solid or liquid?".* In terms of molecular dynamics and thermodynamics it is possible to justify various different views that it is a highly viscous liquid, an amorphous solid, or simply that glass is another state of matter that is neither liquid nor solid.* The difference is semantic.*?
http://www.phys.ncku.edu.tw/mirrors/...ass/glass.html
?Glasses are amorphous solids. There is a fundamental structural divide between amorphous solids (including glasses) and crystalline solids. Structurally, glasses are similar to liquids, but that doesn't mean they are liquid. It is possible that the "glass is a liquid" urban legend originated with a misreading of a German treatise on glass thermodynamics.?
http://dwb4.unl.edu/Chem/CHEM869A/CH...rin.html#concl
The concept of what a solid is, is biased by our humanness. We live in a zone of temperature that allows some materials to be in a gaseous state, a liquid state, or a solid state.
Change that temperature zone, and the material states change.
For example, an obvious one; water. In tropical zones, anything other than liquid or gaseous water is never seen (before modern technical civilization, of course). But in polar regions, ice is considered to be a mineral, and is hard as the average rock.
So is water a gas, a liquid, or a solid?
Whatever state it's in within our living temperature zone, is the state, that for us, is natural to it. Therefor, quartz based glass is a solid. Mercury (the metal) is a liquid, and ammonia is a gas.
As was said, just semantics.
The concept of what a solid is, is biased by our humanness. We live in a zone of temperature that allows some materials to be in a gaseous state, a liquid state, or a solid state.
Change that temperature zone, and the material states change.
For example, an obvious one; water. In tropical zones, anything other than liquid or gaseous water is never seen (before modern technical civilization, of course). But in polar regions, ice is considered to be a mineral, and is hard as the average rock.
So is water a gas, a liquid, or a solid?
Whatever state it's in within our living temperature zone, is the state, that for us, is natural to it. Therefor, quartz based glass is a solid. Mercury (the metal) is a liquid, and ammonia is a gas.
As was said, just semantics.
Then they're no longer metals - they're metal oxides.
Your statement is like saying it's OK to eat sodium and bathe in chlorine because sodium chloride is common table salt.
The concept of what a solid is, is biased by our humanness. We live in a zone of temperature that allows some materials to be in a gaseous state, a liquid state, or a solid state.
Change that temperature zone, and the material states change.
For example, an obvious one; water. In tropical zones, anything other than liquid or gaseous water is never seen (before modern technical civilization, of course). But in polar regions, ice is considered to be a mineral, and is hard as the average rock.
So is water a gas, a liquid, or a solid?
Whatever state it's in within our living temperature zone, is the state, that for us, is natural to it. Therefor, quartz based glass is a solid. Mercury (the metal) is a liquid, and ammonia is a gas.
As was said, just semantics.
Ah, you'd make a fine high school teacher... Chemistry, materials science, physics, astrobiology and philosophy all rolled into one class.