Progress in the preparation, forming and machining of metallic glasses

Metallic glasses (MGs), also known as amorphous alloys, has a unique atomic structure with long-range disorder and short-range order. MGs has excellent mechanical properties and is favored by many industries, such as, aerospace, medical devices, electronics and electricity, sports and leisure, etc. However, large-size MGs is hardly prepared in engineering due to the limited glass-forming ability (GFA). Moreover, the high hardness and low plasticity of MGs make the forming and machining difficult, which hindered its widespread application. Therefore, many researchers have focused on improving the preparation, forming, and machining ability of MGs. In this paper, the latest developments on preparation and machining are summarized, and a comprehensive review of MGs forming was firstly conducted. Then, the crystallization, MGs size range, surface roughness of different processes are discussed statistically. Finally, future research for the preparation, forming, and machining of MGs are discussed and prospected, and other research hotspots are analyzed. Furthermore, with the gradual maturity of MGs production technology, the importance of green manufacturing for sustainable development is emphasized, and several suggestions are put forward.