Active particles could make stable glasses stronger without catastrophic brittle failure

The strongest glasses have a dangerous weakness: they shatter without warning. Phys.org reports that bulk metallic glasses and high-stability amorphous solids fail catastrophically when pushed past their limits. All the damage concentrates into a single plane, causing instant, total failure instead of gradual bending or stretching. This brittleness has long limited the usefulness of these engineered materials.

Listen to this story

Hear this and more stories in a personalized audio briefing.

Open The Chonkerton