Invention of cerium based metallic plastics

Amorphous metallic plastic based on cerium is a new class of bulk metallic glasses with an ultralow glass transition temperature much lower than the boiling point of water close to room temperature, at which temperature it′s high strength is comparable to that of super-strength Al-and Mg-based crystalline alloys. In near-boiling water these metallic plastics show superplasticity and good workability similar to some typical polymeric glasses, and thus have great potential in applications. A new research area devoted to this class of materials and fundamental studies of the glass transition and supercooled liquid state is now developing. In this paper we briefly describe the synthesis, properties and potential applications of cerium based metallic plastics.