Progresses and Challenges in Additive Manufacturing of Bulk Metallic Glasses

Bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) are a type of amorphous metal with a high degree of mechanical strength, elasticity and corrosion resistance, properties that are highly influenced by composition and the processing of the material. BMGs can be applied in advanced engineering fields, such as aerospace, biomedical, MEMS, and industrial applications. Additive manufacturing (AM) is revolutionary in producing intricate BMG parts whilst maintaining the amorphous structure. The current review critically evaluates the recent development in AM of BMGs, such as the development of selective laser melting, electron beam melting, and directed energy deposition, and new classes of hybrid strategies. Enhancements in dimensional accuracy, amorphous retention, microstructural tailoring and functional performance are emphasized along with computational and real-time process optimization strategies to improve overall manufacturing efficiency and material quality. Subsequently, the challenges that still exist are addressed in the review, including crystallization during printing, the buildup of stress, printable thickness, complicated geometries, oxidation, contamination, and heterogeneous amorphous fractions. Lastly, multi-material printing, scalable AM approaches, and AI-assisted design solutions are key features of future perspectives to solve existing restrictions. The review provides an excellent guidance for the researcher and engineer interested in advancing additive manufacturing of BMGs with the best structure–property relations.