# Thermal and Thermomechanical Analysis of Amorphous Metals: A Compact Review
## 5 Conclusions, Perspective, and Outlook  
Thermal and thermomechanical analysis supported by structural information is a powerful tool to describe the kinetic processes of glass formation as well as their operating range, conditions, and thermal and mechanical stability. Fast scanning calorimetry is shown to be the frontrunner of all the used techniques as its technical development has been followed by the rapid development of bulk metallic glasses as a research topic. It allows for the determination of all transition temperatures, enthalpy of formation, relaxation processes, rejuvenation, and specific heat capacity of very small samples. However, one must consider that the drawback of this method is the very small sample size, which can be detrimental to the repeatability of measurements for systems highly dependent on precursor homogeneity. Possibly, this can be overcome by utilizing bottom-up approaches to metallic glass formation, such as spark ablation.  
Thermomechanical analysis offers valuable insights into the structural changes and their impact on mechanical properties, whether induced thermally, mechanically, or both. Advanced structural characterization allows for analyzing how various glass formers influence short- and medium-range order, and correlating these findings with the diverse application properties typical of this class of materials. It has been shown here that glass-forming ability is most significantly influenced by changes in short- and medium-range order, which can be influenced by chemical composition, making the idea of new systems resistant to crystallization even at low cooling rates viable. Even though the correct experimental GFA criterion is still being discussed, the general consensus that a BMG with excellent GFA will have a low critical cooling rate still stands.  
It is probable that the combination of thermal, thermomechanical, and structural techniques will pave the way for the development of new amorphous alloys, glasses, and systems capable of forming at low cooling rates. This advancement could enable these materials to surpass size limitations and find applications across a broader spectrum of uses, ultimately providing long lasting, corrosion-resistant, hard materials with excellent durability (Figure 6).  
**Author Contributions:** Conceptualization, V.M., A.B., F.R.-P. and I.P.; methodology, V.M., A.B., F.R.-P. and I.P.; software, V.M., A.B., F.R.-P. and I.P.; validation, V.M., A.B., F.R.-P. and I.P.; formal analysis, A.B., F.R.-P. and I.P.; investigation, V.M., A.B., F.R.-P. and I.P.; resources, V.M.; data curation, V.M., A.B., F.R.-P. and I.P.; writing--original draft preparation, V.M. and F.R.-P.; writing--review and editing, V.M., A.B., F.R.-P. and I.P.; visualization, V.M., A.B., F.R.-P. and I.P.; supervision, V.M.; project administration, V.M.; funding acquisition, V.M. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.  
**Funding:** This research was funded by the Croatian Science Foundation under the project SLIPPERY SLOPE, UIP-2019-04-2367.  
**Conflicts of Interest:** The authors declare no conflict of interest.