glass forming ability

Glass forming ability refers to how easily a material can be cooled from a liquid into a solid without crystallizing, resulting in a glass. It depends on the material’s atomic structure and cooling rate; if atoms don’t arrange into a regular pattern as they cool, a disordered, glassy state forms instead of crystals. Factors like composition, atomic size, and cooling speed influence this ability. A high glass forming ability means the material can become a stable glass under typical cooling conditions, which is important for manufacturing and applications requiring transparent, amorphous materials.