# Metallic glass nucleation couples density fluctuations and structural preordering

- Published: 2026-11-07 21:43 UTC
- Section: Machines & Making › Materials science
- Tags: metallic glass nucleation, structural preordering, density fluctuations, crystallization mechanism, disordered materials
- URL: https://realtech.media/news/rt-90b088ae096d0a2c0cb8e0c2_metallic_glass_nucleation/

**Researchers tracked the early stages of crystallization across pure elements and alloys, establishing a unified nucleation mechanism.**

![Metallic glass nucleation couples density fluctuations and structural preordering](https://realtech.media/media/2026/11/fe1706409ef6bb1b.jpg)
*NASA Kennedy Space Center / NASA/Kim Shiflett, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain*

Scientists have determined that density fluctuations and structural preordering emerge simultaneously during the earliest stages of crystallization in disordered metallic systems, according to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences [1]. The analysis evaluated pure elements, intermetallic compounds, and glass-forming alloys to resolve long-standing questions regarding how atomic order initiates in supercooled liquids.

Previous models, largely generalized from hard-sphere colloidal systems, proposed that crystallization initiates primarily in structurally preordered regions, treating density changes as a secondary factor [1]. The new findings demonstrate that both phenomena are coupled. This simultaneous emergence reflects local atomic rearrangements where free-volume reduction, denser packing, and bond-orientational order develop together [1].

The authors reported that this coupled behavior provides an empirical foundation for a unified nucleation framework across disordered materials [1].

## Sources

1. [Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences](https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2613542123)

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Source: RealTech, realtech.media — https://realtech.media/news/rt-90b088ae096d0a2c0cb8e0c2_metallic_glass_nucleation/