A perspective on the development of rapid solidification and nonequilibrium processing and its future

The current status and potential of rapid solidification and nonequilibrium processing is assessed from the perspective of its early origins and rapid development that followed publication in 1960 of Duwez’ remarkable findings. A multiplicity of routes to a wide range of products is now available with many of these routes in commercial use. Evident priorities for the future include replacement of empirical approaches wherever possible with fully tested physically based predictive models and intensification of the search for viable applications for the products of these routes.