Economic manufacturing of bulk metallic glass compositions by microalloying

• US 6,562,156 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2001
• Issued: 05/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: UT-Battelle LLC
• Original Assignee: UT-Battelle LLC
• Inventors: Liu, Chain T.
• Primary Examiner(s): King, Roy
• Assistant Examiner(s): WESSMAN, ANDREW E
• Application Number:
  US09/921,030
• Publication Number:
  US 20030034099A1
• Time in Patent Office: 649 Days
• Field of Search: 148/561, 148/403
• US Class Current: 148/561
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 45/10 with molybdenum, tungsten, niobium, tantalum, titanium, or zirconium or Hf as the major constituent

Abstract

A method of making a bulk metallic glass composition includes the steps of:

a. providing a starting material suitable for making a bulk metallic glass composition, for example, BAM-11;

b. adding at least one impurity-mitigating dopant, for example, Pb, Si, B, Sn, P, to the starting material to form a doped starting material; and

c. converting the doped starting material to a bulk metallic glass composition so that the impurity-mitigating dopant reacts with impurities in the starting material to neutralize deleterious effects of the impurities on the formation of the bulk metallic glass composition.

Claims

1. A method of making a bulk metallic glass composition comprising the steps of:

a. providing a Zr-base starting material suitable for making a bulk metallic glass composition;

b. adding at least one impurity-mitigating dopant to said starting material to form a doped starting material, said impurity-mitigating dopant comprising Pb; and

c. converting said doped starting material to a bulk metallic glass composition so that said at least one impurity-mitigating dopant reacts with impurities in said starting material to neutralize deleterious effects of said impurities on the formation of said bulk metallic glass composition.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said Zr-base material further comprises 10 at. % Al, 5 at. % Ti, 17.9 at. % Cu, 14.6 at. % Ni, balance Zr.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said impurity-mitigating dopant further comprises at least one element selected from the group consisting of B, Si, Sn, and P.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said Zr-base material further comprises 10 at. % Al, 5 at. % Ti, 17.9 at. % Cu, 14.6 at. % Ni, balance Zr, and said impurity-mitigating dopant further comprises at least one element selected from the group consisting of <

1 at. % Pb, <

1 at % Si, and <

1 at. % B.

5. A method in accordance with claim 4 wherein said impurity-mitigating dopant further comprises at least one element selected from the group consisting of 0.02 to 0.5 at. % Pb, 0.02 to 0.5 at. % Si, and 0.02 to 0.7 at. % B.

6. A method in accordance with claim 5 wherein said impurity-mitigating dopant further comprises at least one element selected from the group consisting of 0.08 to 0.4 at. % Pb, 0.08 to 0.4 at. % Si, and 0.08 to 0.5 at. % B.

7. A method in accordance with claim 6 wherein said impurity-mitigating dopant further comprises at least one element selected from the group consisting of 0.1 to 0.3 at. % Pb, 0.1 to 0.3 at. % Si, and 0.1 to 0.4 at. % B.

8. A bulk metallic glass composition comprising Zr-base a bulk metallic glass which comprises at least one impurity-mitigating dopant, said impurity-mitigating dopant comprising Pb.

9. A bulk metallic glass composition in accordance with claim 8 wherein said Zr-base material further comprises 10 at. % Al, 5 at. % Ti, 17.9 at. % Cu, 14.6 at. % Ni, balance Zr.

10. A bulk metallic glass composition in accordance with claim 8 wherein said impurity-mitigating dopant further comprises at least one element selected from the group consisting of B, Si, Sn, and P.

11. A bulk metallic glass composition in accordance with claim 8 wherein said Zr-base material further comprises 10 at. % Al, 5 at. % Ti, 17.9 at. % Cu, 14.6 at. % Ni, balance Zr, and said impurity-mitigating dopant further comprises at least one element selected from the group consisting of <

1 at. % Pb, <

1 at. % Si, and <

1 at. % B.

12. A bulk metallic glass composition in accordance with claim 11 wherein said impurity-mitigating dopant further comprises at least one element selected from the group consisting of 0.02 to 0.5 at. % Pb, 0.02 to 0.5 at. % Si, and 0.02 to 0.7 at. % B.

13. A bulk metallic glass composition in accordance with claim 12 wherein said impurity-mitigating dopant further comprises at least one element selected from the group consisting of 0.08 to 0.4 at. % Pb, 0.08 to 0.4 at. % Si, and 0.08 to 0.5 at. % B.

14. A bulk metallic glass composition in accordance with claim 13 wherein said impurity-mitigating dopant further comprises at least one element selected from the group consisting of 0.1 to 0.3 at. % Pb, 0.1 to 0.3 at. % Si, and 0.1 to 0.4 at. % B.