Methods and apparatus for using large inertial body forces to identify, process and manufacture multicomponent bulk metallic glass forming alloys, and components fabricated therefrom
First Claim
1. A method of identifying the lowest melting eutectic composition of an alloy having “
- n”
phases, where n≧
2, the method comprising;
providing an arbitrary starting alloy;
heating the alloy until it is substantially molten;
subjecting the molten alloy to a large inertial force for a period of time while maintaining its temperature above the alloy'"'"'s melting point;
lowering the temperature of the alloy below the melting point while subjecting the alloy to a large inertial force, thereby causing nucleation and growth of a first solid phase within surrounding liquid, the first solid phase being subjected to the inertial force such that the first solid phase moves upward or downward within the surrounding liquid by sedimentation;
further lowering the temperature of the alloy while subjecting the alloy to said inertial force, thereby causing further nucleation and growth of additional solid phases, the additional solid phases being subjected to the inertial force such that the additional solid phases move upward or downward within the surrounding liquid by sedimentation, wherein the temperature is further lowered until the alloy is substantially completely solidified; and
identifying the last solid phase to solidify, the last solid phase being stratified in a layer between earlier solidified solid layers, the last solid phase having the lowest melting eutectic composition.
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Abstract
To identify and manufacture metallic glass forming alloys, large inertial forces or “g”-forces are used to sequentially separate crystalline phases (particles) as they sequentially form and grow in a molten alloy during gradual cooling of the alloy below its liquidus temperature. These forces physically remove and isolate the actual crystalline particles from the remaining liquid as they are formed. Under the influence of a large g-force, this is accomplished by rapid and efficient sedimentation and stratification. Further contamination and nascent solid “debris” in the form of oxides, carbides, or other foreign particles can be removed from the molten alloy using the same sedimentation/stratification technique. Finally, a method of efficiently cooling and solidifying the final low melting stratified and decontaminated liquid into a solid glass component is proposed which utilizes convective heat transport by a cooling gas. The result is a vitrified bulk metallic glass component of near net shape.
46 Citations
37 Claims
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1. A method of identifying the lowest melting eutectic composition of an alloy having “
- n”
phases, where n≧
2, the method comprising;providing an arbitrary starting alloy;
heating the alloy until it is substantially molten;
subjecting the molten alloy to a large inertial force for a period of time while maintaining its temperature above the alloy'"'"'s melting point;
lowering the temperature of the alloy below the melting point while subjecting the alloy to a large inertial force, thereby causing nucleation and growth of a first solid phase within surrounding liquid, the first solid phase being subjected to the inertial force such that the first solid phase moves upward or downward within the surrounding liquid by sedimentation;
further lowering the temperature of the alloy while subjecting the alloy to said inertial force, thereby causing further nucleation and growth of additional solid phases, the additional solid phases being subjected to the inertial force such that the additional solid phases move upward or downward within the surrounding liquid by sedimentation, wherein the temperature is further lowered until the alloy is substantially completely solidified; and
identifying the last solid phase to solidify, the last solid phase being stratified in a layer between earlier solidified solid layers, the last solid phase having the lowest melting eutectic composition. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of producing a bulk sample of a lowest melting eutectic composition of an alloy, the method comprising:
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providing an arbitrary starting alloy;
heating the alloy until it is substantially molten;
subjecting the alloy to a centripetal acceleration for a period of time while maintaining its temperature above the melting point;
lowering the temperature of the alloy while subjecting the alloy to a centripetal acceleration, the lowering of the temperature causing nucleation and growth of a first solid phase within surrounding liquid, the first solid phase being subjected to the centripetal acceleration such that the first solid phase moves upward or downward in the surrounding liquid by sedimentation;
further lowering the temperature of the alloy while subjecting the alloy to said acceleration, the further lowering of the temperature causing further nucleation and growth of additional solid phases, the additional solid phases being subjected to the acceleration such that the additional solid phases move upward or downward in the surrounding liquid by sedimentation, wherein the temperature is further lowered until the alloy is substantially completely solidified; and
casting a bulk sample of alloy using material taken from the last solid phase to solidify. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22)
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19. A method of producing a bulk sample of a lowest melting eutectic composition of an alloy, the method comprising:
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providing an arbitrary starting alloy;
heating the alloy until it is substantially molten;
subjecting the alloy to a centripetal acceleration for a period of time while maintaining its temperature above the melting point;
lowering the temperature of the alloy for a period of about 1 minute to ten hours while subjecting the alloy to a centripetal acceleration, the lowering of the temperature causing nucleation and growth of a first solid phase within surrounding liquid, the first solid phase being subjected to the centripetal acceleration such that the first solid phase moves upward or downward in the surrounding liquid by sedimentation;
further lowering the temperature of the alloy while subjecting the alloy to said acceleration, the further lowering of the temperature causing further nucleation and growth of additional solid phases, the additional solid phases being subjected to the acceleration such that the additional solid phases move upward or downward in the surrounding liquid by sedimentation, wherein the temperature is further lowered until the alloy is substantially completely solidified; and
casting a bulk sample of alloy using material taken from the last solid phase to solidify.
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23. A method of forming a metallic glass alloy, comprising:
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melting a mulitcomponent alloy;
cooling the molten alloy in the presence of a centripetal acceleration, until a last solid phase solidifies; and
subsequently forming an amorphous metal by cooling the last solid phase to solidify from an elevated temperature to ambient temperature at a rate sufficient to suppress crystallization. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A method forming a metallic glass alloy, comprising:
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melting a mulitcomponent alloy;
cooling the molten alloy in the presence of a centripetal acceleration, until a last solid phase solidifies; and
subsequently forming an amorphous metal by cooling the last solid phase to solidify from an elevated temperature to ambient temperature at a rate sufficient to suppress crystallization, wherein the alloy is contained in a sample column which includes a gate for removing at least a portion of the alloy. - View Dependent Claims (33)
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34. A method of forming a purified, multicomponent bulk metallic glass forming alloy, comprising:
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(a) melting a sample alloy at an elevated temperature;
(b) subjecting the molten alloy to a centripetal acceleration while holding it above the melting point for a period of time;
(c) solidifying the alloy by lowering the temperature of the alloy while continuing to subject the alloy to a centripetal acceleration, the solidified alloy having a portion separated from the remaining alloy having a lowest melting eutectic composition;
(d) isolating the portion of the alloy having the lowest melting eutectic composition;
(e) re-melting the portion of the alloy having the lowest melting eutectic composition at an elevated temperature, while subjecting this portion to a centripetal acceleration; and
(f) subsequently cooling the portion of the alloy having the lowest melting eutectic composition while subjecting the portion to a centripetal acceleration, the cooled alloy having a portion with relatively fewer impurity phases than the remaining alloy. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37)
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Specification