Stable undercooled metallic particles for engineering at ambient conditions
AssigneeIowa State University Research Foundation, Inc.
InventorsMartin Thuo, Ian Tevis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Undercooled liquid metallic core-shell particles, whose core is stable against solidification at ambient conditions, i.e. under near ambient temperature and pressure conditions, are used to join or repair metallic non-particulate components. The undercooled-shell particles in the form of nano-size or micro-size particles comprise an undercooled stable liquid metallic core encapsulated inside an outer shell, which can comprise an oxide or other stabilizer shell typically formed in-situ on the undercooled liquid metallic core. The shell is ruptured to release the liquid phase core material to join or repair a component(s).
Claims20
A method of filling a void in a material, the method comprising:
- placing into the void a composition comprising a plurality of liquid metallic core-shell particles, each liquid metallic core-shell particle comprising
- a liquid metallic core comprising a metal or alloy, and
- an outer shell on the liquid metallic core, the outer shell comprising an inorganic or organic adlayer, wherein the inorganic or organic adlayer comprises acetate, phosphate, or a combination thereof, and wherein the liquid metallic core is a liquid when the liquid metallic core-shell particle has a temperature that is less than the melting point of the liquid metal or alloy;
- and
- rupturing the outer shell of the plurality of liquid metallic core-shell particles to release the liquid metallic cores and to solidify the composition within the void to fill the void.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.