Vacuum die casting of amorphous alloys

Abstract

A method for die casting an amorphous metal or alloy using high vacuum die casting machine and die casting parameters effective to produce three dimensional net shape die cast components that retain at least 50 volume % or more amorphous phase in the die cast microstructure. The die cavity is evacuated to a vacuum level of less than 1000 microns through the shot sleeve, a superheated molten amorphous zirconium-copper-nickel-berylium alloy is introduced into the shot sleeve, the plunger is advanced at speeds in the range of 5 inches/second to 500 inches/second to force the molten metal or alloy into a sealed, evacuated die cavity where at least the outer surface or shell of the die cast component can solidify before opening of the dies to break the vacuum seal(s) and expose the cast component to ambient air atmosphere. The die component is removed from the opended dies and quenched in a quenchant medium, such as water, to produce a die cast microstructure including at least 50 volume % amorphous phase.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.