Casting of amorphous metallic parts by hot mold quenching
AssigneeCalifornia Institute of Technology
InventorsAndreas A. Kündig, William L. Johnson, Alex Dommann
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Abstract
A manufacturing process for casting amorphous metallic parts separates the filling and quenching steps of the casting process in time. The mold is heated to an elevated casting temperature at which the metallic alloy has high fluidity. The alloy fills the mold at the casting temperature, thereby enabling the alloy to effectively fill the spaces of the mold. The mold and the alloy are then quenched together, the quenching occurring before the onset of crystallization in the alloy. With this process, compared to conventional techniques, amorphous metallic parts with higher aspect ratios can be prepared.
Claims35
A method of forming an amorphous metallic component, comprising:
- providing a mold having a desired pattern thereon;
- contacting an ahoy capable of forming an amorphous metal with the mold while both the mold and the allay are at a casting temperature above about 1.5 Tg of the alloy to allow the alloy to wet the mold, both the alloy and the mold having been heated to the casting temperature and
- cooling the alloy to an ambient temperature to form an amorphous metallic component.
A method of forming an amorphous metallic component, comprising:
- providing a mold having a desired pattern thereon;
- contacting an alloy capable of forming an amorphous metal with the mold while both the mold and the alloy are at a casting temperature wherein the viscosity of the alloy is less than about 104 poise to allow the alloy to wet the mold, both the alloy and the mold having been heated to the casting temperature;
- and
- cooling the alloy to an ambient temperature to form an amorphous metallic component.
A method of forming an amorphous metallic component, comprising:
- providing a mold having a desired pattern thereon;
- contacting an alloy capable of forming an amorphous metal with the mold while both the mold and the alloy are at a casting temperature above the nose of the crystallization curve of the alloy to allow the alloy to wet the mold, both the alloy and the mold having been heated to the casting temperature;
- and
- cooling the alloy to an ambient temperature to form an amorphous metallic component.
A method of forming an amorphous metallic component having a high aspect ratio, comprising:
- providing a mold having a desired pattern thereon, wherein at least a portion of the mold includes a recess having a height greater than a width thereof;
- filling the mold with a metallic alloy capable of forming an amorphous metal at an elevated casting temperature, such that both the mold and metallic alloy are at the elevated casting temperature, and wherein both the alloy and the mold have been heated to the casting temperature, wherein the casting temperature is high enough to provide sufficient fluidity to the alloy and wettability to the mold to substantially fill the recess;
- and
- cooling the alloy from the casting temperature to an ambient temperature, said cooling occurring prior to crystallization of the metallic alloy, such that an amorphous metallic component is formed replicating the shape of the mold.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.