Coating of bulk metallic glass (BMG) articles
AssigneesApple Inc., Crucible Intellectual Property, LLC
InventorsTheodore A. Waniuk, Joseph Stevick, Sean O'Keeffe, Dermot J. Stratton, Joseph C. Poole, Matthew S. Scott, Christopher D. Prest
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Abstract
Exemplary embodiments described herein relate to methods and apparatus for forming a coating layer at least partially on surface of a BMG article formed of bulk solidifying amorphous alloys. In embodiments, the coating layer may be formed in situ during formation of a BMG article and/or post formation of a BMG article. The coating layer may provide the BMG article with surface hardness, wear resistance, surface activity, corrosion resistance, etc.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- injecting a molten metal alloy into a mold cavity of a metal mold;
- while the molten metal alloy is within the mold cavity, exposing a chemically reactive gas to the molten alloy to chemically react with a surface of the molten metal alloy and form a coating layer;
- and
- cooling the molten metal alloy at a cooling rate in the range of about 0.1 K/s to about 1000 K/s to form an article comprising at least a core formed from a bulk metallic glass (BMG).
A method comprising:
- introducing a molten metal alloy into a mold cavity;
- introducing a chemically reactive gas into the mold cavity;
- applying a pressure to the molten metal alloy and the chemically reactive gas in the mold cavity;
- and
- cooling the molten metal alloy at a cooling rate above about 0.1 K/s to form a metal article comprising an at least partially amorphous microstructure.
A method, comprising:
- injecting a molten metal alloy into a mold cavity of a metal mold;
- while the molten metal alloy is within the mold cavity, introducing a chemically reactive gas into the mold cavity, thereby forming a coating layer on substantially all surfaces of the molten metal alloy;
- and
- cooling the molten metal alloy at a rate sufficient to form an article comprising a core having an at least partially amorphous microstructure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.