Method and system based on thermoplastic forming to fabricate high surface quality metallic glass articles

摘要

A method of processing BMGs in a non-ideal environment (such as air) to create a uniform and smooth surface is provided. By utilizing the contact-line movement and an engineered flow pattern during TPF the method is able to create complex BMG parts that exhibit uniform smooth appearance or even can be atomically smooth. In addition, to mending surface imperfections, this method also eliminates void formation inside the material, allows for the creation of precise patterns of homogeneous appearance, and forms improved mechanical locks between different materials and a BMG.

主权项

1. A method of shaping a bulk metallic glass comprising:
providing a bulk metallic glass feedstock having an inner bulk region surrounded by an initial rough outer surface region, the feedstock being heated to a temperature within thermoplastic zone of the bulk metallic glass; placing the outer region of the feedstock into contact with at least one solid surface in fluid communication with at least one shaping tool; inducing the feedstock to flow along the at least one solid surface toward the shaping tool such that the leading edge of the flow of the feedstock forms a contact-line with the solid surface, and wherein the motion of the contact-line along the solid surface induces an interfacial flow of the feedstock material from the bulk towards the solid surface, wherein within 1 to 10 nm of the contact-line a stress of 103-105 MPa is exerted on the outer surface of the feedstock; and maintaining the flow of the feedstock along the solid surface until substantially all of the initial outer region of the feedstock at the contact-line of the alloy is replaced with a new smooth outer region formed from the interfacial flow of the bulk of the feedstock to the outer region of the feedstock prior to the feedstock coming into contact with the at least one shaping tool.