Insert molding of bulk amorphous alloy into open cell foam

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9033024-B2
Application number	US-201213541550-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 3, 2012
Priority date	Jul 3, 2012
Publication date	May 19, 2015
Grant date	May 19, 2015

Abstract

Provided in one embodiment is a method of making use of foams as a processing aid or to improve the properties of bulk-solidifying amorphous alloy materials. Other embodiments include the bulk-solidifying amorphous alloy/foam composite materials made in accordance with the methods.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A method of making an article comprising:
providing a foam material; and
insert casting into and/or onto the foam material a bulk-solidifying amorphous alloy to form the article.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the foam material is an open cell metal foam.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the article is greater than the critical casting thickness of the bulk-solidifying amorphous alloy.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the foam material comprises providing more than one foam material, wherein at least one foam material has a different pore structure than a second foam material.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the different foam materials are provided in separate areas of the article to provide an article having differing physical properties in the areas where different foam materials are present.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising impregnating the foam with filler particles prior to insert casting.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the bulk-solidifying amorphous alloy is described by the following molecular formula: (Zr, Ti) a (Ni, Cu, Fe) b (Be, Al, Si, B) c , wherein “a” is in the range of from 30 to 75, “b” is in the range of from 5 to 60, and “c” is in the range of from 0 to 50 in atomic percentages.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the bulk-solidifying amorphous alloy is described by the following molecular formula: (Zr, Ti) a (Ni, Cu) b (Be) c , wherein “a” is in the range of from 40 to 75, “b” is in the range of from 5 to 50, and “c” is in the range of from 5 to 50 in atomic percentages.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the bulk solidifying amorphous alloy can sustain strains up to 1.5% or more without any permanent deformation or breakage.

10. A method of making an article comprising:
providing a foam material;
insert casting into and/or onto the foam material a bulk-solidifying amorphous alloy;
removing at least a portion of the foam material; and
optionally, inserting another material to at least partially fill the portion of the foam material removed to form the article.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the foam material is an open cell metal foam.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein at least a portion of the foam is removed by etching.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein inserting another material comprises inserting an electronically conductive material.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the electronically conductive material is copper.

15. The method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the bulk-solidifying amorphous alloy is described by the following molecular formula: (Zr, Ti) a (Ni, Cu, Fe) b (Be, Al, Si, B) c , wherein “a” is in the range of from 30 to 75, “b” is in the range of from 5 to 60, and “c” is in the range of from 0 to 50 in atomic percentages.

16. The method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the bulk-solidifying amorphous alloy is described by the following molecular formula: (Zr, Ti) a (Ni, Cu) b (Be) c , wherein “a” is in the range of from 40 to 75, “b” is in the range of from 5 to 50, and “c” is in the range of from 5 to 50 in atomic percentages.

17. The method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the bulk solidifying amorphous alloy can sustain strains up to 1.5% or more without any permanent deformation or breakage.

Assignees

• Prest Christopher D
• Scott Matthew S
• Zadesky Stephen P
• Stratton Dermot J
• Poole Joseph C
• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Prest Christopher D
• Scott Matthew S
• Zadesky Stephen P
• Stratton Dermot J
• Poole Joseph C

Classifications

• C22C1/11

  Making amorphous alloys · CPC title

• C22C1/08 Primary

  Alloys with open or closed pores · CPC title

• B22D25/005

  Casting metal foams · CPC title

• B22D21/005

  with high melting point, e.g. Be 1280 degrees C, Ti 1725 degrees C · CPC title

• C22C45/001

  with Cu as the major constituent · CPC title