SBIR Phase I: Economical Fabrication of Bulk Metallic Glass Sheets through Roll-Stretching

这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是，它将为金属制造业提供块状金属玻璃(BMG)薄板。BMG从根本上不同于结晶金属，并对其有利，因为它们比大多数结晶金属更坚固，但同时也像塑料一样可成形。BMG工业化的关键是提供一种实用的原料材料，如BMG板材，制造商可以利用BMG独特的加工性，通过热塑性成形(TPF)方法以最高的精度和容易的方式制造复杂的形状。拟议研究的成功结果将使制造商能够更广泛和有效地利用BMG，因为BMG片材将弥合目前昂贵的、定制的、几何种类有限的BMG组件与未来负担得起的、标准化的BMG原料之间的差距。总体而言，拟议的工作将为BMG更广泛的商业应用奠定关键基础，例如在生物医学、纳米压印、电子外壳、国防、航空航天或汽车中，并为美国制造成为这一新制造模式的中心打开机会。该项目评估了最近发现的基于TPF的BMG滚动拉伸作为一种低力变形方法的科学发现。我们希望我们的发现将有助于更好地理解基于TPF的BMG流程。具体来说，对于基于TPF的薄板制造，所提出的工作将揭示工艺稳定性以及工艺参数对稳定性的影响。拟议的研究还将确定基于TPF的加工对BMG机械性能的影响，并将有助于确定适合进行辊压拉伸的BMG类型。同时，我们的研究将为BMG片材的商业可行性提供详细的见解。工艺可行性的评估将考虑加工时间、工艺稳健性和可重复性、尺寸精度、表面光洁度、资本投资和材料成本。确定工艺参数和工艺要求，如在板材厚度变化中量化的高稳定性所需的温度梯度和变形条件，将为设计和实现商业上可行的辊拉工艺和设备奠定基础。此外，所提出的工作还将加强对滚压拉伸的理论理解，为建立可预测的定量模型描述一种新的材料和加工范例奠定基础。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is that it will provide the metal manufacturing industry with bulk metallic glass (BMG) sheets. BMGs are fundamentally different from, and advantageous to, crystalline metals, as they are stronger than most crystalline metals but at the same time shapeable like plastics. The key to industrializing BMGs is providing a practical feedstock material, such as BMG sheets, with which manufactures can use BMGs unique processability to fabricate complex shapes at highest precision and ease through thermoplastic forming (TPF) methods. A successful outcome of proposed research will empower manufacturers to make use of BMGs much more broadly and effectively, as BMG sheets will bridge the gap between currently expensive, customized BMG components of limited geometrical variety, and affordable, standardized BMG feedstock material in the future. Overall, the proposed work will lay a critical foundation to enable much broader commercial application of BMGs, such as in Biomedical, Nano-imprint, Electronic casing, Defense, Aerospace, or Automotive, and open an opportunity for US manufacturing to be at the center of this new manufacturing paradigm.This project evaluates the recent scientific discovery of TPF based roll-stretching of BMGs as a low force deformation method. We expect our findings to lead to a better understanding of TPF-based processes for BMGs. Specifically for TPF-based sheet fabrication, proposed work will reveal the process stability and how stability is affected by processing parameters. Proposed research will also determine the effects of TPF-based processing on the mechanical properties of the BMG and will help identify suitable BMG types for roll-stretching. At the same time, our study will provide detailed insights into commercial feasibility of BMG sheets. Process viability will be evaluated considering processing time, process robustness and repeatability, dimensional accuracy, surface finish, capital investment and material cost. The identification of processing parameters and process requirements such as temperature gradients and deformation conditions required for a high stability which is quantified in the sheet thickness variation will build the foundation for the design and realization of a commercially viable roll-stretch process and apparatus. In addition, proposed work will also enhance the theoretical understanding of roll-stretching which lay the foundation for a predictable and quantitative model description of a new material and processing paradigm.