Metal founding – Process – Shaping liquid metal against a forming surface
Patent
1995-07-12
1997-02-11
Batten, Jr., J. Reed
Metal founding
Process
Shaping liquid metal against a forming surface
164423, 164429, 164478, B22D 1106
Patent
active
056011393
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a process for manufacture of amorphous metal ribbons in which at least one liquid metal stream is projected onto a receiving surface moving at high speed.
The work carried out since 1958 by Pol Duwez at the California Institute of Technology has led to knowledge of amorphous metal alloys, which are produced by very rapid cooling of a liquid phase, thereby making it possible to preserve the random, or amorphous, structure thereof. Indeed, in this way the temperature of the material is immediately reduced below a certain threshold, called the vitrification temperature, itself located at a temperature much lower than the solidification point at which crystallization begins.
One technique for manufacture of amorphous metal alloys consists of pouring a stream of molten metal onto a surface moving past at high speed, whose temperature is kept below or equal to ambient temperature. In this way, the liquid spreads over the surface in a film having a thickness of only several microns. Because this film is extremely thin and in intimate contact with a heat sink having a much larger volume, and since the metals possess high level of thermal conductivity, the metal cools and solidifies very rapidly, i.e., at a rate of approximately 10.sup.6 .degree.C./second. The surface passing beneath the metal stream may be part of a disk, an endless belt, or a wheel. This surface may incorporate notches perpendicular to its direction of travel, in order to divide the films or ribbons into small segments.
The films or ribbons thus produced possess remarkable mechanical and magnetic properties. Accordingly, the alloys exhibit very high tensile strength, and their ductility is marked by excellent folding strength, thereby making it possible to achieve curvatures around a radius equal to approximately the thickness of the ribbon. They also possess weak magnetism; that is, they are magnetized and demagnetized with a very weak field. Patents Nos. EP-A-59 864, 84 335, and 84 785 are examples from the literature describing processes of this kind.
Industrial-scale production of amorphous metal ribbons poses special problems, since a consistent geometry and quality of the ribbons must be guaranteed over long periods of time.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is intended to meet these requirements simply and economically.
To this end, the object of the invention is a process of the aforementioned type, characterized by the fact that an alternating movement perpendicular to said direction of travel is executed between the receiving surface and the metal stream.
In accordance with additional features:
the alternating movement is sinusoidal; and
the relative center position of the receiving surface and of the stream is shifted over time.
The invention also relates to a machine designed to carry out a process such as that described above. This machine, which incorporates a crucible containing liquid metal and fitted with at least one outlet orifice, and a chamber containing a receiving surface and fitted with means for moving this surface at high speed opposite the outlet orifice, is characterized by the fact that it comprises motion-generating means designed to produce, between the outlet orifice and the receiving surface, an alternating movement perpendicular to the direction of travel of said surface.
According to other features of this machine:
said surface is the peripheral surface of a notched wheel, whose drive shaft passes through one wall of the chamber in a sliding configuration, and said motion-generating means comprise a frame, a plate guided in translational motion parallel to the wheel and supporting the drive shaft, which is attached axially to this plate, and first drive means configured to drive the plate in a back-and-forth motion in relation to the frame;
the crucible is mounted so as to be able to slide perpendicularly to said direction of travel on the upper wall of the chamber and above an elongated opening in this wall extending in the direction in which
REFERENCES:
patent: 4150706 (1979-04-01), Reiniche et al.
patent: 4400208 (1983-08-01), Ackermann
patent: 4408653 (1983-10-01), Nienart et al.
patent: 4573520 (1986-03-01), Fournier et al.
patent: 4982780 (1991-01-01), Stepanenko et al.
Patent Abstracts of Japan, vol. 14, No. 110, Feb. 28, 1990, JPA 1-313159 Published Dec. 18, 1989.
Patent Abstracts of Japan, vol. 12, No. 27, Jan. 27, 1988, JPA 62-183943 Published Aug. 12, 1987.
Batten, Jr. J. Reed
SEVA
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