Apparatus for production of ultrapure amorphous metals utilizing acoustic cooling

US4553917A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration · US

Inventor

• Mark C. Lee · Poway, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 21, 1982
• Grant date: Nov 19, 1985
• Expiry date: Dec 21, 2002

Classification

• Technology area (CPC B): Performing Operations; Transporting
• CPC primary: B22F2999/00
• WIPO field: Materials, metallurgy
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

Amorphous metals are produced by forming a molten droplet (115) of metal from source (126) and deploying the droplet into a focused acoustical levitating field or by dropping the unit through spheroidizing zone (116) slow quenching zone (118) and fast quenching zone (120) in which the droplet is rapidly cooled by in the standing acoustic wave field produced between half-cylindrical acoustic driver (168) and focal reflector (166) or curved driver (38) and reflector (50). The cooling rate can be further augmented by first cryogenic liquid collar (160) and second cryogenic liquid jacket (170) surrounding the drop tower (112). The sphere (117) is quenched to an amorphous solid which can survive impact in the unit collector (124) or is retrieved by vacuum chuck (20).