This paper documents the investigation into injection molding, or die casting, a bulk metallic
glass (BMG). A BMG is an amorphous metal of a thickness greater than 25 ��m, according to
leading researchers in the field. This critical thickness differentiates a normal metallic glass from
a "bulk" metallic glass. The impetus for studying the ability to process lies in the material
properties of the BMG, which has twice the strength of steel and the ability to be formed much
like a thermoplastic. An initial discussion of processing options and history precedes a detailed
description of the machine concept and design, including the governing parameters placed on the
design. An account of methods and materials used has been included, along with problems
encountered and resultant remedies. The initial results consist of the verification of the machine
concept and the ability to replicate nanometer-sized surface features from a mold. Design issues
are addressed and the corresponding revisions described. The final machine revision shows an
increase in process repeatability. A presentation of photographs, which show results of forming
the BMG against both copper and stainless steel, is offered as a qualitative assessment of the
processing capability. A discussion of considerations and paths forward has been included for
future research using the machine that was developed, but these processing theories could also be
carried over to other experiments. In the end, this study proves the ability to form extremely
small surface features in cast BMG parts and makes suggestions on research avenues that may
give a better understanding of the variables involved in processing BMG from the molten state. / Graduation date: 2003
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ORGSU/oai:ir.library.oregonstate.edu:1957/32612 |
| Date | 25 April 2003 |
| Creators | McCracken, Ivan A. |
| Contributors | Busch, Ralf |
| Source Sets | Oregon State University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
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