Blow Moldable Metals

http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-03-stronger-steel-metals-moldable-plastic.html

    Scientists at Yale University have recently been able to create a form of metal that is just as strong as typical metals but can be shaped as easily as plastic. These metals, called bulk metallic glasses, consist of alloys in which the atoms are randomly arranged, in contrast to the usual, organized crystal structure typically found in metals. This feature allows the bulk metallic glasses to be blow molded just like plastics at low temperatures and pressures. In these conditions, the alloys flow like plastic; however, crystallization never occurs as in normal metals due to the random structure. While these metallic glasses are relatively expensive now – they cost around the same price as high end steel – the fact that they can be blow molded means they cost about the same as plastic to process, which is dramatically lower than typical shaping costs for metals. The ability to be blow molded has also allowed for the production of complex shapes like seamless metallic bottles, minuscule resonators, and biomedical implants; the bulk metallic glasses used in these items are roughly twice as strong as steel and were able to be molded in under a minute. Further advantages of blow molding include the fact that friction is essentially removed from the shaping process, permitting the material to be easily shaped even in nanoscale. The alloys used include metals like zirconium, titanium, nickel and copper. Bulk metallic glasses could have a huge impact on everyday life relatively soon, with some predicting that the materials could become as prominent as plastics have within the last century.

Posted by Jack Ogilvie