A metal that has a structure like glass and flows like plastic, requiring almost no finishing operations after being cast, is now ready for aerospace applications, its developer says.
Known as Liquidmetal, the material is claimed to have a higher strength-to-weight ratio than aluminium, a fracture toughness comparable to titanium and to be lighter than steel.
The material could be used initially for components such as hinges and fasteners, but eventually for more complex parts.
Developments in the material’s casting and manufacturing process now enable the production of parts with a high-tolerance net shape, with a subsequent reduction in machining operations required after casting, says its developer.
“It’s a frozen liquid. It has different dislocation mechanisms to metals,” says Liquidmetal developer William Johnson, a professor of engineering and applied sciences at the California Institute of Technology.
“It’s a metallic glass; it’s opaque and produces a high-tolerance net shape,” Johnson adds.
Lake Forest, California-based Liquidmetal Technologies began research on metals with liquid-like atomic structure in the 1980s, initially with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, then later with the help of the California Institute of Technology and the US Department of Energy.
Source: Flight International
