Amorphous alloy continuous fragmentation process

Abstract

The application provides a continuous amorphous alloy crushing process. The amorphous alloy is in a bar shape. The bar-shaped amorphous alloy is pushed into a heating coil of a high-frequency induction heating machine at a set speed. The working power of the high-frequency induction heating coil is set in a range of 50-150 kHz. The high-frequency induction heating coil heats the surface layer temperature of the bar-shaped amorphous alloy to be lower than the glass transition temperature T g of the amorphous alloy. The bar-shaped amorphous alloy is self-crushed due to the temperature difference between the surface layer and the core. The application aims to provide a continuous amorphous alloy crushing process, and aims to solve the technical problems of non-continuous production, many poor crushed materials and low crushing efficiency in the existing amorphous alloy crushing process.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of amorphous alloy technology, specifically relating to a continuous crushing process for amorphous alloys. Background Technology

[0002] With the continuous transformation and development of my country's manufacturing technology, the country's materials industry has also achieved significant breakthroughs in certain fields, realizing the transition of many materials from the laboratory to industrial applications. For example, in the field of high-strength alloys, my country was the first to achieve large-scale industrial production and application of bulk amorphous alloys, moving them from laboratory and small-batch production to practical applications in various fields. China has mastered the entire manufacturing process for bulk amorphous alloys, including raw material production, forming, post-processing, and surface treatment. The unique structure of amorphous alloys—characterized by "short-range order and long-range disorder"—distinguishes them from conventional alloy materials, resulting in high strength, high hardness, high elasticity, and excellent corrosion resistance. This makes them highly promising for applications in consumer electronics, medical devices, sporting goods, and aerospace. However, the production processes for bulk amorphous alloys are not yet fully developed compared to other commonly used alloy materials, and the production efficiency of bulk amorphous alloys needs further improvement.

[0003] The manufacturing process of bulk amorphous alloys as precision structural components typically includes amorphous master alloy manufacturing, amorphous master alloy crushing, forming casting, and post-processing. Currently, forming casting and post-processing are entirely automated, while master alloy crushing still relies on a combination of manual labor and machinery. The amorphous alloy master alloy is the raw material for amorphous alloy casting; therefore, its crushing process is the most crucial raw material handling step in the amorphous alloy casting process. The size distribution and uniformity of the crushed material have a significant impact on the quality of amorphous alloy parts produced through mass casting.

[0004] In existing technologies, amorphous master alloys are crushed using traditional jaw crushers, breaking amorphous master alloy plates or strips into small fragments smaller than 5cm as die-casting raw materials. Although mechanical crushing is simple and easy, about 10% of the fragments processed by jaw crushers cannot be directly fed into the casting process. This is because large pieces in the fragments require secondary crushing, and smaller pieces have excessive oxygen content, resulting in substandard fragments that must be remelted, which is time-consuming and labor-intensive. Moreover, the process of crushing using mechanical crushing devices requires three steps—crushing, sorting, and shipping—to provide qualified master alloy raw materials to the casting process, making continuous production impossible. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a continuous crushing process for amorphous alloys, aiming to solve the technical problems of continuous production, high quantity of defective crushed material, and low crushing efficiency in existing amorphous alloy crushing processes.

[0006] To achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the technical solution adopted by this invention is as follows:

[0007] A continuous crushing process for amorphous alloys, wherein the amorphous alloy is in the form of bars or rods. The bars or rods are pushed into the heating coil of a high-frequency induction heating machine at a set speed. The operating power of the high-frequency induction heating coil is set within the range of 50~150KHz. The high-frequency induction heating coil heats the surface temperature of the bars or rods of amorphous alloy to below the glass transition temperature T of the amorphous alloy. g The bar-shaped amorphous alloy undergoes self-fracture due to the temperature difference between the surface and the core.

[0008] Compared to existing mechanical crushing methods, this invention utilizes the inherent material properties of amorphous alloys for crushing. Specifically, a high-frequency induction heating coil is used to instantaneously heat the amorphous alloy rod, causing a rapid increase in the surface temperature. This creates a large temperature difference between the surface and the unheated core. Since amorphous alloys are brittle metallic materials, the internal stress increases sharply under this large temperature difference, leading to fracture from the inside out, effectively breaking the metal. When using this method, it is important to ensure that the surface temperature of the rod-shaped amorphous alloy does not exceed its glass transition temperature T. g Otherwise, amorphous alloys may be at risk of crystallization.

[0009] Preferably, the bar-shaped amorphous alloy is a chemically homogeneous amorphous alloy, and the longitudinal cross-sectional shape of the bar-shaped amorphous alloy is circular or square. Inhomogeneous composition of the amorphous alloy bar can lead to uneven heating during instantaneous heating, resulting in non-uniform fracture at heterogeneous points. Bars with homogeneous composition, when subjected to self-fracture using the method of this invention, produce more uniform fragments.

[0010] Preferably, when the longitudinal cross-sectional shape of the bar-shaped amorphous alloy is circular, its diameter is 20-40 mm; when the longitudinal cross-sectional shape of the bar-shaped amorphous alloy is square, its longest side length is less than or equal to 45 mm and its shortest side length is greater than or equal to 15 mm. Cylindrical or square bars are preferably used for the amorphous rods processed by the method of this invention. The size of the bars also needs to be optimized; smaller sizes result in low efficiency, while larger sizes lead to larger fragments after breakage requiring secondary processing. The bar size set in this invention should be selected according to the feeding size requirements of subsequent casting processes.

[0011] Preferably, the set speed is 20 mm / s to 30 mm / s. The speed at which the amorphous alloy rod is pushed is matched with the working power of the high-frequency induction heating coil. Within the above-mentioned set speed, the amorphous alloy rod has sufficient time to self-break apart, thereby forming continuous production.

[0012] Preferably, the amorphous alloy is a zirconium-based amorphous alloy, and its main components, in addition to Zr, include four or more elements selected from Cu, Al, Ni, Nb, Ti, Fe, and Co, and the glass transition temperature T of the amorphous alloy is [missing information]. g ≤490℃. The continuous crushing method for amorphous alloys provided by this invention is particularly suitable for zirconium-based amorphous alloys with a glass transition temperature below 490℃, and more preferably zirconium-based amorphous alloys with a glass transition temperature between 420 and 490℃.

[0013] Preferably, after the bar-shaped amorphous alloy is heated by the high-frequency induction heating coil, the temperature difference between its surface and core is 140~320℃. This temperature difference range is the most favorable temperature difference condition for breaking into the required size.

[0014] Preferably, the ratio of the surface thickness of the bar-shaped amorphous alloy to its core thickness is 1:(2.4~4).

[0015] Preferably, the heating coil of the high-frequency induction heating machine is a circular coil or a square coil, selected according to the shape and characteristics of the amorphous rod to be processed. The number of heating coils in the high-frequency induction heating machine is one or more. In actual production applications, the coil shape can be selected according to the actual properties of the amorphous rod. If the size of the incoming amorphous rod cannot be controlled within the preferred range, or if the initial crushing is not ideal, secondary processing can be performed by adding more coils to improve the crushing process.

[0016] Furthermore, the continuous crushing process of amorphous alloys provided in this invention is set after the continuous casting process of amorphous alloy master alloy, which can make the various processes of producing bulk amorphous alloy casting raw materials into an integrated automated production process (including master alloy casting + crushing).

[0017] This invention provides a continuously producing amorphous alloy crushing process. This process can self-crush rod-shaped block amorphous alloy materials to achieve low-energy consumption and high-efficiency crushing of amorphous alloy raw materials. The crushed amorphous fragments have a single-use rate of up to 95wt% as raw materials for the block amorphous casting process, which solves the technical problems of non-continuous production, large amount of defective fragments, and low crushing efficiency in existing amorphous alloy crushing processes. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of the heating coil and the material bar in a high-frequency induction heating machine.

[0019] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a circular heating coil and an amorphous material rod;

[0020] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a square heating coil and an amorphous material rod.

[0021] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of an amorphous rod;

[0022] Explanation of icon numbers:

[0023] 11. Heating coil of high-frequency induction heating machine; 12, 22, 32. Amorphous rods;

[0024] 21. Circular coil; 31. Square coil; 41. Surface layer of amorphous rod; 42. Core of amorphous rod;

[0025] A. Surface thickness; B. Core thickness. Detailed Implementation

[0026] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and technical effects of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention are described clearly and completely. The embodiments described below are some embodiments of the present invention, but not all embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art in conjunction with the embodiments of the present invention without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention. Where specific conditions are not specified in the embodiments, conventional conditions or conditions recommended by the manufacturer shall be followed; where the manufacturers of reagents or instruments are not specified, they are all conventional products that can be purchased commercially.

[0027] Furthermore, unless the context explicitly uses it otherwise, the singular form of a word should be understood as including the plural form of that word. The terms "comprising" or "having" are intended to specify the presence of a feature, quantity, step, operation, element, part, or combination thereof, but are not intended to exclude the presence or possible addition of one or more other features, quantities, steps, operations, elements, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0028] Embodiment 1 of the present invention provides a continuous crushing process for amorphous alloys, suitable for processing bar-shaped amorphous alloys, specifically:

[0029] A bar-shaped amorphous alloy is pushed into the heating coil of a high-frequency induction heating machine at a set speed. The operating power of the selected high-frequency induction heating coil is in the range of 50~150KHz.

[0030] The method provided in this invention is not applicable to all sizes and shapes of amorphous alloy bars. First, the amorphous alloy bars used in this embodiment are amorphous alloys with uniform chemical composition, and the longitudinal cross-sectional shape of the amorphous alloy bars is circular.

[0031] The uneven composition of amorphous alloy rods can lead to uneven heating during instantaneous heating, resulting in non-uniform fracture at heterogeneous points. In some other embodiments, when processing amorphous alloy master alloy rods with uneven chemical composition using the method of this embodiment, the rods randomly fracture, with some rods not fractured at all, while others fractured disorderly and were completely unusable for subsequent use.

[0032] In this embodiment, the amorphous alloy component is Zr. 55 Cu 12 Al 10 Ni 10 Nb8Ti4Y1, where the subscript numbers for each element indicate the atomic percentage of that element. The raw materials were weighed according to the above composition and melted in a vacuum melting furnace. The resulting amorphous master alloy rods, with a cross-sectional diameter of 20 mm and a length of 80 cm, were then cast using a casting process. DSC testing determined the glass transition temperature T of this amorphous alloy to be... g The temperature is 472℃.

[0033] The high-frequency induction heater used in this embodiment has a heating efficiency in the range of 50~150KHz, and the heating efficiency of the heating coil is set to 70KHz during heating. (See attached image) Figure 1 The image shows the initial positions of the heating coil 11 and the amorphous rod 12. After the heating coil 11 is turned on, a constant magnitude and constant speed pushing force is applied to the amorphous rod 12 in the direction of the arrow, allowing the rod 12 to enter the coil 11. In this embodiment, the pushing speed is set to 30 mm / s. The high-frequency induction heating coil 11 heats the surface temperature of the amorphous rod 12 to below the glass transition temperature T of the amorphous alloy. g The amorphous rod 12 breaks down due to the temperature difference between its surface and core. After the amorphous rod 12 has broken down completely, a new, unbroken rod is pushed into the coil, resulting in continuous breaking.

[0034] The structural schematic diagram of the amorphous rod 12 was attached, and tests were conducted using an infrared thermometer and thermocouples. Figure 4 As shown, the amorphous rod can be divided into two parts: the surface layer 41 and the core layer 42. The surface layer 41 reaches a maximum temperature of 320°C when the induction coil is instantaneously heated, while the core layer 42 remains at room temperature of 28°C. By reconstructing the structure of the amorphous rod 12, it is found that the thickness of the surface layer 41 is in the range of 1.5~2.5mm, and the thickness of the core layer 42 is in the range of 7.5~8.5mm.

[0035] In Example 1, the amorphous fragments broken off were used as raw materials in the bulk amorphous casting process with a single-use rate as high as 96 wt%.

[0036] The continuous crushing process for amorphous alloys used in Example 2 is largely the same as that in Example 1, as shown in the attached diagram. Figure 2 As shown, a circular coil 21 and a circular amorphous rod 22 are still used. The difference is that the amorphous master alloy rod has a cross-sectional diameter of 30mm and a length of 100cm. Correspondingly, the heating efficiency of the heating coil is set to 100KHz and the pushing speed is set to 30mm / s during heating.

[0037] The continuous crushing process of the amorphous alloy used in Example 3 is largely the same as that in Example 1, except that the diameter of the amorphous master alloy bar is 40 mm and the length is 100 cm. Correspondingly, the heating efficiency of the heating coil is set to 120 kHz and the pushing speed is set to 25 mm / s.

[0038] In Examples 2 and 3, the amorphous fragments broken off from the process were used as raw materials for the bulk amorphous casting process with a first-time utilization rate of over 95 wt%.

[0039] The continuous crushing process for amorphous alloys used in Example 4 is largely the same as that in Example 1, except that, as shown in the appendix... Figure 3 As shown, a square coil 31 is used to crush the amorphous master alloy round bar 32. The amorphous master alloy round bar has a cross-sectional diameter of 40 mm and a length of 100 cm. Correspondingly, the heating efficiency of the heating coil is set to 150 kHz, and the pushing speed is set to 30 mm / s. In Example 4, the amorphous fragments crushed can be used as raw materials for the bulk amorphous casting process with a single-use rate of up to 98 wt%.

[0040] Example 5 uses the same square coil structure as Example 4, the difference being the use of a square amorphous rod. The amorphous rod has a square cross-section (the four corners of the cast rod are rounded), a side length of 25mm, and the heating coil's heating efficiency is set to 150KHz, with a pushing speed of 25mm / s. In Example 5, the amorphous fragments broken off can be used as raw materials for the bulk amorphous casting process with a single-use rate of up to 95wt%.

[0041] Example 6 uses the same circular coil structure as Example 2 and the same square bar as Example 5. During heating, the heating coil efficiency is set to 150 kHz, and the pushing speed is set to 20 mm / s. The amorphous fragments broken off in Example 5 can be used as raw materials for the bulk amorphous casting process up to 95 wt% in a single pass.

[0042] Example 7 uses the same circular coil structure and rectangular rod as Example 2. The amorphous rod has a rectangular cross-section (rounded corners after casting), with a long side of 30mm and a short side of 25mm. During heating, the heating coil efficiency is set to 150kHz, and the pushing speed is set to 20mm / s. In Example 7, the amorphous fragments obtained from the crushing process can be used as raw materials for the bulk amorphous casting process up to 95wt% in a single run. The amorphous fragments obtained from the crushing process in Example 6 have better uniformity than those in Example 7.

[0043] In some other embodiments, a simpler Zr-Al-Cu-Ni quaternary alloy (T) was used. g =450℃), achieving a similar crushing effect to Example 1. In some other embodiments, more complex multi-element alloys, such as Zr-Cu-Al-Ni-Fe-Nb-Y (T g =485℃), Zr-Cu-Al-Ni-Co-Nb-Y (T g =487℃), achieving a crushing effect comparable to Example 1. In general, simple amorphous alloys can be completely crushed at lower power, while more complex amorphous alloys require slightly higher power and have higher requirements for the uniformity of chemical composition.

[0044] In some other embodiments, if the initial crushing is not ideal, a secondary processing step can be performed by adding a coil to improve the crushing process. Preferably, adding one coil is sufficient. If both coils fail to properly crush the amorphous rod, it is recommended to check the chemical composition and uniformity of the amorphous raw material.

[0045] In some other embodiments, the continuous crushing process of amorphous alloys in the embodiments of the present invention is set after the continuous casting process of amorphous alloy master alloy, so that the various processes of producing bulk amorphous alloy casting raw materials are integrated into an automated production process.

[0046] As can be seen from the above embodiments, the present invention uses a high-frequency induction heating coil to instantaneously heat the amorphous alloy rod, thereby instantly raising the surface temperature of the amorphous alloy rod and creating a large temperature difference with the core that has not yet been heated. Since the amorphous alloy material is a brittle metal material, under a large temperature difference, the internal stress increases sharply, causing it to crack from the inside out, which is equivalent to breaking.

[0047] The continuous production amorphous alloy crushing process provided in this invention can self-crush rod-shaped block amorphous alloy materials, thereby achieving low-energy consumption and high-efficiency crushing of amorphous alloy raw materials. The crushed amorphous fragments have a single-use rate of up to 95wt% as raw materials for the block amorphous casting process, solving the technical problems of non-continuous production, large amount of defective fragments, and low crushing efficiency in existing amorphous alloy crushing processes.

[0048] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementations of the present invention, and while the descriptions are specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention, and these modifications and improvements all fall within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of this patent should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A continuous crushing process for amorphous alloys, characterized in that, The non-crystal alloy is in a bar shape, the bar-shaped non-crystal alloy is pushed into a heating coil of a high-frequency induction heating machine at a set speed, a working power of the high-frequency induction heating coil is set in a range of 50-150 kHz, the high-frequency induction heating coil heats a surface layer temperature of the bar-shaped non-crystal alloy to be lower than a glassy conversion temperature T g of the non-crystal alloy, a temperature difference is generated between the surface layer and the core of the bar-shaped non-crystal alloy, and self-crushing of the bar-shaped non-crystal alloy occurs; the bar-shaped non-crystal alloy is a non-crystal alloy with uniform chemical composition, and a longitudinal cross-sectional shape of the bar-shaped non-crystal alloy is a circular shape or a square shape. The amorphous alloy is a zirconium-based amorphous alloy. Besides Zr, its main components include four or more elements selected from Cu, Al, Ni, Nb, Ti, Fe, and Co. The glass transition temperature T of the amorphous alloy is... g ≤490℃; The ratio of the surface thickness to the core thickness of the bar-shaped amorphous alloy is 1:(2.4~4).

2. The continuous crushing process for amorphous alloys according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the longitudinal cross-sectional shape of the bar-shaped amorphous alloy is circular, its cross-sectional diameter is 20~40mm; When the longitudinal cross-section of the bar-shaped amorphous alloy is square, the longest side length is less than or equal to 45 mm and the shortest side length is greater than or equal to 15 mm.

3. The continuous crushing process for amorphous alloys according to claim 2, characterized in that, The set speed is 20 mm / s to 30 mm / s.

4. The continuous crushing process for amorphous alloys according to claim 3, characterized in that, After the bar-shaped amorphous alloy is heated by the high-frequency induction heating coil, the temperature difference between its surface and core is 140~320℃.

5. The continuous crushing process for amorphous alloys according to claim 1, characterized in that, The heating coil of the high-frequency induction heating machine is a circular coil or a square coil.

6. The continuous crushing process for amorphous alloys according to claim 1, characterized in that, The high-frequency induction heating machine has one or more heating coils.

7. The continuous crushing process for amorphous alloys according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The continuous crushing process of the amorphous alloy is set after the continuous casting process of the amorphous alloy master alloy.

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