Amorphous Coating Film Formation via Controlled Flame Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for forming amorphous coating films by spraying materials onto metal surfaces face challenges in achieving the desired amorphous state due to difficulties in achieving high cooling speeds and preventing oxidation, especially in industrial-scale production, where the cooling of sprayed material is often insufficient, leading to incomplete amorphous phase formation and oxidation issues.
Innovation Solution
The method involves ejecting a flame containing material particles toward a base material, where the particles are melted and cooled by a cooling fluid, such as a gas or gas mixed with a liquid mist, before reaching the base material, allowing for controlled cooling and quenching of the particles to achieve an amorphous state, even at lower temperatures, using a spray gun that can operate in air without the need for vacuum conditions or purified materials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the sprayed material is cooled at high speed to achieve amorphous state, then the amorphous phase formation is improved, but the device complexity and process difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling process is segmented into multiple stages: initial rapid cooling upon particle formation, intermediate cooling during flight, and final cooling upon substrate deposition. This segmentation allows achieving high cooling speeds without requiring a single complex cooling system, as each stage uses appropriate cooling methods for that specific phase.
Solution Approach 2:
A cooling gas (such as helium or nitrogen) is introduced as an intermediary medium between the flame and the substrate. This cooling gas absorbs heat from the sprayed particles during their flight, enabling high cooling speeds without direct contact cooling that would require complex apparatus. The intermediary gas simplifies the overall cooling system while maintaining effective heat extraction.
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional flame spraying is used to melt and spray material, then the process is simple, but oxidation of the sprayed material occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The flame spraying process is conducted in an inert or reducing atmosphere created by the cooling gas (such as nitrogen or helium) that surrounds the flame and sprayed particles. This inert environment prevents oxidation of the material during melting and spraying, while the process remains relatively simple as it only requires introducing the inert gas without complex vacuum or controlled atmosphere systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling gas, while primarily serving the cooling function, simultaneously provides a protective atmosphere that prevents oxidation. This converts the cooling requirement (which might seem separate from oxidation prevention) into a dual-purpose solution, where the same gas flow that cools the particles also protects them from oxidative damage.
3Manufacturing precision
If high cooling speed is required to form amorphous phase, then the amorphous coating quality is improved, but the processing time and productivity decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling action is made continuous throughout the entire particle flight path, from formation in the flame through deposition on the substrate. The cooling gas follows the particles continuously, ensuring uninterrupted heat extraction. This continuous cooling maintains high cooling speeds without requiring pauses or intermittent processing, thereby preserving productivity while achieving high-quality amorphous coatings.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables the formation of amorphous coating films with improved corrosion resistance and magnetic properties, using general industrial materials with impurities, at a lower cost and in various applications, by effectively controlling the cooling speed and preventing oxidation, thus enhancing the properties of the base material.
Implementation Method 1
ejecting a flame containing material particles toward a base material from a nozzle, so that the particles are melted with the flame
Implementation Method 2
the particles are melted with the flame
Implementation Method 3
cooling the particles and flame by a cooling fluid, such as a gas or gas mixed with a liquid mist, before they reach the base material
Data Source
Figure 1(a)~1(b)
Figure 2(a)~2(b)
Figure 3(a)~3(c)
AI summary
The present invention provides a method and an apparatus for forming, by spraying, a commonly known amorphous coating film, which is not limited to a metallic glass or the like. According to this invention, a flame F containing metal particles is ejected toward a base material M from a nozzle 5, such that the material particles are melted with the flame F. Thereafter, the melted material particles and flame F are cooled before they reach the base material M. For this cooling process, a gas H is externally ejected toward the flame F, such that the gas can gradually approach the central line of the flame F. Preferably, the particle size of the material particles in the flame F is within a range of 10 to 100pm.