Nickel-Free Zirconium Bulk Amorphous Alloy Design
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Amorphous zirconium alloys without nickel and beryllium exhibit smaller critical diameters, making them less suitable for producing massive parts, and pose skin contact and toxicity concerns due to the allergenic potential of nickel and toxicity of beryllium, which are essential for stabilizing the amorphous phase and enhancing corrosion resistance.
Innovation Solution
Development of nickel-free and beryllium-free solid amorphous alloys based on zirconium or hafnium, with additional elements such as copper, aluminum, and iron to increase the critical diameter while maintaining a high ΔTx value, and incorporating specific compositions like Zr-Cu-Fe-Al with additional elements like Ti, Nb, and Ag to achieve a critical diameter greater than 9 mm and excellent corrosion resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If nickel and beryllium are removed from zirconium-based amorphous alloys, then skin contact safety and toxicity are improved, but critical diameter decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters by removing nickel and beryllium while introducing alternative elements (titanium: 1-5 at.%, niobium: 1-5 at.%, silver: 2-8 at.%, palladium: 1-3 at.%) to maintain the amorphous phase stability and increase critical diameter despite the removal of toxic elements
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite alloy system Zr-Cu-Al-X-Y where X and Y represent multiple additive elements (Ti, Nb, Ag, Pd) that work synergistically to compensate for the removal of nickel and beryllium, achieving both safety and structural integrity
2Object-affected harmful factors
If nickel and beryllium are removed from zirconium-based amorphous alloys, then skin contact safety is improved, but corrosion resistance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent adjusts compositional parameters by introducing corrosion-resistant elements (palladium: 1-3 at.%, silver: 2-8 at.%) that form protective surface films, compensating for the loss of nickel's corrosion resistance while maintaining skin contact safety
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potential harm of removing protective elements (nickel's corrosion resistance) into a benefit by introducing alternative elements that provide enhanced corrosion resistance through different mechanisms (palladium's noble metal properties, silver's oxide film formation)
3Object-affected harmful factors
If nickel and beryllium are removed from zirconium-based amorphous alloys, then toxicity is reduced, but glass-forming ability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the compositional parameters by introducing elements with high atomic size difference and negative heat of mixing (niobium: 1-5 at.%, titanium: 1-5 at.%) that enhance glass-forming ability through increased structural complexity and reduced atomic mobility during solidification
Solution Approach 2:
The patent develops a multi-element composite system Zr-Cu-Al-Ti-Nb-Ag-Pd that leverages the synergistic effects of different elements to achieve superior glass-forming ability, where each element contributes specific properties that collectively enable bulk amorphous formation without toxic constituents
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
A massive, nickel-free, amorphous alloy consisting, in atomic percentages, of: - a zirconium and/or hafnium base, constituting the balance, with a total zirconium and hafnium greater than or equal to 52.0 and less than or equal to 62.0; - copper: greater than or equal to 16.0 and less than or equal to 28.0; - iron: greater than or equal to 0.5 and less than or equal to 10.0; - aluminium: greater than or equal to 7.0 and less than or equal to 13.0; - at least two filler metals (X) taken from the family including Ti, V, Nb, Y, Cr, Mo, Co, Sn, Zn, P, Pd, Ag, Au, Pt, Ta, Ru, Rh, Ir, Os, and Hf when said base does not include any, and Zr when said base does not include any, the cumulative atomic percentage of said filler metals being greater than or equal to 6.0, and less than or equal to 10.0.