Posted on 02/28/2011 8:06:03 PM PST by Red Badger
Imagine a material that's stronger than steel, but just as versatile as plastic, able to take on a seemingly endless variety of forms. For decades, materials scientists have been trying to come up with just such an ideal substance, one that could be molded into complex shapes with the same ease and low expense as plastic but without sacrificing the strength and durability of metal Now a team led by Jan Schroers, a materials scientist at Yale University has shown that some recently developed bulk metallic glasses(BMGs)-metal alloys that have randomly arranged atoms as opposed to the orderly, crystalline structure found in ordinary metals- can be blow molded like plastics can be blow molded like plastics into complex shapes that can't be achieved using regular metal, yet without sacrificing the strength or durability that metal affords. Their findings are described online in the current issue of the journal nto complex shapes that can't be into complex shapes that can't be achieved using regular metal, yet without sacrificing the strength or durability that metal affords. Their findings are described online in the current issue of the journa Materials Today."These alloys look like ordinary metal but can be blow molded just as cheaply and as easily as...
(Excerpt) Read more at sciencedaily.com ...
That was just a weather balloon..... ;)
Cool! Suitable for aircraft?
Mylar.....
I would asume so......and car parts......
“Imagine a material that’s stronger than steel, but just as versatile as plastic, able to take on a seemingly endless variety of forms.”
I can’t read sentences like that with being reminded of Charlie Sheen’s recent interviews. Just add “Winning!” on the end.
Patent 2423237 - issued 7/47
Referenced in a number of later superplastic forming patents for some reason.
I don't think I'm interested, in a blow molded bridge, but a blow molded airplane fuselage made of metal sounds better than a FRP airplane.
I was thinking the same thing as I read the article. Great minds think alike!
Cheap Sunglasses?
Made of bulk metal glass!.....
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