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Stronger Than Steel, Novel Metals Are as Moldable as Plastic
Science Daily ^ | 02-28-2011 | Staff

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 ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Technical
KEYWORDS: atlasshrugged; metallurgy; reardenmetal; science
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To: ClearCase_guy

That was just a weather balloon..... ;)


21 posted on 02/28/2011 9:21:04 PM PST by Secret Agent Man (I'd like to tell you, but then I'd have to kill you.)
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To: Red Badger; Tigerized

Cool! Suitable for aircraft?


22 posted on 02/28/2011 9:22:52 PM PST by bootless (Never Forget. Never Again. (PursuingLiberty.com))
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To: Jack Hammer

Mylar.....


23 posted on 02/28/2011 9:24:19 PM PST by Red Badger (Want to be surprised? Google your own name. Want to have fun? Google your friend's names.....)
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To: bootless

I would asume so......and car parts......


24 posted on 02/28/2011 9:25:55 PM PST by Red Badger (Want to be surprised? Google your own name. Want to have fun? Google your friend's names.....)
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To: precisionshootist
May be the 'flow metal' from Dune.......
25 posted on 02/28/2011 9:27:23 PM PST by Red Badger (Want to be surprised? Google your own name. Want to have fun? Google your friend's names.....)
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To: 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.”

I can’t read sentences like that with being reminded of Charlie Sheen’s recent interviews. Just add “Winning!” on the end.


26 posted on 03/01/2011 3:49:41 AM PST by B.Lyle
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To: Jack Hammer
Haslacher, Alfred B.

Patent 2423237 - issued 7/47

Referenced in a number of later superplastic forming patents for some reason.

27 posted on 03/01/2011 6:04:59 AM PST by Paladin2
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To: bootless
Cool! Suitable for aircraft?

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.

28 posted on 03/01/2011 6:07:38 AM PST by Paladin2
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To: Jack Hammer
Ever since July, 1947, in fact.

I was thinking the same thing as I read the article. Great minds think alike!

29 posted on 03/01/2011 7:01:59 AM PST by GingisK
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To: Red Badger

Cheap Sunglasses?


30 posted on 03/01/2011 5:38:31 PM PST by SunkenCiv (The 2nd Amendment follows right behind the 1st because some people are hard of hearing.)
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To: SunkenCiv

Made of bulk metal glass!.....

31 posted on 03/01/2011 5:48:10 PM PST by Red Badger (Want to be surprised? Google your own name. Want to have fun? Google your friend's names.....)
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