3d Printed Metallic Glass Components Increase Electric Motor Efficiency
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Metal Alloys
Elemental Composition
Metallic substances composed of two or more chemical elements, where at least one constituent is a base metal, deliver mechanical and physical properties unattainable in pure elemental form. Commercial metal alloys combine base metals like iron, aluminum, copper, or nickel with deliberate concentrations of alloying additions. These combinations modify conductivity, thermal expansion, yield strength, and oxidation rates according to metallurgic phase solubility rules.
The definition excludes non-metallic composite materials and sintered metal-ceramic cermets.
Microstructural Evolution
Molten mixtures solidify into solid solution crystals or complex multiphase structures governed by thermodynamic equilibrium diagrams. Substitutional alloying elements replace solvent atoms directly inside the metallic crystal lattice, creating localized strain fields that obstruct dislocation slip. Interstitial additions like carbon position themselves within interstitial lattice spaces, substantially increasing hard phase formation in structural steels.
Controlled hot rolling and cold working induce strain hardening, which subsequent recrystallization annealing relieves to balance ductility against hardness.
Environmental Resilience
Grain boundary precipitation of chromium carbides induces intergranular corrosion under aggressive acid exposure. Passivation layers of chromium oxide or aluminum oxide spontaneously form on stable surfaces, protecting subsurface structures from atmospheric degradation. Engineered metal alloys exhibit specified galvanic potentials that dictate compatible fastener selection and welding consumable choices in structural fabrication.