Nonmagnetic Amorphous Material
(Materials Performance)
Researchers at the University of Virginia (UVA) (Charlottesville, Virginia) recently announced that they have discovered a non-magnetic amorphous steel that can be machined as well as manipulated like a plastic. In addition, they contend that the material is three times stronger than conventional steel and has superior anticorrosion properties.
It can be squeezed, compressed, flattened, and shaped,” says UVA Professor of Materials Science and Engineering Gary Shiflet of the modified version of DARVA-Glass 1, another amorphous steel discovered at UVA 2 years ago. A future variation of the new material, which UVA Professor of Physics Joseph Poon describes as “extremely strong” yet brittle in its current state, may be used by the U.S. Navy to make ship hulls nonmagnetic and thus invisible to undersea magnetism detectors and mines that are detonated by magnetic fields. Other envisioned applications of the material include corrosion-resistant coatings, lighter automobiles, and surgical equipment. Poon and Shiflet collaborated with UVA Research Scientist in materials physics Vijayabarathi Ponnambalam. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) (Arlington, Virginia) sponsored the research.
Shiflet points out that researchers have tried for years to make amorphous steel in sizes large enough for practical uses. The UVA investigators contend that their amorphous steel achieves that goal and can be further scaled up. They point out that their material contains a small dose of a rare earth element or yttrium added to DARVA-Glass 1. The large size of the rare earth or yttrium atom is believed to destabilize the competing crystal structure. The resulting significant atomic stress reportedly can lead to the formation of the amorphous structure.
Poon is optimistic that the new material could be commercially viable within 5 years. Liquidmetal Technologies (Lake Forest, California) owns an exclusive license to the nonmagnetic amorphous steel.
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