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Metallic Glass (Amorphous Metal)

warbirdlover

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Here's another one that's already been used in golf clubs (Liquid Metal).

What makes any metal "weak" is the property to form crystalline "grains" when solidifying from a liquid (atoms align themselves into patterns). It is these grains that weaken metal and what all tensile and yield strength information is based on. (Fractures along the grain boundaries).

They are now able to cool the liquid metal to solid at such as fast rate that the metal does not form "grains" but remains in an "amorphous" form.

This means there are no more "weak" points in the metal structure. It can be crumpled up and will "spring" (not just slowing return) back to original shape.

You will see this in club faces in the next few years.
 

EnglishGolfer

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I remember reading that it was generally best to allow metals to cool slowly so the molecules could "settle" into their strongest position, whether this is indeed the case or whether it is just for structural metals I have no idea.
 
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warbirdlover

warbirdlover

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That's the old thinking on cooling which forms crystalline structures and grains. This cools it so fast there is no crystalline structures or grains formed. The grains are where "fractures" occur (along grain boundaries). If there are no grains there are basically no flaws. All the tensile, fatigue strength data on metals is based on their having grains. If there are none they will have to re-write the book on these metals.

http://www.jhu.edu/~matsci/people/faculty/hufnagel/background.html
 

Slingblade61

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$1500 dollar drivers are in our future, huh?

Seriously, what sort of cost would this new treatment be?
Is this a precast treatment or something that happens after the pour?

What about forgings?
 

nsherman2006

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Jan 4, 2005
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LiquidMetal did it without an overly extravagant price tag. I have heard good reviews about the feel of the club, but i think that it wasnt exactly a well-designed club nor did it get the exposure it needed to succeed. It will be interesting to see if this technology is experimented with again. It may allow for thinner clubfaces, but we're at the point where the necessary COR can be reached with ultralight materials using existing technology without rampant club failures, so i dont know how much use it would have
 
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warbirdlover

warbirdlover

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It's not a treatment but is done by extremely fast cooling of the liquid metal to solidify it before it has a chance to form the normal crystalline structure. They circulate nitrogen in the ingot molds I believe. Once it's in this condition they can re-melt it and cast it at a slower cooling temperature. It wants to stay in this form.

I'm thinking it could be done at a reasonable cost but might exceed the USGA rules on club faces.

I just put this thread in here so everyone might know what this is if they ever see it advertised in a golf club. You'll be seeing this in other products for sure in the coming years.

You can buy those Liquidmetal drivers brand new (Edwin Watts?) for $50 now.

Here's an excellent site for background on it.

http://www.liquidmetal.com/

http://www.golferseagle.com/liqdriv.html
 

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