A method for production of an ingot of a bulk glass-forming alloy, comprising the steps of: Providing a homogeneous melt of a bulk glass-forming alloy; casting the homogeneous melt into a casting mould, whereby the casting mould does not cool down below the glass-transition temperature of the alloy at the contact surface to the melt for at least 5 seconds; and cooling down the melt below the glass transition temperature of the bulk glass-forming alloy while obtaining the ingot.

A method for production of an ingot of a bulk glass-forming alloy, comprising the steps of: Providing a homogeneous melt of a bulk glass-forming alloy; casting the homogeneous melt into a casting mould, whereby the casting mould does not cool down below the glass-transition temperature of the alloy at the contact surface to the melt for at least 5 seconds; and cooling down the melt below the glass transition temperature of the bulk glass-forming alloy while obtaining the ingot.

A process for producing a metal alloy balance wheel by molding, the process including the following steps: a) making a mold in the negative shape of the balance wheel, b) getting hold of a metal alloy that has a thermal expansion coefficient of less than 25 ppm/° C. and is able to be in an at least partly amorphous state when it is heated to a temperature between its glass transition temperature and its crystallization temperature, c) putting the metal alloy into the mold, the metal alloy being heated to a temperature between its glass transition temperature and its crystallization temperature so as to be hot-molded and to form a balance wheel, d) cooling the metal alloy to obtain a balance wheel made of the metal alloy, e) releasing the balance wheel obtained in step d) from its mold.

Systems and methods for developing tough hypoeutectic amorphous metal-based materials for additive manufacturing, and methods of additive manufacturing using such materials are provided. The methods use 3D printing of discrete thin layers during the assembly of bulk parts from metallic glass alloys with compositions selected to improve toughness at the expense of glass forming ability. The metallic glass alloy used in manufacturing of a bulk part is selected to have minimal glass forming ability for the per layer cooling rate afforded by the manufacturing process, and may be specially composed for high toughness.

Systems and methods for developing tough hypoeutectic amorphous metal-based materials for additive manufacturing, and methods of additive manufacturing using such materials are provided. The methods use 3D printing of discrete thin layers during the assembly of bulk parts from metallic glass alloys with compositions selected to improve toughness at the expense of glass forming ability. The metallic glass alloy used in manufacturing of a bulk part is selected to have minimal glass forming ability for the per layer cooling rate afforded by the manufacturing process, and may be specially composed for high toughness.

The invention relates to a nuclear fuel cladding comprising: i) a substrate containing a zirconium-based inner layer, optionally coated with at least one intermediate layer formed by at least one intermediate material selected from among tantalum, molybdenum, tungsten, niobium, vanadium, hafnium or the alloys thereof; and ii) at least one protective outer layer placed on the substrate and formed by a protective material selected from either chromium or an alloy of chromium. The nuclear fuel cladding produced using the method of the invention has improved resistance to oxidation/hydriding. The invention also relates to the method for the production of the nuclear fuel cladding by ion etching of the surface of the substrate and deposition of the outer layer on the substrate with a high power impulse magnetron sputtering method (HiPIMS), as well as to the use thereof to protect against oxidation and/or hydriding.

The present disclosure discloses a zonal trabecular uni-compartmental femoral condylar component containing zirconium-niobium alloy on oxidation layer and preparation method, including following steps: using zirconium niobium alloy powder as raw material, conducting a 3D printing for one-piece molding to obtain an intermediate product of the uni-compartmental femoral condylar component, performing hot isostatic pressing and cryogenic oxidation to obtain the uni-compartmental femoral condylar component; the uni-compartmental femoral condylar component includes an articular surface and an osseointegration surface, a bone trabeculae is arranged on the osseointegration surface. The present invention can reduce the fretting wear of the interface between the prosthesis and the bone, and reduce the stress shielding effect of the prosthesis on the bone tissue, homogenize the stress of the femoral condylar bone tissue, and improve the initial stability and long-term stability of the uni-compartmental femoral condylar component.

The present disclosure discloses a zonal trabecular uni-compartmental femoral condylar component containing zirconium-niobium alloy on oxidation layer and preparation method, including following steps: using zirconium niobium alloy powder as raw material, conducting a 3D printing for one-piece molding to obtain an intermediate product of the uni-compartmental femoral condylar component, performing hot isostatic pressing and cryogenic oxidation to obtain the uni-compartmental femoral condylar component; the uni-compartmental femoral condylar component includes an articular surface and an osseointegration surface, a bone trabeculae is arranged on the osseointegration surface. The present invention can reduce the fretting wear of the interface between the prosthesis and the bone, and reduce the stress shielding effect of the prosthesis on the bone tissue, homogenize the stress of the femoral condylar bone tissue, and improve the initial stability and long-term stability of the uni-compartmental femoral condylar component.

A high entropy alloy-based composition is provided that has the formula: (M.sup.1.sub.aM.sup.2.sub.bM.sup.3.sub.cM.sup.4.sub.dM.sup.5.sub.eM.sup.6.sub.f)CrAlY.sub.1-x-zZr.sub.xMo.sub.z where: each of M.sup.1, M.sup.2, M.sup.3, M.sup.4, M.sup.5, and M.sup.6 is a different alloying element selected from the group consisting of Ni, Co, Fe, Si, Mn, and Cu such that none of M.sup.1, M.sup.2, M.sup.3, M.sup.4, M.sup.5, and M.sup.6 are the same alloying element; 0.05≤a≤0.35; 0.05≤b≤0.35; 0.05≤c≤0.35; 0.05≤d≤0.35; 0.05≤e≤0.35; 0≤f≤0.35; a+b+c+d+e+f=1; 0≤x≤1; 0≤z≤1; and 0≤x+z≤1.

A high entropy alloy-based composition is provided that has the formula: (M.sup.1.sub.aM.sup.2.sub.bM.sup.3.sub.cM.sup.4.sub.dM.sup.5.sub.eM.sup.6.sub.f)CrAlY.sub.1-x-zZr.sub.xMo.sub.z where: each of M.sup.1, M.sup.2, M.sup.3, M.sup.4, M.sup.5, and M.sup.6 is a different alloying element selected from the group consisting of Ni, Co, Fe, Si, Mn, and Cu such that none of M.sup.1, M.sup.2, M.sup.3, M.sup.4, M.sup.5, and M.sup.6 are the same alloying element; 0.05≤a≤0.35; 0.05≤b≤0.35; 0.05≤c≤0.35; 0.05≤d≤0.35; 0.05≤e≤0.35; 0≤f≤0.35; a+b+c+d+e+f=1; 0≤x≤1; 0≤z≤1; and 0≤x+z≤1.