A process for producing a molded material that can form metallic glass material in a state of lower viscosity, and can manufacture a small structure of several 10 μm or less in a comparatively short time while precisely controlling shape thereof, by the process comprising a heating step of heating supercooled state metallic glass material or a solid metallic glass material at a temperature increase rate of 0.5 K/s to a temperature at or higher than a temperature at which a crystallization process for a supercooled liquid of the metallic glass material begins, and a molding step of transfer molding the metallic glass material until the crystallization process for the supercooled liquid of the metallic glass material has been completed. In addition, the purpose is also to provide the molded material that has been formed by this process, a wavefront control element, and a diffraction grating.

An embodiment relates to a composition comprising an amorphous alloy having a low coefficient of friction (COF) of 0.15 or less, wherein the amorphous alloy is substantially free of phosphor (P) and substantially free of boron (B). An embodiment relates to a method comprising solidifying a molten layer of an amorphous feedstock on a preexisting layer by controlling a heating source and a cooling rate so as to avoid formation of crystals in the molten layer and not affect a crystalline structure of the preexisting layer, and forming a specimen; wherein, the at least a portion specimen has the low COF. Another embodiment relates to a system comprising a drill string, wherein the drill string comprises a drilling bit and a drill pipe connected thereto, wherein at least a portion of the drill pipe comprises a coating having the low COF.

There are provided an alloy ribbon piece that ensures an increased dimensional accuracy and a method for manufacturing the same. An alloy ribbon piece of the present disclosure includes a crystallized portion excluding an edge portion. The crystallized portion includes a nanocrystalline alloy obtained by crystallizing an amorphous alloy, and the edge portion includes an amorphous alloy.

Bulk metallic glass-based gripping arrays of nano- or micro-scale grippers are described, along with the methods of fabrication and use thereof. BMG-based gripping arrays can be fabricated via facile and scalable thermoplastic forming/molding methods typically available to polymeric materials, yet they possess many of the favorable properties of metallic alloys that polymers lack, such as, for example, excellent mechanical properties and robustness towards wear and adverse surrounding conditions.

Systems and methods in accordance with embodiments of the invention fabricate objects including amorphous metals using techniques akin to additive manufacturing. In one embodiment, a method of fabricating an object that includes an amorphous metal includes: applying a first layer of molten metallic alloy to a surface; cooling the first layer of molten metallic alloy such that it solidifies and thereby forms a first layer including amorphous metal; subsequently applying at least one layer of molten metallic alloy onto a layer including amorphous metal; cooling each subsequently applied layer of molten metallic alloy such that it solidifies and thereby forms a layer including amorphous metal prior to the application of any adjacent layer of molten metallic alloy; where the aggregate of the solidified layers including amorphous metal forms a desired shape in the object to be fabricated; and removing at least the first layer including amorphous metal from the surface.

Systems and methods in accordance with embodiments of the invention fabricate objects including amorphous metals using techniques akin to additive manufacturing. In one embodiment, a method of fabricating an object that includes an amorphous metal includes: applying a first layer of molten metallic alloy to a surface; cooling the first layer of molten metallic alloy such that it solidifies and thereby forms a first layer including amorphous metal; subsequently applying at least one layer of molten metallic alloy onto a layer including amorphous metal; cooling each subsequently applied layer of molten metallic alloy such that it solidifies and thereby forms a layer including amorphous metal prior to the application of any adjacent layer of molten metallic alloy; where the aggregate of the solidified layers including amorphous metal forms a desired shape in the object to be fabricated; and removing at least the first layer including amorphous metal from the surface.

Systems and methods for drawing high aspect ratio metallic glass-based materials are provided. Methods of drawing a high aspect ratio metallic glass-based material are premised on stably drawing high aspect ratio metallic glass-based material from a preform metallic glass-based composition, accounting for the relationships between: the desired formation of an amorphous structure that is substantially homogenous along the majority of the length of the drawn high aspect ratio material; the desired final geometry of the drawn high aspect ratio material; the nature of the force that is used to draw the molten metallic glass-based composition; the velocity at which the high aspect ratio material is drawn; the viscosity profile of the material along its length as it is being drawn; and/or the effect of temperature on the metallic glass-based material. A precise thermal treatment is imposed along the forming length of the drawn material so as to enable a steady state drawing process, the precise thermal treatment being based on: the desire to develop a substantially same amorphous structure along the length of the drawn material; the desired final geometry for the drawn material; the nature of the force used to draw the material; the velocity at which the material is being drawn; and/or the thermal treatment's impact on the viscosity profile of the material along its length as it is being drawn.

Systems and methods for drawing high aspect ratio metallic glass-based materials are provided. Methods of drawing a high aspect ratio metallic glass-based material are premised on stably drawing high aspect ratio metallic glass-based material from a preform metallic glass-based composition, accounting for the relationships between: the desired formation of an amorphous structure that is substantially homogenous along the majority of the length of the drawn high aspect ratio material; the desired final geometry of the drawn high aspect ratio material; the nature of the force that is used to draw the molten metallic glass-based composition; the velocity at which the high aspect ratio material is drawn; the viscosity profile of the material along its length as it is being drawn; and/or the effect of temperature on the metallic glass-based material. A precise thermal treatment is imposed along the forming length of the drawn material so as to enable a steady state drawing process, the precise thermal treatment being based on: the desire to develop a substantially same amorphous structure along the length of the drawn material; the desired final geometry for the drawn material; the nature of the force used to draw the material; the velocity at which the material is being drawn; and/or the thermal treatment's impact on the viscosity profile of the material along its length as it is being drawn.

Nanostructured materials that contain amorphous intergranular films (AIFs) are described herein. Amorphous intergranular films are structurally disordered (lacking the ordered pattern of a crystal) films that are up to a few nanometers thick. Nanostructured materials containing these films exhibit increased ductility, strength, and thermal stability simultaneously. A nanocrystalline material system that has two or more elements can be designed to contain AIFs at the grain boundaries, provided that the dopants segregate to the interface and certain materials science design rules are followed. An example of AIFs in a nanostructured CuZr alloy is provided to illustrate the benefits of integrating AIFs into nanostructured materials.

Nanostructured materials that contain amorphous intergranular films (AIFs) are described herein. Amorphous intergranular films are structurally disordered (lacking the ordered pattern of a crystal) films that are up to a few nanometers thick. Nanostructured materials containing these films exhibit increased ductility, strength, and thermal stability simultaneously. A nanocrystalline material system that has two or more elements can be designed to contain AIFs at the grain boundaries, provided that the dopants segregate to the interface and certain materials science design rules are followed. An example of AIFs in a nanostructured CuZr alloy is provided to illustrate the benefits of integrating AIFs into nanostructured materials.