High durability structures of amorphous alloy and a method of forming
View Patent ↗Articles of bulk-solidifying amorphous alloys such as a golf club face insert with improved durability and fatigue resistance, and more specifically articles of bulk-solidifying amorphous alloys subjected to a surface treatment, such as shot-peening, which creates deformations in the exterior surface, and methods of improving the durability and fatigue resistance of bulk-solidifying amorphous alloys using a surface treatment, such as shot-peening.
1. An article comprising:
an exterior surface consisting of a bulk-solidifying amorphous alloy having a yield strength of at least 2 GPa, the exterior surface including a loading surface and a back surface on an opposite side of the loading surface;
the loading surface subject to a bending force toward the back surface, the back surface thereby subject to tensile stress;
the back surface including a surface treatment comprising a shot peening process; and
the loading surface not including the surface treatment;
wherein the back surface has an enhanced durability as compared to the loading surface and wherein the treated article is a golf ball face insert.
2. The article of claim 1 , wherein the bulk-solidifying amorphous alloy has a glass transition temperature of 500° C. or above.
3. The article of claim 2 , wherein the bulk-solidifying amorphous alloy comprises a composition being represented by a following general formula:
Ni a (Zr 1-x Ti x ) b Si c
where a, b and c are atomic percentages of nickel, zirconium plus titanium, and silicon, respectively, and x is an atomic fraction of titanium to zirconium, wherein;
45 atomic %≤a≤63 atomic %,
32 atomic %≤b≤48 atomic %,
1 atomic %≤c≤11 atomic %, and
0.4≤x≤0.6.
4. The article of claim 3 , wherein the bulk-solidifying amorphous alloy further comprises V, Cr, Mn, Cu, Co, W, Sn, Mo, Y, C, B, P, Al, or combinations thereof.
5. The article of claim 2 , wherein the bulk-solidifying amorphous alloy comprises a composition being represented by a following general formula:
Ni d (Zr 1-y Ti x ) e P f
where d, e and f are atomic percentages of nickel, zirconium plus titanium, and phosphorus, respectively, and y is an atomic fraction of titanium to zirconium, wherein;
50 atomic %≤d≤62 atomic %,
33 atomic %≤e≤46 atomic %,
3 atomic %≤f≤8 atomic %, and
0.4≤y ≤0.6.
6. The article of claim 1 , wherein the bulk-solidifying amorphous alloy comprises a ferrous alloy.
7. The article of claim 6 , wherein the bulk-solidifying amorphous alloy is the ferrous alloy comprising Fe, Ni and Co.
8. The article of claim 1 , wherein the bulk-solidifying amorphous alloy comprises a Ni-containing alloy.
9. The article of claim 1 , wherein the bulk-solidifying amorphous alloy has a glass transition temperature of 550° C. or above.
10. A method of improving durability and fatigue resistance of an exterior surface treated article of bulk-solidifying amorphous alloy having a yield strength of at least 2 GPa, the exterior surface including a loading surface and a back surface on an opposite side of the loading surface, the loading surface subject to a bending force toward the back surface, the back surface thereby subject to tensile stress, the method comprising:
creating a plurality of deformations solely in the back surface of the article by mechanically compressing a plurality of shots against the back surface; and
the loading surface comprising a surface free of the plurality of deformations; wherein the back surface is subject to maximum tensile stresses with a bending force applied to the loading surface and wherein the treated article is a golf ball face insert.