US 11,920,668 B2
Systems and methods for implementing bulk metallic glass-based macroscale gears
Douglas C Hofmann, Altadena, CA (US); Andrew Kennett, Montrose, CA (US); and Kobie T. Boykins, Sunland, CA (US)
Assigned to California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA (US)
Filed by California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA (US)
Filed on Mar. 5, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/193,573.
Application 17/193,573 is a continuation of application No. 16/259,772, filed on Jan. 28, 2019, granted, now 10,941,847.
Application 16/259,772 is a continuation of application No. 13/928,109, filed on Jun. 26, 2013, abandoned.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/664,620, filed on Jun. 26, 2012.
Prior Publication US 2021/0254699 A1, Aug. 19, 2021
Int. Cl. F16H 55/06 (2006.01); C22C 1/02 (2006.01); C22C 14/00 (2006.01); C22C 30/00 (2006.01); C22C 45/10 (2006.01)
CPC F16H 55/06 (2013.01) [C22C 1/02 (2013.01); C22C 14/00 (2013.01); C22C 30/00 (2013.01); C22C 45/10 (2013.01); Y10T 29/49462 (2015.01); Y10T 74/19 (2015.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of fabricating a bulk metallic glass-based macroscale gear, comprising:
identifying an alloy system with a fracture toughness of between 20 MPa*m1/2 and 100 MPa*m1/2;
micro-alloying the alloy system to achieve a hardness of at least 400 Vickers, while maintaining the fracture toughness of between 20 MPa*m1/2 and 80 MPa*m1/2, and a glass forming ability of 4 mm;
selecting a bulk metallic glass forming alloy from the micro-alloyed alloying system, wherein the bulk metallic glass forming alloy is characterized by a set of criteria comprising: a hardness of 450 to 565 Vickers, a fracture toughness of between 20 and 80 MPa*m1/2, a glass forming ability of at least 4 mm, and a plastic zone radius; and
fabricating the bulk metallic glass-based macroscale gear free of crystalline phase from the selected bulk metallic glass forming alloy, the gear having a plurality of gear teeth and characterized by a shape and a plurality of dimensions, wherein at least one dimension of the plurality of dimensions is larger than the plastic zone radius.