< The purpose of this
project >
Metallic glasses posses superior mechanical properties such as high tensile strength,
wear resistance and large elastic strain as well as good corrosion resistance.
They can be applied as structural materials, wear resistant materials and tool
materials. Some of these alloys also exhibit superplasticity including high strain
rate flow ability. In addition, these materials also exhibit ferromagnetism, and
thus, attract attention as functional magnetic materials. Formation of bulk metallic
glasses is often connected with formation of a supercooled liquid. The stabilization
has enabled the production of bulk metallic glasses ranging from 1 to 100 mm in
the thickness by using various casting processes.
Nanoscale crystalline or quasicrystalline particles with the size ranging from
1 to 100 nm can precipitate within matrix glassy phase forming nanocomposite.
Nanocrystalline or nanoquasicrystalline precipitates in the amorphous matrix form
mixed partially amorphous structure and improve tensile strength and ductility
of the alloy.
However, in order to use metallic glasses for different applications, it is necessary
to combine them with other materials such as crystalline metallic materials and
ceramics. This project is performed in cooperation with IMR, JWRI and MSL for
materials design and development of new function materials and their welding and
joining. The additional purpose of this project is a contribution to society by
technological development of new materials and their scientific investigation.
The Project team is well equipped to produce Rapidly Solidified, Bulk Glassy and
Nanostructured Alloys as well as to study their properties in the following areas:
· Glass Forming
Ability and Thermal Stability
· Devitrification and Phase Transformations
· General Physical, Mechanical, Magnetic, Electrical, and Corrosion Properties
· Structure of Bulk Glasses, Supercooled Liquid and Nanomaterials
· Evaluation of Glass-forming ability for bulk glassy alloys and estimation
of composition range for formation of glassy phase
< A challenge to joining technology by research institute cooperation
>
Why Inter-Institute cooperation?
Institute for Materials Research (IMR) is a world-leader research organization
in the field of advanced metallic materials, while Materials and Structure Laboratory
(MSL) is a famous research organization for studying inorganic materials. In addition,
Joining and Welding Research Institute (JWRI) is a well-known research organization
specialized in welding and joining. In order to utilize functional materials,
it is essential to develop a joining technology for these materials. We have a
purpose of establishing a new field of advanced materials by this inter-Institution
cooperation. An immediate practical use of these metal glassy/inorganic hybrid
materials will be provided as a result of this research collaboration.
Production, Joining and
Application: science and technology
(Fabrication and effective
application of these advanced materials)
Another aim of this project is production and welding of metallic glasses with
other commercially used materials and new materials (bulk, film and fine particles
materials). The project consists of three research groups: fabrication group,
design group and characterization group in IMR. The aim of the fabrication group
is production and optimization of a joining process for metallic glasses and other
materials. The role of design group consists of evaluation of interfacial properties,
thermodynamic stability of these materials, construction of phase diagram, structure
design and materials application. The characterization group investigates microstructure
of materials and interfaces of jointed samples and as well as evaluation of the
properties of the whole samples and their interfaces.
< Outline of this project >
The project has been organized in cooperation among the research groups at three
institutes; Institute for Materials Research (IMR), Tohoku University; Joining
and Welding Research Institute (JWRI), Osaka University; and Materials and Structure
Laboratory (MSL), Tokyo Institute of Technology. The project started in April
2005, and will be continued for next 5 years.
The aim of this project is to create new functional materials such as metallic
glasses and ceramics, as well as to develop a welding technology to produce hybrid
materials. Namely, IMR and MSL research groups will cooperate though JWRI research
group, in the development of new hybrid materials by joining and bonding of glassy
and ceramic materials. JWRI research group will provide information on the materials
characteristics, structure and properties related to joining technology to IMR
and MSL, and will proceed in the development of advanced welding
