From the URL, I'm seeing it was from Jan 2013. The interesting part, to me, was that it says that 100 gram ingots are the largest ingot for input into the molding process. If that's still the case it makes sense we haven't seen anything of significant size yet. I wonder if they've increased that size yet.
From the URL, I'm seeing it was from Jan 2013. The interesting part, to me, was that it says that 100 gram ingots are the largest ingot for input into the molding process. If that's still the case it makes sense we haven't seen anything of significant size yet. I wonder if they've increased that size yet.
I'd hazard a guess that to injection mold anything of a significant size in liquidmetal, you would have to do it in orbit.
Why in orbit? [imagining Apple building an orbiting facility is kind of blowing my mind.]
My understanding is that when LM is injected, it has to be cooled very rapidly so that the alloy remains amorphous and bits don't crystalise, loosing the unique properties. I have read that a slower rate of coolling can be used in zero G to avoid this. Obviously with large scale LM injection it is not going to be practicable to quench fast enough to have the material remain amorphous, so I am guessing that it might only be doable under zero G.
Comments
liquidmetal is very expensive, far more so than mild steel or aluminium.
Then there is the processing. Spot the problem:
https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hub/202786/file-20168667-pdf/docs/liquidmetal_design_guide_rev_1.0_24january2013.pdf
From the URL, I'm seeing it was from Jan 2013. The interesting part, to me, was that it says that 100 gram ingots are the largest ingot for input into the molding process. If that's still the case it makes sense we haven't seen anything of significant size yet. I wonder if they've increased that size yet.
From the URL, I'm seeing it was from Jan 2013. The interesting part, to me, was that it says that 100 gram ingots are the largest ingot for input into the molding process. If that's still the case it makes sense we haven't seen anything of significant size yet. I wonder if they've increased that size yet.
I'd hazard a guess that to injection mold anything of a significant size in liquidmetal, you would have to do it in orbit.
...or Turing phone
Right you are. Both the Turing phone and the Doogee F2015 will be using liquid metal in their construction this year.
I'd hazard a guess that to injection mold anything of a significant size in liquidmetal, you would have to do it in orbit.
Why in orbit? [imagining Apple building an orbiting facility is kind of blowing my mind.]
Apple-lysium?
Why in orbit? [imagining Apple building an orbiting facility is kind of blowing my mind.]
My understanding is that when LM is injected, it has to be cooled very rapidly so that the alloy remains amorphous and bits don't crystalise, loosing the unique properties. I have read that a slower rate of coolling can be used in zero G to avoid this. Obviously with large scale LM injection it is not going to be practicable to quench fast enough to have the material remain amorphous, so I am guessing that it might only be doable under zero G.