I read somewhere that the "liquidmetal" process could be used with whatever compound is in cubic zirconia gems... And that the result would be clearer than glass (visually transparent) and be a very hard/strong surface.
If this is possible, maybe Apple plans on replacing the front glass with this material.
If I can find any references, I'll update this post.
Edit: Here's one reference & a quote about 60% through the article:
I have a little knowledge(=dangerous amount) of zirconia from use but not in it's cubic form. Cubic zirconia isnt made from a compound, just pure zirconia. At elevated temperatures it goes through a phase transition from its amorphous form to the cubic form which has properties somewhat similar to diamonds. I'm curious if the zirconia they use in some of the liquid metal has been subject to this phase transition or not. In its cubic form it isn't amorphous and in its amorphous form it's not transparent, but it is still a very hard material. I think the knives they make from it are still in an amorphous state.
I think this is a little tangential to your post but ,um, ya. That's what I know.
It said: "Samsung teamed up with Liquidmetal Technologies to produce a super-thin LCD screen frame component for its innovative SCH-X199 mobile phone model."
"Herro Aric Balrin. This is Kim Jong Un. I berieve you know my faver. Rong time, no see. Have you heard? Spoirer arert! The new iPhone will be made fwom riquid metar. I want one! Send me one as soon as dey are avairable, or Tina Fey wirr die a swow and painfur deaf!"
Now can we please get back to speculating about what Liquidmetal may, or may not do given that all most of us actually know about it is that it is a mixture of metals, it makes a superb SIM removal tool, and will cause one to focus on a glass cylinder for 30% longer than most other metals tested so far.
It's posts like this that make me wish AppleInsider had mod points
Isn't all metal liquid at some (high) temperature?
Is this some sort of plastic-metal mix?
Yes to the first question. No to the second. The terms liquid and plastic describe properties of materials, not the actual material even though most people use the word plastic to refer to a class of material. Glass in its molten state exhibits properties that are described as plastic and liquid. Upon cooling, it no longer has those properties.
Is this really exciting news¿ I can really care less what materials are used. I always buy a secondary cover to protect all of my phones and tablets so they can use bamboo as far as I'm concerned. Actually bamboo sounds pretty cool, with maybe a magnesium skeleton.
The problems with ceramic is that it is typically expensive and brittle. They have knives made out of ceramic Kyocerra and they may be sharp, but if you drop on on a hard surface, tile, concrete, that stuff chips and shatters. That is unless they figure out how to not make it brittle. Liquidmetal seems like the best alternative, but the biggest thing is how it does with reception. I am sure Apple understands the importance of having good reception, at least this has been brought to their attention, so if Liquidmetal does do well with reception, shielding, durability, etc., it is supposed to be much cheaper to fabricate than metal, so it might make their product better and cheaper to mfg. IF so, then i guess we'll see it on iPods, iPads, Laptops, Desktops, etc. over the course of the next year or so. If this is their future, then it might be safe to say that they might have an almost indestructible product, especially if some newer form of screen technology that won't shatter, which IS in development by at least one or two screen mfg. It's just a matter of time.
Yes to the first question. No to the second. The terms liquid and plastic describe properties of materials, not the actual material even though most people use the word plastic to refer to a class of material. Glass in its molten state exhibits properties that are described as plastic and liquid. Upon cooling, it no longer has those properties.
In this case, I think "Liquidmetal" refers to neither material property, nor class of material. I think it's just marketing jargon (example: "Liquid Nails" adhesive products).
Is this really exciting news¿ I can really care less what materials are used. I always buy a secondary cover to protect all of my phones and tablets so they can use bamboo as far as I'm concerned. Actually bamboo sounds pretty cool, with maybe a magnesium skeleton.
Isn't all metal liquid at some (high) temperature?
Is this some sort of plastic-metal mix?
When you melt a metal it becomes liquid. When it cools and solidifies crystals form. With liquid metal, the alloy stays amorphous even after it has solidified, meaning the metals are all still thoroughly mixed together as crystals don't form.
Isn't all metal liquid at some (high) temperature?
Yes.
Quote:
Originally Posted by noexpectations
Is this some sort of plastic-metal mix?
No.
Regular metal is liquid at high temperatures and when cooled it crystallises, creating giant easy to exploit "seams" (for lack of a better word) where it will fracture under stress. Liquidmetal is based on a way of making the metal cool differently so that it doesn't crystallise and therefore is much less prone to fracturing or catastrophic breaking.
So it's more or less the same as any other metal, but with some trace elements added and created using a process that allows it to stay flexible without the typical weak points of regular metals that have been cooled in the usual way.
Typically it's main qualities are extra stiffness, strength and durability and resistance to impacts.
It's not radio transparent, but personally, I would guess the fact that it doesn't shrink when it cools like regular metals is really the quality that might make it interesting to Apple's designers.
Oh my gosh I love them, I must have that iPad case. Thank you, I didn't know they made them. I used to have a Asus sub notebook that was covered in Bamboo, I wonder if they still sell them.
In this case, I think "Liquidmetal" refers to neither material property, nor class of material. I think it's just marketing jargon (example: "Liquid Nails" adhesive products).
Yes indeed. Thanks for the further clarification. Liquidmetal is just a trade name for their formulations of amorphous alloys.
Edit: actually in this case the liquid in liquidmetal is being used to describe its structural similarity to materials in a liquid state.
How about just making the entire phone transparent using Gorilla Glass. Ever sense seeing that translucent PowerBook Duo in Hackers I have always wanted more see threw products.
It said: "Samsung teamed up with Liquidmetal Technologies to produce a super-thin LCD screen frame component for its innovative SCH-X199 mobile phone model."
Sigh. Read the entire bloody thing, will you?
The aforementioned paragraph appears near the end of the PR release.
Comments
I read somewhere that the "liquidmetal" process could be used with whatever compound is in cubic zirconia gems... And that the result would be clearer than glass (visually transparent) and be a very hard/strong surface.
If this is possible, maybe Apple plans on replacing the front glass with this material.
If I can find any references, I'll update this post.
Edit: Here's one reference & a quote about 60% through the article:
Behind Apple's Stunningly Crafted iPhone is a Patent
I have a little knowledge(=dangerous amount
I think this is a little tangential to your post but ,um, ya. That's what I know.
http://www.wallstreet-online.de/disk...hnologies-lqmt
It said: "Samsung teamed up with Liquidmetal Technologies to produce a super-thin LCD screen frame component for its innovative SCH-X199 mobile phone model."
(The original Liquidmetal formula includes platinum, which is $1577 per troy ounce as I type, as opposed to gold at $1639 per troy ounce.)
Wow. I had no idea that gold is going for more than platinum these days.
Mmmm...
I bought some LQMT at $0.16 on April 10...
I bought some more, today at $0.199...
Currently it is $0.2245
No big investment here, just playing a hunch (after doing some research)...
But, It is probably worth holding until the next iPhone release -- it could get some visibility!
(telephone rings at the home of a famous actor)
"Herro Aric Balrin. This is Kim Jong Un. I berieve you know my faver. Rong time, no see. Have you heard? Spoirer arert! The new iPhone will be made fwom riquid metar. I want one! Send me one as soon as dey are avairable, or Tina Fey wirr die a swow and painfur deaf!"
Is this some sort of plastic-metal mix?
Yes, here I'll demonstrate:Now can we please get back to speculating about what Liquidmetal may, or may not do given that all most of us actually know about it is that it is a mixture of metals, it makes a superb SIM removal tool, and will cause one to focus on a glass cylinder for 30% longer than most other metals tested so far.
It's posts like this that make me wish AppleInsider had mod points
Isn't all metal liquid at some (high) temperature?
Is this some sort of plastic-metal mix?
Yes to the first question. No to the second. The terms liquid and plastic describe properties of materials, not the actual material even though most people use the word plastic to refer to a class of material. Glass in its molten state exhibits properties that are described as plastic and liquid. Upon cooling, it no longer has those properties.
Apple has no intention of using any metal or glass in their future case designs.
Now that Greenpeace as labeled them "Evil", Apple will switch to cases made from hemp.
Yes to the first question. No to the second. The terms liquid and plastic describe properties of materials, not the actual material even though most people use the word plastic to refer to a class of material. Glass in its molten state exhibits properties that are described as plastic and liquid. Upon cooling, it no longer has those properties.
In this case, I think "Liquidmetal" refers to neither material property, nor class of material. I think it's just marketing jargon (example: "Liquid Nails" adhesive products).
Is this really exciting news¿ I can really care less what materials are used. I always buy a secondary cover to protect all of my phones and tablets so they can use bamboo as far as I'm concerned. Actually bamboo sounds pretty cool, with maybe a magnesium skeleton.
Root Cases - Wood And Bamboo iPhone Cases
Isn't all metal liquid at some (high) temperature?
Is this some sort of plastic-metal mix?
When you melt a metal it becomes liquid. When it cools and solidifies crystals form. With liquid metal, the alloy stays amorphous even after it has solidified, meaning the metals are all still thoroughly mixed together as crystals don't form.
Isn't all metal liquid at some (high) temperature?
Yes.
Is this some sort of plastic-metal mix?
No.
Regular metal is liquid at high temperatures and when cooled it crystallises, creating giant easy to exploit "seams" (for lack of a better word) where it will fracture under stress. Liquidmetal is based on a way of making the metal cool differently so that it doesn't crystallise and therefore is much less prone to fracturing or catastrophic breaking.
So it's more or less the same as any other metal, but with some trace elements added and created using a process that allows it to stay flexible without the typical weak points of regular metals that have been cooled in the usual way.
Typically it's main qualities are extra stiffness, strength and durability and resistance to impacts.
It's not radio transparent, but personally, I would guess the fact that it doesn't shrink when it cools like regular metals is really the quality that might make it interesting to Apple's designers.
But that's just me.
Root Cases - Wood And Bamboo iPhone Cases
Oh my gosh I love them, I must have that iPad case. Thank you, I didn't know they made them. I used to have a Asus sub notebook that was covered in Bamboo, I wonder if they still sell them.
In this case, I think "Liquidmetal" refers to neither material property, nor class of material. I think it's just marketing jargon (example: "Liquid Nails" adhesive products).
Yes indeed. Thanks for the further clarification. Liquidmetal is just a trade name for their formulations of amorphous alloys.
Edit: actually in this case the liquid in liquidmetal is being used to describe its structural similarity to materials in a liquid state.
It said: "Samsung teamed up with Liquidmetal Technologies to produce a super-thin LCD screen frame component for its innovative SCH-X199 mobile phone model."
Sigh. Read the entire bloody thing, will you?
The aforementioned paragraph appears near the end of the PR release.