Field of the Invention

The technical solution is in the field of construction elements made of thin- walled materials capable of being shaped according to application requirements.

Description of the Related Art

It is generally known that metallic glass is a material with an amorphous structure and a typical thickness of several tens of microns. Parts made of metallic glass are usually flexible, but not malleable, and they are also known to return to roughly their original shape after mechanical deformation (unless the degree of deformation is large enough to cause permanent deformation). Current use of metallic glass was therefore limited to applications in which thin-striped shapes or strips wound into a ring shape were favourable.

From currently known solutions, WO2011/069273 for example deals with a method of manufacturing a watch spring from a strip of metallic glass, and describes its formation by plastic deformation. The method of manufacture includes a fixation of the formed part of the strip with heat treatment. The temperature of the heat treatment is less than 50°C, or less than 100°C less than the transition temperature Tg of the metallic glass, or less than the

crystallization temperature Tx for an alloy that exhibits no Tg, or when Tg > Tx.

The solution in US 2002/0195178 deals with geometrically formed amorphous alloys.

Examples describe processing a metallic strip of an amorphous alloy with a thickness of 40 μπι ^ 90 μηι.

EP 0 517 094 describes a method of shaping an amorphous alloy, according to which the material is processed at a^emperature within the glass transition temperature Tg and crystallization temperature Tx. The material remained amorphous even after the formation, and maintained good mechanical strength.

US 2003047248 deals with a method of shaping products from an amorphous alloy with a high elastic limit. The method includes heat treatments around the glass transition range. The shaped products maintains good elasticity.

The document WO 2011/127414 deals with electromagnetic molding of metallic glass using capacitive discharges and magnetic fields. The molding tool is preferably heated to a temperature close to the glass transition temperature of this amorphous material. According to this document, the processing temperature is in the middle between the glass transition temperature and the equilibrium melting temperature of the alloy. The document WO 02/072905 deals with a method of product manufacture by forming and crystallization of amorphous alloys, and shows that forming is best performed when the material is in an amorphous state at a temperature between the glass transition temperature and the crystallization temperature of the alloy.

EP 1 499 461 deals with thermoplastic forming of amorphous alloys. According to the document, the range of temperatures below crystallization temperature but above transition temperature is referred to as thermoplastic zone, in which the material forms. The forming duration must be short in order to prevent crystallization. The formed material maintains elasticity.

Currently known thin strips have limited use in practice as construction elements, even despite their excellent mechanical and elastic properties (such as high tensile strength).

Summary of the Invention

The deficiencies of current solutions are to a significant degree removed by this invention, which allows for the manufacture of construction elements based on single- and multi-layered amorphous metallic glass, permanently formed into desired shapes while preserving their original flexibility and amoiphous structure. Shaping metallic glass into the form of strips was until now unknown and unused. The main advantage of the solution according to this invention is that a high rate of change in the shape of the strip, as well as the continuity of shaping (parts of any length, practically without limits, can be made), are ensured during the manufacture of parts from metallic glass. After shaping the metallic glass using the technological procedure according to this invention, the resulting parts maintain the shape acquired by the forming, the amorphous structure and flexibility.

Metallic glass-based construction element according to this invention is composed of one of the following materials:

- binary metallic glass, based on a metal from the group of late transition metals (3d), especially Fe, Co, Ni, with a glass-forming element from the group of metalloids, especially B, C, Si.

(For example FelOO-zBz, z = 10-30, in the temperature range between 300 and 500 °C, specific example Fe85B15).

- ternary metallic glass, based on a combination of two metals from the group of late

transition metals (3d), especially Fe, Co, Ni, with a glass-forming element from the group of metalloids, especially, B, C, Si.

(For example Ni92.3Si4.5B3.3, (Fel-xCoix)lOO-zBz, x = 0-1, z = 10-30, (Fel-xNix)100-zBz, x = 0-1, z = 10-30, in the temperature range between 300 and 500 °C, specific example (FelCol)80B20). - ternary metallic glass, based on a combination of two metals from the group of late transition metals (3d), especially Fe, Co, Ni, with a glass-forming element from the group of metalloids, especially B, C, Si, and additives from the group of early transition metals, especially Y, Zr, Nb, Mo.

(For example FelOO-x-zNbxBz, where x = 0-10, z = 10-30, in the temperature range between 300 and 450 °C, specific example Fe81Nb7B12).

- quaternary metallic glass, based on a combination of two metals from the group of late transition metals (3d), especially Fe, Co, Ni, with a glass-forming element from the group of metalloids, especially B, C, Si, and additives from the group of early transition metals, especially Y, Zr, Nb, Mo.

(For example (FexNiy)93-zNb7Bz, where y/x = 0-3 and z = 12-25, in the temperature range between 300 and 450 °C, specific example: (FexCoy)93-zNb7Bz, where y/x = 0/1, 1/6, 1/3, 1/3, 1/1, 2/1, ... to 19/1 for z = 10-30, in the temperature range between 300 and 450 °C, or Ci80-yNiySixB20-x for y = 4-8 and x = 0-10, in the temperature range between 300 and 500 °C, specific example (FelNil)81Nb7B12).

- quinary metallic glass, based on a combination of two or more metals from the group of late transition metals (3d), especially Fe, Co, Ni, with a glass-forming element from the group of metalloids, especially B, C, Si, and two additives from the group of early transition metals, especially Y, Zr, Nb, Mo.

(For example (FexNiy)93-zNb7Bz-lCul, where y/x = 0/1, 1/6, 1/3, 1/2, 1/1, 2/1 and 3/1 for z = 10-30, in the temperature range between 300 and 450 °C, specific example

(FelNil)80Nb7CulB12).

- quinary metallic glass, based on a combination of two metals from the group of late transition metals (3d), especially Fe, Co, Ni, with two glass-forming elements from the group of metalloids, especially B, C, Si, and additives from the group of early transition metals, especially Y, Zr, Nb, Mo.

(For example (FexNiy)93-zNb7-wZrwBz, where y/x = 0/1, 1/6, 1/3, 1/2, 1/1, 2/1 and 3/1 for z = 10-30, w = 0-7, in the temperature range between 300 and 550 °C, specific example (FelNil)81Nb4Zr3B12).

- senary metallic glass, based on a combination of two or more metals from the group of late transition metals (3d), especially Fe, Co, Ni, with two glass-forming elements from the group of metalloids, specially B, C, Si, and two additives from the group of early transition metals, especially Y, Zr, Nb, Mo.

(For example (FexNiy)93-zNb7-wZrwBzSi, where y/x = 0/1, 1/6, 1/3, 1/2, 1/1, 2/1 and 3/1 for z = 10-30, in the temperature range between 300 and 550 °C, specific example

(FelNil)81Nb4Zr3B10Si2). - quinary metallic glass, based on a combination of metals from the group of late transition metals (3d), especially Fe, Co, Ni, with two glass-forming elements from the group of metalloids, especially B, C, Si, and additives from the group of metals of Cu, Ag, Pt, Pd, Au, and additives from the group of early transition metals, especially Y, Zr, Nb, Mo.

(For example Fe73.5CulNb3SixB22.5-x, x = 9-17, in the temperature range between 300 and 430 °C).

- senary metallic glass, based on a combination of metals from the group of late transition metals (3d), especially Fe, Co, Ni, with two glass-forming elements from the group of metalloids, especially B, C, Si, and additives from the group of Cu, Ag, Pt, Pd, Au, and additives from the group of early transition metals, especially Y, Zr, Nb, Mo.

(For example (FelCol)73.5CulNb3SixB22.5-x, x = 13-16, in the temperature range between 300 and 430 °C).

The construction element has the shape of a thin-walled strip 15-60 microns thick, thermally molded, and after the molding, the element has its shape acquired through molding, its amorphous structure and its flexibility preserved.

Manufacture of the construction element is realized by leading the strip of metallic glass through a molded molding opening (1) heated to the chosen temperature using a heating device (2) with a temperature meter (3), with the temperature chosen according to the composition of the material, so that the strip remained, after molding and subsequent cooling, flexible, in an amorphous or partially crystallized state, without increased fragility. Plastic deformation of the construction element is after lowering the temperature permanent.

Molding of the metallic glass can be realized for example in the shape of long troughs with the cross-section in the shape of the letters U, V, S, C or W, which are due to the retained flexibility of the material possible to be rolled up into more space-saving shapes and self- deployed rolled out by themselves into long and yet self-supporting thin rods after release.

Molding of the metallic glass can also be realized in the shape of tubes of a straight or bended shape, with the cross-section in the shape of the letters O, B or the digit 8, into which it is possible to insert conductors for the purpose of mechanical or electromagnetic protection, shielding, or inserting the tubes themselves between construction elements of a device for the purpose of shielding the electromagnetic field.

Another way of shaping the metallic glass is shaping into a spiral, into which it is possible to insert conductors for the purpose of shielding an electromagnetic field while preserving flexibility of such a configuration. Shaping into a spiral with interlacing threads can also be useful in obtaining a thin- walled spiral spring, which can be preferably inserted into thin hollow guides in order to achieve a thin spring mechanism with a high stroke or long travel.

According to requirements it is also possible to manufacture multiple articulated shapes, which makes it possible to obtain shaped watch or spiral-shaped springs. Brief Description of the Drawings

Picture 1 shows a device for manufacturing strips of metallic glass.

1 - molding opening

2 - heating device

3 - temperature meter

Detailed Description of the Invention

Molding of metallic glass according to this invention can be used for any metallic glass that does not show fragility high enough that would prevent their insertion into the molding opening of the metallic glass strip production device.

The technological procedure of the manufacture of metallic glass-based parts according to this invention is as follows: the metallic glass strip is led at a set speed through the molded molding opening (1) heated to a suitable temperature (chosen according to the material composition) using a heating device (2) with a temperature meter (3), which ensures a viscosity/deformability of the strip sufficient to achieve required plastic deformation that is permanent after lowering the temperature. The temperature during the manufacturing process must be chosen so that, after shaping and subsequent cooling, the strip remained sufficiently flexible, mostly in an amorphous state or even in a partially crystallized state, but without increased fragility. Four cases can occur:

1. Metallic glass - whose glass transition temperature lies below its crystallization temperature and the range of temperatures between them is larger than 30 Kelvin - is possible to shape in the range of temperatures between glass transition temperature and crystallization

temperature, below the glass transition temperature but lying in the area where the metallic glass shows plastic deformation under mechanical stress.

2. Metallic glass - whose glass transition temperature lies below its crystallization

temperature, but both temperatures are within the span of 30 Kelvin - is possible to shape in the range of temperatures below the glass transition temperature, but lying in the area where the metallic glass shows plastic deformation under mechanical stress.

3. Metallic glass - where only crystallization temperature, not glass transition temperature is observed - is possible to shape in the range of temperatures where the metallic glass shows plastic deformation under mechanical stress.

4. Metallic glass showing multistage crystallization is possible to shape in the range of temperatures between the first crystallization temperature and the temperature of

crystallization of amorphous matrix according to point 1, where shaping takes place in the amorphous matrix. Example 1

Metallic glass (FexNiy)93-zNb7Bz is used, where y/x=0/l, 1/6, 1/3, 1/2, 1/1, 2/1 and 3/1 for z = 10-30 in the range of temperatures between 300 and 500 °C. Shaping time is less than 30 seconds with strip thickness of 15-60 microns.

Example 2

Metallic glass (FexCoy)93-zNb7Bz is used, where y/x=0/l, 1/6, 1/3, 1/2, 1/1, 2/1, ... to 19/1 for z = 10-30 in the range of temperatures between 300 and 450 °C. Shaping time is less than 1 seconds with strip thickness of 15-60 microns.

Example 3

Metallic glass Co80-yNiySixB20-x is used, where y = 4-8 and x = 0-10 in the range of temperatures between 300 and 500 °C. Shaping time is less than 60 seconds with strip thickness of 15-60 microns.

Example 4

Metallic glass Fe73.5CulNb3SixB22.5-x is used, where x = 13-16 in the range of

temperatures between 300 and 430 °C. Shaping time is less than 10 seconds with strip thickness of 15-60 microns. (Metallic glass of Fe-Cu-Nb-Si-B type is a material that forms nanocrystalline grains in temperatures above 450 °C and is typical for i.a. high fragility after nanocrystallization.)

Example 5

Metallic glass (FelNil)lOO-zBz is used, where z = 10-30 in the range of temperatures between 500 and 550 °C. Shaping time is less than 30 seconds with strip thickness of 15-60 microns.

Industrial Applicability

The invention is applicable wherever it is advantageous to use different-shaped parts based on thin-walled quality ferromagnetic materials, such as:

- in the manufacture of light compact devices that unfold into a final shape after release

(aviation and cosmonautics, space satellite antennas)

- parts with the shape of an ultra-thin spring of various shapes with a long stroke or travel for light robotic and mechanical constructions (engineering)

- for electromagnetic shielding of electrical conductors and structural joints, as a barrier against electromagnetic interference penetration into conductors and shielded constructions