Abstract: An article includes a substrate and a composite material bonded to the substrate. The composite material includes a matrix consisting of a metallic alloy having a solidus temperature of at least about 700° C. and a plurality of unstabilized zirconium oxide particles distributed throughout the metallic alloy. The article is prepared by combining a precursor of the metallic alloy and the mass of unstabilized zirconium oxide powder to form a mixture, and applying the mixture as a heterogeneous composite material to a substrate to form the article. The step of applying occurs at an application temperature of greater than the solidus temperature of the metallic alloy.

Abstract: The surface features of an article are replicated by preparing a master model having a preselected surface feature thereon which is to be replicated, and replicating the preselected surface feature of the master model. The replication is accomplished by providing a piece of a bulk-solidifying amorphous metallic alloy, contacting the piece of the bulk-solidifying amorphous metallic alloy to the surface of the master model at an elevated replication temperature to transfer a negative copy of the preselected surface feature of the master model to the piece, and separating the piece having the negative copy of the preselected surface feature from the master model.

Abstract: A hardfacing apparatus includes a deposition head including a heat source, a hardfacing material source, and a chill block having a chill block surface. The deposition head is positioned at a location so as to deposit a mass of the hardfacing material onto the workpiece surface. The chill block is positioned remote from the deposition head with the chill block surface in a facing-but-spaced-apart relation to the workpiece surface, separated from the workpiece surface by a gap having a dimension between the chill block and the workpiece surface of a standoff distance D.sub.S. Molten hardfacing material is deposited onto the workpiece surface from the deposition head. Simultaneously, the workpiece surface is moved relative to the hardfacing apparatus so that the molten hardfacing material passes into the gap and is molten as it enters the gap.

Abstract: A metallic article is fabricated by providing a die and a piece of a bulk-solidifying amorphous metallic alloy having a glass transition temperature. The bulk-solidifying amorphous metallic alloy is heated to a forming temperature of from about 0.75 T.sub.g to about 1.2 T.sub.g and forced into the die cavity at the forming temperature under an external pressure of from about 260 to about 40,000 pounds per square inch, thereby deforming the piece of the bulk-solidifying amorphous metallic alloy to a formed shape that fills the die cavity. Preferably, a pressure is applied to the piece of the bulk-solidifying amorphous metallic alloy as it is heated, and the heating rate is at least about 0.1.degree. C. per second. The die may be a male die or a female die. When the die has a re-entrant comer therein, the formed shape of the bulk-solidifying amorphous metallic alloy is mechanically locked to the die.

Abstract: A reinforcement-containing metal-matrix composite material is formed by dispersing pieces of reinforcement material throughout a melt of a bulk-solidifying amorphous metal and solidifying the mixture at a sufficiently high rate that the solid metal matrix is amorphous. Dispersing is typically accomplished either by melting the metal and mixing the pieces of reinforcement material into the melt, or by providing a mass of pieces of the reinforcement material and infiltration of the molten amorphous metal into the mass. The metal preferably has a composition of about that of a eutectic composition, and most preferably has a composition, in atomic percent, of from about 45 to about 67 percent total of zirconium plus titanium, from about 10 to about 35 percent beryllium, and from about 10 to about 38 percent total of copper plus nickel.

Abstract: A casting charge of a bulk-solidifying amorphous alloy is cast into a mold from a temperature greater than its crystallized melting temperature, and permitted to solidify to form an article. The oxygen content of the casting charge is limited to an operable level, as excessively high oxygen contents produce premature crystallization during the casting operation. During melting, the casting charge is preferably heated to a temperature above a threshold temperature to eliminate heterogeneous crystallization nucleation sites within the casting charge. The casting charge may be cast from above the threshold temperature, or it may be cooled to the casting temperature of more than the crystallized melting point but not more than the threshold temperature, optionally held at this temperature for a period of time, and thereafter cast.

Abstract: A torsionally reacting spring, such as a helical spring, a torsion bar, or a torsion tube, requires the ability to torsionally deform elastically during service and return to its original, undeformed shape. The torsionally reacting spring is made of a bulk-deforming amorphous alloy which may be cooled from the melt at a cooling rate of less than about 500.degree. C. per second, yet retain an amorphous structure. A preferred bulk-solidifying amorphous alloy has a composition, in atomic percent, of from about 45 to about 67 percent total of zirconium plus titanium, from about 10 to about 35 percent beryllium, and from about 10 to about 38 percent total of copper plus nickel, plus incidental impurities, the total of the percentages being 100 atomic percent.

Abstract: Solid die-cast articles are prepared from a charge of a bulk-solidifying amorphous alloy. The charge is heated to an injection temperature and injected into a die-casting mold. The charge is cooled at a rate, about 500.degree. C. per second or less, such that its amorphous structure is retained in the solidified article.

Abstract: A hard-facing material source is an article whose net composition is, in weight percent, from about 20 to about 35 percent chromium, from about 2 to about 5 percent boron, from about 1 to about 2.5 percent silicon, from 0 to about 0.5 percent carbon, from about 0.5 to about 2 percent manganese, and from about 0.2 to about 1.0 percent titanium, balance iron and incidental impurities. The article may be a powder or a hollow tube with a powder packed therein. The hard-facing material source is thermally applied to a substrate by spraying or welding.

Abstract: A nickel tungsten-containing coating is electrodeposited onto a substrate from an electrodeposition bath having in solution from about 0.034 to about 0.047 moles per liter of nickel, from about 0.15 to about 0.28 moles per liter of tungsten, from about 0.13 to about 0.43 moles per liter of hydroxycarboxylic acid, and 0 or from about 0.077 to about 0.15 moles per liter of boron. The bath has a pH of from about 6 to about 9, and the electrodeposition is preferably accomplished at a temperature of from about 100.degree. F. to about 140.degree. F.