INFI is superb but…..

S

samek

Joined
May 7, 2003
Messages
208
…have you head about bulk metallic glasses (BMG)? This new steel has extraordinary properties, (even compared to INFI ???). Can it be used for knives? I suggest a little discussion on to this theme.

Under, there are a few fragments from articles about BMG's,
and few internet adresses.


"Bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) constitute a new class of metallic materials in which the
amorphous liquid state is frozen in with thicknesses as high as 2 cm [1,2]. These materials have
high hardness, tensile strength, and toughness."

"Edge holding is important for cutting tools. The hardness
of BMG alloys suggests that the material should produce a fine
cutting edge. The high elastic limit may result in elastic bending of
the sharp edge instead of chipping. The quality of our handsharpened
edges was close to that of a new surgical blade, see Fig.
3. Our best edge came not from using the special grinding and
polishing compounds and wheels in our laboratory but came from a
black Arkansas stone with oil as a lubricant."

"These bulk metallic glasses (BMG's) have unusual properties. They are typically much stronger than crystalline metal counterparts (by factors of 2 or 3), are quite tough (much more so than ceramics), and have very high strain limits for Hookean elasticity (see figure above). A new class of engineering materials, BMG's offer an opportunity to revolutionize the field of structural materials with combinations of strength, ductility, toughness, and processability outside the envelope achievable using current technology."

http://www.its.caltech.edu/~matsci/wlj/wlj_research.html
http://www.er.doe.gov/Sub/Accomplishments/Decades_Discovery/26.html
http://www.scientific.net/default.cfm?pdf=1&issn=1422-6375&pg=1&ppg=1&paper=71&isbn=0-87849-944-X
http://www.innovations-report.de/html/berichte/verfahrenstechnologie/bericht-32951.html
http://www.ornl.gov/info/ornlreview/v35_3_02/metallic_glass.shtml
http://www.look-business.com/info/info.php?page=524


samek
 
I seem to recall some talk of "Liquid Metal LM-1"(trademarked I think) that sounds like it's the stuff you're talking about. If memory serves it was not entirely unsuitable as a blade, but still fractured too easily to come close to infi. I'll try to get some links.

here yah go:

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=267196

Maybe if a more cutlery specific alloy was created ??

**last edit: Guess my memory is a bit spotty, didn't find any references of breaking LM1 except for R.W. Clark's own testing.
 
liquid metal also tended to melt if you dug into it with a grinder to hard...


ah... so thats how the glass bead hydrogen tanks work... they infuse the surface/structure of the glass with hydrogen (packing it into the loose atomic structure) and then once depleted, repeate... that makes way more sense now.

it still appears from the articles you posted that its in the developemental phase, to an extent that their not sure what the best applications of the materials are, only the potential applications.


since there was no data on any specific amorphis metals composition and how it reacts compared to other specific metals, its difficult to gauge how it would react in a knife application.


a good hard use knife requires a lot of its material.

edge holding
ease of sharpening
impact resistence at edge
ability to dent and roll before chipping
ability to bend before breaking
ability to take a set before breaking
ability to break cleaning without shattering or multiple fractures
corrosian resistence
ability to maintain under lateral and shock stresses over its entire length

and all at very thin cross sections. i wouldnt be suprised if you could make some very usable stainless knives out of amorphis metal that were meant for light duty (5" or below), but wether or not it can be used for larger applications and heavy use, time and testing results will tell.
 
i wish i had stuck with my junior year chemestry class and had some decent backround in material sciences :( ....

jerry might know something more about it, but like i said, it appears to be in the developemental phase, so samples may not be available to anyone, or relevent data.
 
As someone who has used both, It doesn't. Talonite may hold an edge longer on very soft material, such as soft vegetables, flesh, and maybe cardboard. It lacks the stiffness and toughness to do any prying or heavy chopping unless you severely compromise blade and edge geometry. It "is" about as corrosion proof as any bladealloy I've seen, so if you take to stirring vats of acid with your knife, or you want a blade that you'll NEVER need to worry about rusting it's not bad. I think it's great as a small (2-4 inch) blade for fishing and daily carry as long as you keep it's limits in mind.
 
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