Micro alloying for function modification

Abstract

Methods and compositions of applying metallic coatings, or altering metallic compositions, are described. Metallic coatings are deposited on metallic substrates and treated with pulsed radiation, such a pulsed electron beam. The resulting metal substrate can have a metallic coating and/or altered surface chemistry.

1 . A method of micro-alloying a metallic glass coating onto a metal substrate, comprising:
 depositing a metallic glass coating on the metal substrate to form a metallic glass coated surface on the metal substrate; and   applying pulsed radiation to the metallic glass coated surface to adhere the metallic glass coating to the metal substrate to form a micro-alloyed metallic glass coated metal substrate.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the pulsed radiation is a pulsed electron beam. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the metallic glass coating diffuses into the surface of the metal substrate. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the metallic glass coating diffuses in a gradient into the surface of the metal substrate. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the micro-alloyed metallic glass coated metal substrate exhibits surface characteristics of the metallic glass. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising oxidizing the micro-alloyed metallic glass coated metal substrate. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the metal substrate is a metallic glass substrate. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the application of the pulsed radiation is controlled so as to control diffusion of the metallic glass coating into the surface of the metal substrate. 
     
     
         9 . A method of modifying the chemical composition of a metallic glass comprising:
 depositing a metallic coating on a metallic glass substrate to form a coated metallic glass; and   applying pulsed radiation to the coated metallic glass to form a metallic glass substrate with altered chemical composition from the metallic glass substrate.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising oxidizing the metallic glass substrate with altered chemical composition. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the metallic glass substrate with altered chemical composition has a different color than the metallic glass substrate. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the metallic glass substrate with altered chemical composition has greater hardness than the metallic glass substrate. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the metallic coating is a metallic glass coating. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the pulsed radiation is a pulsed electron beam. 
     
     
         15 . A metal comprising a metallic coating diffused into a metallic substrate. 
     
     
         16 . The metal of  claim 15 , wherein the metallic substrate is a crystalline substrate and the metallic coating is a metallic glass. 
     
     
         17 . The metal of  claim 15 , wherein the metallic glass has a concentration gradient from the surface into the metallic substrate. 
     
     
         18 . The metal of  claim 15 , wherein the concentration gradient extends an average of 50 microns into the metal substrate surface. 
     
     
         19 . The metal of  claim 15 , wherein both the metallic substrate and metallic coating are a metallic glass. 
     
     
         20 . A metallic glass coated metal substrate produced by the method of  claim 1 .