Systems and methods for electrodepositing multi-component alloys, and products made from the same

Abstract

The present application relates to systems and methods for electrodepositing multi-component alloys, and products made by the same. The electrodeposition may be accomplished to deposit one or more multi-component alloy layers on a substrate. In one embodiment, a substrate is a bulk metal glass. In one embodiment, a substrate is an aluminum alloy substrate. In one embodiment, preconfigured cathode and/or anode configurations are used, which may facilitate, among other things, a uniform current density.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 (a) preparing a surface of the substrate for electrodeposition;
 (i) wherein the substrate is selected from the group consisting of metallic aluminum and aluminum alloys; 
   (b) placing the substrate in an electrolyte;   (c) electrodepositing a first composition on a surface of the substrate, thereby producing a first layer located on at least a portion of the substrate, wherein the first composition is a multi-component alloy.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate is a lithium-containing aluminum alloy. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte is an organic. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte is aqueous. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein after the electrodepositing step the first layer is adherent to the substrate. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein, after the electrodepositing step, the first layer is absent of pin-hole and blob defects. 
     
     
         7 . The method  claim 1 , wherein the first layer is continuous. 
     
     
         8 . A method comprising:
 (a) placing a bulk metal glass substrate in an electrolyte;   (b) electrodepositing a multi-component alloy on the bulk metal glass substrate, thereby producing a multi-component alloy layer located on at least a portion of the bulk metal glass substrate.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , comprising:
 depositing a second composition on the first layer.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the second composition is metallic, a metal alloy, or another different multi-component alloy. 
     
     
         11 . An electrodeposition system comprising:
 (a) an electrolyte   (b) a anode at least partially disposed in the electrolyte and connected to an external current source;   (c) a cathode at least partially disposed in the electrolyte and connected to the external current source;
 (i) wherein the cathode comprises a non-planar exterior surface; 
 (ii) wherein the anode comprises a predetermined volume and opposing exterior surface that corresponds to the non-planar exterior surface of the cathode. 
   
     
     
         12 . The electrodeposition system of  claim 11 , wherein the predetermined volume and opposing exterior surface of the anode facilitates a generally uniform current density during electrodeposition operations of the electrodeposition system. 
     
     
         13 . The electrodeposition system of  claim 11 , wherein the anode is dissolvable. 
     
     
         14 . The electrodeposition system of  claim 11 , wherein the anode is non-consumable.