An Overview of Planar Flow Casting of Thin Metallic Glasses and its Relation to Slot Coating of Liquid Films

TL;DR

This paper reviews planar flow casting (PFC) for producing metallic glasses, comparing it with slot coating, discussing process development, operability, defects, and the similarities and differences between these two liquid film techniques.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of PFC development, its process parameters, defect formation, and its relation to slot coating, highlighting key differences in operability.

Findings

PFC enables high quenching rates for metallic glasses.

Differences in operability ranges between PFC and slot coating are significant.

Common defects in PFC include surface irregularities and cracks.

Abstract

Planar flow casting (PFC) is a method that can be used to make thin, long, and wide metallic alloy foils by extruding molten liquid through a thin and wide nozzle and immediately quenching on a moving roller. The quenching rates are high enough that amorphous metallic glasses may be formed which have many desirable properties for a wide variety of applications. This paper reviews how PFC processes were developed, examines the typical operability range of PFC, and reviews the defects that commonly form. The geometrical similarities between PFC and slot coating process are apparent, and this paper highlights differences between the operability ranges of both processes.