Patent ID: 8613816

Claim:
A method of rapidly and uniformly heating a ferromagnetic metallic glass using a rapid capacitor discharge comprising: providing a sample of a ferromagnetic metallic glass formed of a metallic glass forming alloy having a substantially uniform cross section; placing the sample in electrical contact with an electrical energy source capable of generating a quantum of electrical energy; discharging a quantum of electrical energy of at least 50 Joules uniformly through said sample to rapidly and uniformly heat the sample at a rate of at least 500 K/sec to a processing temperature between the glass transition temperature of the metallic glass and the equilibrium melting point of the metallic glass forming alloy, wherein discharging said quantum of electrical energy generates an electrical field in said sample, and wherein the electromagnetic skin depth of the dynamic electric field generated is large compared to the radius, width, thickness, and length of the sample, but wherein the rise time of the current pulse does not exceed the time associated with crystallizing the sample at the optimum forming temperature in the undercooled liquid region; applying a deformational force to shape the heated sample while the heated sample is still at a temperature between the glass transition temperature of the metallic glass and the equilibrium melting point of the metallic glass forming alloy; and cooling said sample to a temperature below the glass transition temperature of the metallic glass.