The American space agency NASA will sooner or later send robots to explore the distant corners of the solar system, and maybe beyond it. But these robots must be incredibly resistant to the adverse conditions in which they will find themselves. Take, for example, icy Europa, Jupiter's sixth moon, with temperatures ranging from -163 to -223 degrees Celsius. That is why in the manufacture of robots you need to use special materials that are resistant to any harsh tests. Amorphous metals will become one of these materials.
Amorphous metals, which are also called "metallic glass", are characterized by the absence of long-range order and the presence of short-range order in the arrangement of atoms, which resembles the atomic structure of supercooled melts. In other words, these metals do not have the usual crystal structure. Experiments with such metals began in the 60s of the last century. Now specialists from many countries of the world are engaged in research in this area. The properties of metallic glass include the highest strength, toughness, corrosion resistance, and high magnetic permeability.
The advantages of metallic glass in the production of robots are undeniable. The mere fact that parts made of such metal do not need lubrication at all already negates all potential disadvantages. And at extremely low temperatures, as you perfectly understand, the lubricant can play against the mechanism. For example, the Curiosity rover, before starting to move, must warm up its lubricant for some time, otherwise there is a risk of damage to any vital component.
“It is very important for us to be able to work at extremely low temperatures in foreign worlds. Such material can become a real boon for space explorers, because you no longer have to spend precious energy on heating the lubricant,”says the head of the project, Douglas Hofmann.
And given the fact that metal glass is several times stronger than ordinary metal, NASA will also be able to save on the constant production of spare parts. Already today one can imagine that in the future those robots that will live among people will be made of this material. Indeed, their design will likely have many very flexible hinges and mechanical joints, which, if they were made of ordinary metals, would wear out right before our eyes.
SERGEY GRAY