Apple seems reluctant to create a Liquidmetal chassis for the iDevice

Jan 14, 2014 10:51 GMT  ·  By

A series of patent applications by Apple Inc. recently caught the attention of the media, as all of them have one thing in common: Liquidmetal.

A space-age material for which Apple has acquired the right to use years ago, Liquidmetal is an amorphous metal alloy that sports some amazing characteristics.

These qualities include high-strength-to-weight ratio, high corrosion resistance and, most importantly, a tendency to act like plastic and glass when heated, allowing for the creation of highly complex parts without seams.

Analysts have been watching Apple closely hoping to see the Liquidmetal acquisition turn into an iPhone chassis. So far, Apple doesn’t seem to have such plans.

And if the company’s patent portfolio is any indication, next-generation iPhones will only sport minor Liquidmetal parts.

Take for instance this patent application which proposes a Liquidmetal spring for the Home button, a move that would increase the durability of the button thanks to Liquidmetal’s high yield strength.

“Because switches on consumer electronic devices are operated frequently, the materials used to fabricate the switch must be capable of repeated deformation and return to their original configuration. The ability of a material to deform reversibly under stress is known as the material's elasticity. Above a certain stress, known as the elastic limit of a material or the yield strength, the metal material may deform irreversibly, becoming inelastic, exhibiting plasticity and adversely affecting the function and utility of the switch.”

“A proposed solution according to embodiments herein for pressure sensors is to use bulk-solidifying amorphous alloys as the deformable material, and to measure the pressure based on the physical changes of the bulk-solidifying amorphous alloy as it is deformed.”

Apple also proposes using Liquidmetal for tamper-resistant screw fasteners, to keep people out of the device.

Another invention describes the use of Liquidmetal as a substrate for touch sensors in touch-screen displays.

In fact, pretty much every Apple patent that covers Liquidmetal applications says nothing of the material being used as a chassis. Which is fairly disappointing, because there’s only so much you can do with aluminum.