Manufacturing of cast metal foams with irregular cell structure

A R C H I V E S o F O U N D R Y E N G I N E E R I N G DOI: 10.1515/a e-2015-0038 Published qua e ly as he o gan o he Found y Commission o he Polish Academy o Sciences ISSN (2299-2944) Volume 15 Issue 2/2015 55 – 58 A R C H I V E S o F O U N D R Y E N G I N E E R I N G V o l u m e 1 5 , I s s u e 2 / 2 0 1 5 , 5 5 - 5 8 55 Manu ac u ing o Cas Me al Foams wi h I egula Cell S uc u e I. K oupo á*, F. Radko ský, P. Lichý, V. Bednářo á * Depa men o Me allu gy and Found y Enginee ing, Facul y o Me allu gy and Ma e ials Enginee ing, VSB – Technical Uni e si y o Os a a, 17. lis opadu 15/2172, 708 33 Os a a, Czech Republic *Co esponding au ho . E-mail add ess: i ana.k oupo a@ sb.cz Recei ed 21.03.2015; accep ed in e ised o m 31.03.2015 Abs ac Me allic oams a e ma e ials o which he esea ch is s ill on-going, wi h he b oad applicabili y in many di e en a eas (e.g. au omo i e indus y, building indus y, medicine, e c.). These me allic ma e ials ha e speci ic p ope ies, such as la ge igidi y a low densi y, high he mal conduc i i y, capabili y o abso b ene gy, e c. The wo k is ocused on he p epa a ion o hese ma e ials using con en ional cas ing echnology (in il a ion me hod), which ensu es apid and economically easible me hod o p oduc ion o shaped componen s. In he expe imen al pa we s udied condi ions o cas ing o me allic oams wi h open po es and i egula cell s uc u e made o e ous and non- e ous alloys by use o a ious ypes o ille ma e ial (p ecu so s). Keywo ds: Me allic oam, P ecu so , Cas ing, I egula cell s uc u e 1. In oduc ion Cellula ma e ials a e widesp ead in e e yday li e and a e used o cushioning, insula ing, damping, cons uc ing, il e ing pu poses and many o he applica ions. Highly po ous ma e ials a e known o ha e a high s i ness combined wi h a e y low speci ic weigh . Fo his eason cellula ma e ials equen ly occu in na u e as cons uc ional ma e ials (e.g. woods and bones). The ac ha e en me als and me allic alloys can be p oduced as cellula solids o me al oams is no as well-known as he possibili y o oam mo e adi ional enginee ing ma e ials such as polyme s, ce amics o glass. Me allic oams o e in e es ing pe spec i es due o he combina ion o p ope ies which a e ela ed o he me allic cha ac e on he one and o he po ous s uc u e on he o he hand [1]. 2. Me hods o me allic oam p oduc ion Since he disco e y o po ous me allic ma e ials nume ous me hods o p oduc ion ha e been de eloped. Some echnologies a e simila o hose o polyme oaming, o he s a e de eloped wi h ega d o he cha ac e is ic p ope ies o me allic ma e ials, such as hei abili y o sin e ing o he ac ha hey can be deposi ed elec oly ically [2]. Acco ding o he s a e, in which he me al is p ocessed, he manu ac u ing p ocesses can be di ided in o ou g oups. Po ous me allic ma e ials can be made om [3, 4]:  liquid me al (eg. di ec oaming wi h gas, blowing agen s, powde compac mel ing, cas ing [5], sp ay o ming)  powde ed me al (eg. sin e ing o powde s, ib es o hollow sphe es, ex usion o polyme /me al mix u es, eac ion sin e ing )  me al apou s ( apou deposi ion)  me al ions (elec ochemical deposi ion) B ough o you by | Technicka Uni e zi a Os a a Au hen ica ed Download Da e | 10/27/17 10:28 AM 56 A R C H I V E S o F O U N D R Y E N G I N E E R I N G V o l u m e 1 5 , I s s u e 2 / 2 0 1 5 , 5 5 - 58 Po osi y may achie e 30% o 93% depending on he me hod o p oduc ion and ma e ial used. By changing he p ocess pa ame e s i is possible o ob ain po ous s uc u e wi h a ious sizes and shapes o po es and wi h di e en ypes o a angemen ( egula o i egula - s ochas ic) [3]. 3. P ope ies and u iliza ion o me allic oams Foams and o he highly po ous ma e ials wi h cell s uc u e a e known o a combina ion o many in e es ing physical and mechanical p ope ies (Fig. 1). Fig. 1. Applica ions o me allic oams [6] 4. Expe imen al The a en ion in his wo k is paid o p epa a ion p ocesses o me al oams om a liquid phase by a common ound y p ocess. The use o inancially less cos ly me hods o manu ac u e o cas ings om e ous and non- e ous me als oo will allow o ge an a o dable ma e ial. A he same ime he ound y p ocess enables he p oduc ion o highly complex pa s including hollow cas ings. Expe imen al wo k is based on he manu ac u e o me al oams wi h using p ecu so s. In his case o hei p epa a ion such ma e ials we e used which a e commonly used nowadays in ound ies o manu ac u e o moulds and co es. 4.1. In il a ion o mol en me al in o mould illed wi h p ecu so s In il a ion o me al in o he mold is made by pou ing o liquid me al in o he mold illed wi h ino ganic o o ganic pa icles. The i egula s uc u e o po es, we a e dealing wi h, can be achie ed by use o a ious ypes o p ecu so s, which ill he mould ca i y. P ecu so s mus mee ce ain c i e ia. Pa icula ly, hey mus be made o ma e ial, which p ese es i s shape a impac o he mol en me al (su icien s eng h, low ab asion, e ac o iness) and hey mus allow also good disin eg a ion a e cas ing. The possibili y o con ol o he cellula s uc u e p oduced (po e size, po osi y, e c.), is he e y impo an ad an age o he use o a ound y echnique o manu ac u e me allic oams, howe e he p ecu so s a e made. In he expe imen we made cas ings wi h i egula cell s uc u e wi h use o p ecu so s based on con en ional molding mix u es (o ganic ypes). 4.2. P ecu so s - C oning p ocess Co e pa icles we e hen manu ac u ed om molding mix u e ( espec i ely om ejec co es made by C oning p ocess). Final globula shape o co e p ecu so s was achie ed by spli ing in o small pieces (10 – 30 mm) and ollowed by umbling. A mould ca i y was illed wi h hese p ecu so s. Mold was made om commonly used g een sand (i.e. ben oni e bonded molding mix u e) - see Fig. 2 - 4. Fig. 2. Mold made om commonly used g een sand Fig. 3. Mold illed wi h p ecu so s Fig. 4. Final cas ing and de ail o i s s uc u e Po osi y o p oduced cas ings amoun ed o 60%. P ecu so s allow good disin eg a ion a e cas ing. B ough o you by | Technicka Uni e zi a Os a a Au hen ica ed Download Da e | 10/27/17 10:28 AM A R C H I V E S o F O U N D R Y E N G I N E E R I N G V o l u m e 1 5 , I s s u e 2 / 2 0 1 5 , 5 5 - 58 57 The disad an age o hese p ecu so s is hei i egula shape, which is de e mined by une en umbling o he culle due o nonuni o m ha dening o he de aul co e mix u e. The e o e, new echnology o p ecu so s manu ac u ing has been p oposed – use o molding mix u e bonded by u an esin. This way o manu ac u ing o p ecu so s should ensu e he achie emen o he same size, shape and he esul ing cha ac e is ics o p ecu so s. 4.3. P ecu so s – Fu an molding mix u e To c ea e hese p ecu so s we e used as co e box plas ic g ille (Fig. 5). By using his co e box cubes o a side o 25 mm we e c ea ed. These cubes we e ollowed by umbling. The p oposed echnology ensu es he p oduc ion o p ecu so s o he same size, shape and p ope ies. Ma e ials used o e cas ing we e cas i on wi h lamella g aphi e (EN GJL-200), AlSi10MgMn [7] and CuSn10 (see Fig. 6 – 9) .The e we e wo ypes o cas ings – a cuboid (I) and a cylinde (II). Fig. 5. Co e box and c ea ed cubes Fig. 6. Cas ing (cas i on wi h lamella g aphi e) – ype I Fig. 7. Cas ing (cas i on wi h lamella g aphi e) – ype II Fig. 8. Cas ing (CuSn10) – ype I Fig. 9. Cas ing (AlSi10MgMn) – ype II Po osi y o p oduced cas ings amoun ed o 63%. P ecu so s allow good disin eg a ion a e cas ing. On he Fig. 10 and 11 we can see a compa ison o he wo ypes o p ecu so s. Fig. 10. P ecu so s – C oning p ocess (i egula shape and size) B ough o you by | Technicka Uni e zi a Os a a Au hen ica ed Download Da e | 10/27/17 10:28 AM 58 A R C H I V E S o F O U N D R Y E N G I N E E R I N G V o l u m e 1 5 , I s s u e 2 / 2 0 1 5 , 5 5 - 58 Fig. 11. P ecu so s – Fu an molding mix u e ( egula shape and size) 5. Conclusions Me al oams a e p og essi e ma e ials wi h con inuously expanding use. Mas e ing o p oduc ion o me allic oams wi h de ined s uc u e and p ope ies using g a i y cas ing in o sand o me allic ound y moulds will con ibu e o an expansion o he asso men p oduced in ound ies by comple ely new ype o ma e ial, which has unique se ice p ope ies hanks o i s s uc u e, and which ul ils he cu en demanding ecological equi emen s. Manu ac u e o oams wi h he aid o g a i y cas ing in con en ional ound y moulds is a cos ad an age p ocess which can be indus ially used in ound ies wi hou high in es men demands. The p inciple o he abo e-men ioned echnology is he in il a ion o liquid me al in o he mold ca i y illed wi h p ecu so s. This echnology enables he p oduc ion o shaped cas ings – me allic oams wi h i egula cell s uc u e. In he p oduc ion o p ecu so s can mo eo e be assumed using o he ma e ial, which would be in o he cases was e - ejec co es o excess molding mix u e. Acknowledgemen s This wo k was elabo a ed wi hin he esea ch p ojec TA02011333 suppo ed by he Technology Agency o he Czech Republic and p ojec o speci ic esea ch VŠB-TU Os a a – SP 2015/78 and SP 2015/70. Re e ences [1] Banha , J. & Baumeis e , J. (1998). P oduc ion Me hods o Me allic Foams. Ma e ials esea ch socie y symposium p oceedings, Vol. 521. Symposium held Ap il 13-15, 1998, San F ancisco, Cali o nia, US. 121–132. [2] Lichý, P. & Bednářo á, V. (2012). Cas ing ou es o po ous me als p oduc ion, A chi es o Found y Enginee ing, Vol. 12, No. 1. 71-74. [3] Banha , J. (2000). Manu ac u ing ou es o me allic oams. Jou nal o Mine als, Me als and Ma e ials, Vol. 52, No.12. 22-27 [4] Bednářo á, V., Lichý, P., Hanus, A., Elbel, T. (2012). Cha ac e isa ion o cellula me allic ma e ials manu ac u ed by cas ing me hods. In: 21s In e na ional Con e ence on Me allu gy and Ma e ials Me al 2012, May 23 d – 25 h 2012, B no, Czech Republic. (pp. 1209-1214). B no: Tange L d., Os a a, 2012. ISBN 978-80-87294-31-4. [5] Cholewa, M. & Dziuba-Kałuża, M. (2008). Closed aluminium skele on cas ing, A chi es o Found y Enginee ing, Vol. 8, No. 1, 53-56. [6] F om h p://www.auli e.com/blog/2014/03/26/3-ways-how- pa en s-can-help- o- ind-new-clien s-ma ke s-and- applica ions/ [7] Łągiewka, M., e al. (2010). The in luence o modi ica ion on he low and he solidi ica ion o AlSi10Mg alloy, A chi es o Found y Enginee ing, Vol. 10, No. 4, 119-122. B ough o you by | Technicka Uni e zi a Os a a Au hen ica ed Download Da e | 10/27/17 10:28 AM