apex advanced technologies overview of advanced lubrication/binder...

Apex Advanced Technologies Overview of Advanced

Lubrication/Binder Technology

Dennis Hammond

President Apex Advanced Technologies

Have you ever thought it would be great if:

• A Lubricant could improve green strength and be a good lubricant at the same time

Enhancer St

• Modified polymer, surface treated with a lubricant

• Works 5.5 to 6.9g/cc range

• Lubricant portion allows for slippage/polymer for metal particle interlock

2008

908

1616

1627

0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500

Slide Force

Green Strength

Green Strength - PSI Slide Force - Lbs. Force

Ametek 316L Stainless Steel

1.5% Enhancer ST

1.5% Acrawax

80% Increase

20% Decrease

3

4

1167

646

1058

1098

963

1186

0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400

Slide Force

Green Strength


FC 0208 with Atomet 1001 Density: 6.2 g/cc

1.00% Enhancer ST

.75% Enhancer ST

.75% Zinc Stearate

84% Increase

70% Increase

17% Decrease

9% Decrease

Graph - C

5

1316

909

1117

1420

1075

1609

0 500 1000 1500 2000

Slide Force

Green Strength



1.00% Enhancer ST

.75% Enhancer ST

.75% Zinc Stearate

77% Increase

56% Increase

15% Decrease

18% Decrease

Graph - D

6

1733

1338

1283

2115

1125

2262

0 1000 2000 3000

Slide Force

Green Strength



1.00% Enhancer ST

.75% Enhancer ST

.75% Zinc Stearate

69% Increase

58% Increase

35% Decrease

26% Decrease

Graph - E

1632

1231

746

2404

0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000

Slide Force

Green Strength


Copper U.S. Bronze Cu194 to Maximize Green Strength

1% Enhancer ST

.375 LiSt/.375 ZnSt

95% Increase

54% Decrease

7

Apex Advanced Technologies

MATERIAL = FC-0208 (Density = 6.7 g/cc)

Molding Pressure / % Lube Curve

22

24

26

28

30

32

34

36

Mo

ldin

g P

ress

ure

, TS

I

Apex Enhancer St 26 26 26 26

Acrawax 31 31 32 34

0.40% 0.50% 0.60% 0.75%

Prepared by Product Assurance Services, Inc.

% Lube



Peak Ejection / % Lube Curve

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

2000

Eje

ctio

n F

orc

e, lb

f

Apex Enhancer St 1804 1697 1584 1635

Acrawax 1921 1730 1766 1573

0.40% 0.50% 0.60% 0.75%


% Lube



Slide Ejection / % Lube Curve

800

900

1000

1100

1200

1300

1400

1500

Eje

ctio

n F

orc

e, lb

f

Apex Enhancer St 1075 1025 950 950

Acrawax 1450 1400 1350 1250

0.40% 0.50% 0.60% 0.75%


% Lube



Green Strength / % Lube Curve

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

2000

Gre

en S

tren

gth

, psi

Apex Enhancer St 1541 1651 1794 1803

Acrawax 1382 1313 1352 1255

0.40% 0.50% 0.60% 0.75%


% Lube



% Green Spring / % Lube Curve

0.10

0.12

0.14

0.16

0.18

0.20

0.22

% G

reen

Sp

rin

g

Apex Enhancer St 0.12 0.13 0.12 0.12

Acrawax 0.20 0.19 0.20 0.19

0.40% 0.50% 0.60% 0.75%


% Lube


• A Lubricant could make high density parts without complications of hot/warm compaction and without additional equipment cost?

Apex Superlube®

• Lubricant transforms in the press to a viscous liquid, 0.1 g/cc increase over hot/warm compaction

• Low use rate, the compressibility of base metal with additions control final part green density, calculate formulas with predictability


• A Lubricant could make large/complicated parts with the same ease of making small parts?

Apex Superlube®

• Lubricant transforms in the press to a viscous liquid, parts ride on film of liquid during ejection, low ejection forces, calculated formulas, compaction TSI reduced by as much as 27%

• Parts as large as ~4.1 kg


• A Lubricant could make Fe3P (0.45% P ) parts or other highly abrasive mix with minimal die wear, election problems and at high density, without gradients and distortion after sintering?

Apex Superlube®

• Lubricant transforms in the press to a viscous liquid, parts ride on film of liquid during ejection, low ejection forces, calculated formulas, compaction TSI reduced, used in conjunction with Apex Enhancer St

• Parts as large as 0.45Kg ,parts as high as 7.3 g/cc green density


• A Lubricant could make parts that have no density gradients and eliminate taper, weak points and distortion upon sintering?

Apex Superlube® • Lubricant transforms in the press to a viscous

liquid, semi- hydrostatic formula possible by calculation, 7.1g/cc or greater necessary for gradient elimination

• Example part 7.17g/cc 55mm tall 0.45%P composition sintered to 7.4 with no distortion


• A Lubricant could be used to make copper infiltrated parts, that are stronger, use significantly less copper, have less distortion after sintering and can achieve higher densities than normal copper infiltrated parts?

Apex Superlube® • Lubricant transforms in the press to a viscous liquid, semi-

hydrostatic formula possible by calculation, 7.1g/cc or greater necessary

• Copper follows small pores from lubricant movement • Iron is substituted for copper yielding higher density in the

green part

Cost Effective Copper Infiltration

• 6.6g/cc conventional to 7.4g/cc verses Apex 7.15 to 7.4 g/cc 69% savings in the copper usage

• 6.8g/cc conventional To 7.4g/cc verses Apex 7.15 to 7.4g/cc 58% saving in copper usage


• A Lubricant could be used to make Nickel based parts and not have blistering problems on the parts after sintering?

Apex Superlube® • Apex Superlube®has a decomposition temperature

range that is significantly wider than conventional lubricants

• Typical formulations use less overall lube content less gas to come out of the part

• Apex Superlube® leaves open pores at the surface to allow gas to come out of the part without blowing holes


• A Lubricant could be used to eliminate staining on the surface of parts?

Apex Superlube® • Apex Superlube®has a decomposition temperature

range that is significantly wider than conventional lubricants

• Typical formulations use less overall lube content less gas to come out of the part

• Apex Superlube® does not leave pools of melted lubricant on the surface of the part during sintering, which is the fundamental cause of staining.


Manganese could be used make harder, stronger P/M parts? Apex Superlube® HPA/Mn/ 0104 •

HPA/Mn/0104 effective method to add Mn to P/M formulations to increase hardenability. 0.5-0.75% effective

• No interference with compressibility • Works on all furnaces except Endo gas • Increase hardenability on heat treated parts • Lower alloy content on sinter Hardened

formulations


You could make near full density parts that could compete with forgings, castings, and machining? Apex Superlube® NFD technology • Densities above ≥97% of theory • Net shaped hard steel alloys, S.S, Electromagnets

Near full density Process Overview

• Standard water atomized powder, pre-alloyed and straight iron

• Special additive/lubricant master batch

• Conventional blending, standard tooling and conventional pressing

• Part pressing controlled to mass

• Compaction range ≥50 TSI

• Modified de-binding, controlled temperature, time, and atmosphere

Process Overview Cont.

• Modified sintering heat up rate and/or high temperature

• Sintering atmosphere can be low % hydrogen or vacuum

• Heat treating similar to conventional wrought

• Sintered densities >96%; up to 99+

Particle Alignment

Stainless Steels Near full density

• Material G.D S.D. Corrosion 5% salt

• 316L 6.76 7.8 0% 744 Hr

• 17-4Ph 6.23 7.6 0% 744 Hr

• 409CB 6.58 7.55 0% 744 Hr

Electromagnetic

• 45 P up to 7.72g/cc

• 80P up to 7.8g/cc

• 1.5 Si up 7.5g/cc

Summary

• Apex Superlube® and Enhancer St can solve numerous costly problems

• There can be large cost savings by substituting Iron for Copper in Copper infiltration

• Apex Superlube® can out perform hot/warm compaction with no capital investment and at lower cost

• New markets can be addressed, P/M can compete with MIM, forging and casting

Summary

• Large parts can be made with lower TSI

• Low density parts can be made crack free

• Mn can be added to the P/M part makers tool chest

• Gradients can be eliminated

• Blistering and staining can be eliminated

apex advanced technologies overview of advanced lubrication/binder...

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