Zinc Extrusion Product
Zinc Extrusion Product is a zinc alloy with up to 15% aluminum , 1% copper and magnesium . Other (metallic) alloy components can be added in smaller proportions in order to achieve specific and precisely defined properties. ZEP - as the abbreviation for "ZincExtrusionProduct" - is produced as a wrought alloy using an extrusion process. Because it is lead-free, the material is particularly environmentally friendly.
properties
| Properties of Grillo-ZEP ® 1510 | |
|---|---|
| Chemical composition | ZnAl15Cu1Mg |
| colour | Gray silver |
| Melting temperature | 443 ° C |
| density | 5.7 g / cm³ |
| Electric conductivity | 17.2 MS / m |
| Specific heat capacity | 460 J / (kg ° C) |
| Mechanically | |
| tensile strenght | 430 MPa |
| Yield point | 350 MPa |
| modulus of elasticity | 105 GPa |
| hardness | 120 HB |
Zinc Extrusion Product crystallizes in the hexagonal crystal system and has a melting point of 443 ° C. Due to the aluminum content, the material has a density of 5.7 g / cm 3 .
Zinc Extrusion Product is diamagnetic and exhibits no para- or ferromagnetism.
Microstructure
Zinc Extrusion Product 1510 is a ternary zinc-aluminum-copper alloy in which the microstructure is two-phase, consisting of η + α mixed crystals . The zinc-rich η-phase has a hexagonal (hdp) lattice and the aluminum-rich α-phase has a face-centered cubic (kfz) lattice.
history
The zinc alloy developed by Grillo-Werke AG under the brand name Grillo-ZEP was already researched and used in Germany in a similar composition during the Second World War. The alloy was intended to function as an alternative to brass , as the availability of copper was severely restricted by the war. However, the properties of the alloy could not be optimized according to the requirements, so that brass could not have been permanently replaced. The production of this zinc alloy was discontinued after the war and switched to brass, which was now sufficiently available.
It was not until the 2000s that Grillo-Werke AG , together with the University of Brescia , followed up on this research and optimized the composition and properties of the alloy. This includes a family of zinc-based alloys called Grillo-ZEP. Within the alloy family, however, the focus has been on the composition with 15% aluminum, 1% copper and magnesium. The reason for this is that this composition contains the most comprehensive test results.
use
The areas of application of Zinc Extrusion Product are in the field of machining and forging technology. Advantages over other materials used in this area are a cheap raw material basis and a comparably low component weight. Furthermore, the material can with low energy costs by a forging temperature of 230-250 ° C are processed. However, this can also be a disadvantage with certain system technologies. In the area of machining, extensive tests were carried out at the WZL machine tool laboratory at RWTH Aachen University .
References
- ^ Metallgesellschaft AG: Development of zinc alloys in Germany during the war . Ed .: Metallgesellschaft AG Frankfurt am Main 1960.
- ↑ Didier Rollez, Annalisa Pola, Lorenzo Montesano, Mariangela Brisotto, Marcello Gelfi: Effect of aging on microstructure and mechanical properties of ZnAl15Cu1 alloy for wrought applications . Ed .: International Journal of Materials Research. tape 108 , no. May 6 , 2017.
- ↑ Annalisa Pola, Didier Rollez, Dr. Frank Prenger: Zinc Alloy Family for Foundry Purposes . Ed .: World of Metallurgy - ERZMETALL. tape 68 , no. January 6 , 2015, p. 354-358 .
- ↑ Article | Zinc initiative. Retrieved March 13, 2018 .
- ↑ Lead- free in the future . ( umformtechnikmagazin.de [accessed on March 14, 2018]).