Examination of an alternative method for the pyrometallurgical production of copper-chromium alloys

Abstract

In this paper an alternative to the usual route for the production of copper-chromium alloys by Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP) followed by Vacuum Arc Remelting (VAR) is investigated. Therefore the HIP is replaced by an aluminothermic reduction. As oxidizing agents for this aluminothermic reduction (ATR) chromium oxide (Cr2O3) and copper oxide (CuO) are used. These oxidants are mixed in a stoichiometric relation with aluminium (Al) to get the following aluminothermic reactions going:As ATRs always are exothermic reductions, it is important to control the heat output of the reaction. A common simplification for the heat calculation in the field of ATR is the “Shemshushny Factor” (Sh-Factor). This factor determines the rate of energy input per reactant mass:To avoid a secondary melt phase after ATR, inline casting is used to directly obtain vacuum arc remeltable electrodes out of the liquid melt of the ATR.The second part of this work deals with the remelting of these electrodes via VAR. The first VAR trials aim at finding process parameters for remelting a copper-chromium ingot. As demixing is to avoid, it is necessary to control process parameters within a small range to obtain a shallow melt pool.