Abstract
This article presents the results of tests conducted as part of a research project with the primary objective of developing new copper alloys with limited lead content. The new group of materials were created in a production plant. As part of tests, a group of 22 alloys were selected for testing in castability, structural characteristics and hardness. Based on the test results obtained, the group of alloys under study was narrowed down to nine. The mechanical properties of these alloys were determined in static tensile tests as well as in uniaxial upsetting tests at elevated temperature, on the basis of which the group of alloys under investigation was further narrowed to three. Further studies involved technological verification of the application of these alloys under industrial conditions. These alloys were subject to numerical forging analyses, along with forging tests, under semi-industrial conditions, where the degree of filling of a die impression at a specific temperature was measured using an optic scanner. The quality of production of the obtained forgings was evaluated macroscopically with simultaneous observations of the microstructure.
Highlights
The main goal of the work was to produce ecological brass that would exhibit better plastic properties and machinability, as well as a lower content of harmful chemical elements that negatively affect the quality of drinking water
The objective of this paper was to determine the influence of selected alloying agents, as well as the impact that the morphology of the microstructure of developed alloys has on machinability and corrosion resistance, which in turn determines the washout of harmful elements into drinking water
A low lead CuZnPb alloy with a Pb content below the current lower Pb level defined in 4MSCCL; A low lead CuZnPb alloy, DZR, below the current Pb accepted level defined in the 4MSCCL, and which contains extra additives that purposefully modify the morphology of the microstructure and change its technical and technological characteristics
Summary
The main goal of the work was to produce ecological brass that would exhibit better plastic properties and machinability, as well as a lower content of harmful chemical elements that negatively affect the quality of drinking water. Improved plastic properties are important in hot forging processes, for example in the production of plumbing fixtures for drinking water. In order to be able to fully fill the commercial brass, such as ‘Ecobrass’, void, it is imperative to raise the forging temperature to over 800 ◦ C, which, in conditions of traditional forging efficiency (30–50 pieces/min), triggers rapid processes of thermoplastic wear of the forging tools. The forges are compelled to reduce their efficiency in order not to damage the tools. This is one of the major factors influencing the market prices of the fixtures. For flashless forging, it is required to use forging tools with superior strength in comparison to their traditional forging analogs [1,2,3]
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