摘要
7A52 aluminum alloy was cut with an integrated equipment for welding and cutting using water vapor plasma arc. Various cutting mediums were tested. The arc force, electron density and cutting speed in each medium were tested and calculated. The fractography and microstructure of the cuts were also analyzed. Results show that the arc force, electron density and cutting speed #wreased with increasing acetone concentration. However, above a certain value （40%）, higher acetone concentrations contribute little to the arc force and cutting speed. The microstrueture of material near the cut was greatly influenced by the water vapor plasma arc. While the microstructure of the material beyond 10 mm from the cut was hardly influenced by the cutting heat. It was demonstrated that the water vapor plasma arc can be used for cutting of aluminum alloys in open field or emergency situations.
7A52 aluminum alloy was cut with an integrated equipment for welding and cutting using water vapor plasma arc. Various cutting mediums were tested. The arc force, electron density and cutting speed in each medium were tested and calculated. The fractography and microstructure of the cuts were also analyzed. Results show that the arc force, electron density and cutting speed #wreased with increasing acetone concentration. However, above a certain value （40%）, higher acetone concentrations contribute little to the arc force and cutting speed. The microstrueture of material near the cut was greatly influenced by the water vapor plasma arc. While the microstructure of the material beyond 10 mm from the cut was hardly influenced by the cutting heat. It was demonstrated that the water vapor plasma arc can be used for cutting of aluminum alloys in open field or emergency situations.
