Oxygen variation in titanium powder and metal injection molding

The control of oxygen is paramount in achieving high-performance titanium(Ti)parts by powder metallurgy such as metal in-jection molding(MIM).In this study,we purposely selected the Ti and Ti-6Al-4V powders as the reference materials since these two are the most representative Ti materials in the industry.Herein,hydride-dehydride(HDH)Ti powders were pre-oxidized to examine the ef-fect of oxygen variation on the characteristics of oxide layer on the particle surface and its resultant color feature.The results indicate that the thickness and Ti oxide level(Ti^(0)→Ti^(4+))of the oxide layer on the HDH Ti powders increased as the oxygen content increased,lead-ing to the transition of color appearance from grey,brown to blue.This work aids in the powder feedstock selection at the initial stage in powder metallurgy.In addition,the development of oxygen content was comprehensively studied during the MIM process using the gas-atomized(GA)Ti-6Al-4V powders.Particularly,the oxygen variation in the form of oxide layer,the change of oxygen content in the powders,and the relevant parts were investigated during the processes of kneading,injection,debinding,and sintering.The oxygen vari-ation was mainly concentrated in the sintering stage,and the content increased with the increase of sintering temperature.The variation of oxygen content during the MIM process demonstrates the crucial role of powder feedstock and sintering stage in controlling oxygen con-tent.This work provides a piece of valuable information on oxygen detecting,control,and manipulation for the powder and processing in the industry of Ti and its alloys by powder metallurgy.

Effects of the Water-Cement Ratio and the Molding Temperature on the Hydration Heat of Cement

The effects of the water-cement ratio and the molding temperature on the hydration heat of cement were investigated with semi-adiabatic calorimetry.The specimens were prepared with water-cement ratios of 0.31,0.38,and 0.45,and the molding temperature was specified at 10 and 20℃.The experimental results show that,as the water-binder ratio increases,the value of the second temperature peak on the temperature curve of the cement paste decreases,and the age at which the peak appears is delayed.The higher the water-cement ratio,the higher the hydration heat release in the early period of cement hydration,but this trend reverses in the late period.There are intersection points of the total hydration heat curve of the cement pastes under the influence of the water-cement ratio,and this law can be observed at both molding temperatures.With the increase in the molding temperature,the age of the second temperature peak on the temperature curve of the cement paste will advance,but the temperature peak will decrease.The higher the molding temperature,the earlier the acceleration period of the cement hydration began,and the larger the hydration heat of the cement in the early stage,but the smaller the total heat in the late period.A subsection function calculation model of the hydration heat,which was based on the existing models,was proposed in order to predict the heat of the hydration of the concrete.

Dependence of Lower Molding Temperature Limit and Molding Time on Molding Mechanism in Dental Thermoforming

Effectiveness and safety of a sports mouthguard depend on its thickness and material, and the thermoforming process affects these. The purpose of this study was to clarify the effects of differences in molding mechanisms on the lower molding temperature limit and molding time in dental thermoforming. Ethylene vinyl acetate resin mouthguard sheet and two thermoforming machines;vacuum blower molding machine and vacuum ejector/pressure molding machine were used. The molding pressures for suction molding were −0.018 MPa for vacuum blower molding and −0.090 MPa for vacuum ejector molding, and for pressure molding was set to 0.090 MPa or 0.450 MPa. Based on the manufacturer’s standard molding temperature of 95˚C, the molding temperature was lowered in 2.5˚C increments to determine the lower molding temperature limit at which no molding defects occurred. In order to investigate the difference in molding time depending on the molding mechanism, the duration of molding pressure was adjusted in each molding machine, and the molding time required to obtain a sample without molding defects was measured. The molding time of each molding machine were compared using one-way analysis of variance. The lower molding temperature limit was 90.0˚C for the vacuum blower machine, 77.5˚C for the vacuum ejector machine, 77.5˚C for the pressure molding machine at 0.090 MPa, and 67.5˚C for the pressure molding machine at 0.45 MPa. The lower molding temperature limit was higher for lower absolute values of molding pressure. The molding time was shorter for pressure molding than for suction molding. Significant differences were observed between all conditions except between the pressure molding machine at 0.090 MPa and 0.45 MPa (P < 0.01). A comparison of the differences in lower molding temperature limit and molding time due to molding mechanisms in dental thermoforming revealed that the lower molding temperature limit depends on the molding pressure and that the molding time is longer for suction molding than for pressure molding.

Non-Darcy Flow in Molding Sands

Darcy’s law is widely used to describe the flow in porous media in which there is a linear relationship between fluid velocity and pressure gradient. However, it has been found that for high numbers of Reynolds this law ceases to be valid. In this work, the Ergun equation is employed to consider the non-linearity of air velocity with the pressure gradient in casting sands. The contribution of non-linearity to the total flow in terms of a variable defined as a non-Darcy flow fraction is numerically quantified. In addition, the influence of the shape factor of the sand grains on the non-linear flow fraction is analyzed. It is found that for values of the Reynolds number less or equal than 1, the contribution of non-linearity for spherical particles is around 1.15%.

Investigation of bubbles escape behavior from low basicity mold flux for high-Mn high-Al steels using 3D X-ray microscope

During the continuous casting process of high-Mn high-Al steels,various types of gases such as Ar need to escape through the top of the mold.In which,the behavior of bubbles traversing the liquid slag serves as a restrictive link,closely associated with viscosity and the thickness of liquid slag.In contrast to two-dimensional surface observation,three-dimensional(3D)analysis method can offer a more intuitive,accurate,and comprehensive information.Therefore,this study employs a 3D X-ray microscope(3D-XRM)to obtained spatial distribution and 3D morphological characteristics of residual bubbles in mold flux under different basicity of liquid slag,different temperatures,and different holding times.The results indicate that as basicity of slag increases from 0.52 to 1.03,temperature increases from 1423 to 1573 K,the viscosity of slag decreases,the floating rate of bubbles increases.In addition,when holding time increases from 10 to 30 s,the bubbles floating distance increases,and the volume fraction and average equivalent sphere diameter of the bubbles solidified in the mold flux gradually decreases.In one word,increasing the basicity,temperature,and holding time leading to an increase in the removal rate of bubbles especially for the large.These findings of bubbles escape behavior provide valuable insights into optimizing low basicity mold flux for high-Mn high-Al steels.

Evolution of stresses in metal injection molding parts during sintering

The evolution of stresses due to inhomogeneity in metal injection molding （MIM） parts during sintering was investigated. The sintering model of porous materials during densification process was developed based on the continuum mechanics and thermal elasto-viseoplastic constitutive law. Model parameters were identified from the dilatometer sintering experiment. The real density distribution of green body was measured by X-ray computed tomography （CT）, which was regarded as the initial condition of sintering model. Numerical calculation of the above sintering model was carried out with the finite element soRware Abaqus, through the user-defined material mechanical behavior （UMAT）. The calculation results showed that shrinkages of low density regions were faster than those of high density regions during sintering, which led to internal stresses. Compressive stresses existed in high density regions and tensile stresses existed in low density regions. The densification of local regions depended on not only the initial density, but also the evolution of stresses during the sintering stage.

Research Progress of Biomass Fuel Composite Molding Technology

At present, the technology of biomass fuel composite molding technique is relatively lagging in China, which brings several negative influences, such as high energy consumption, short service life of the equipment. The current situation of the biomass pellet fuel molding technology at home and abroad was introduced, and the development direction in China was put forward, which was of great significance for enhancing the level of pellet fuel molding technology in China.

STUDY OF FLOW AND TEMPERATURE IN RESIN TRANSFER MOLDING PROCESS BY NUMERICAL MODEL

A mathematical model of resin flow and temperature variation in the filling stage of the resin transfer molding (RTM) is developed based on the control volume/finite element method (CV/FEM). The effects of the heat transfer and chemical reaction of the resin on the flow and temperature are considered. The numerical algorithm of the resin flow and temperature variation in the process of RTM are studied. Its accuracy and convergence are analyzed. The comparison of temperature variations between experimental results and model predictions is carried out for two RTM cases. Result shows that the model is efficient for evaluating the flow and temperature variation in the filling stage of RTM and there is a good coincidence between theory and experiment.

Pro／E中Molding模块在注塑模具设计中的应用

主要介绍利用Pro／E中Molding模块进行注塑模具设计的基本步骤，并通过实例，讲述利用Pro／E进行注塑模具设计的基本流程，从而为模具的设计开发降低了成本，提高了质量，并为设计人员提供了重要的研究开发工具。

基于 Moldflow 的汽车中控台框架翘曲变形分析及优化

以某汽车中控台框架为研究对象,测量试模样品发现其翘曲变形量超过了装配要求。通过Moldflow软件模拟了该塑件实际的注塑过程,翘曲变形量的模拟值与实测平均值的最大误差为5.98%,发现该塑件翘曲变形的主要因素为冷却不均和收缩不均。本文在原物料中添加质量分数为25%的玻璃纤维以及优化工艺参数后,翘曲变形量的模拟值与初始方案相比降低了86.22%。试模验证表明,优化后的翘曲变形量模拟值与实测平均值的最大误差为4.35%,证明了Moldflow软件模拟分析的准确性。试模后各检测点的最大翘曲变形量降到了1.6 mm以下,较优化之前降低了80%以上,为类似大型复杂注塑件的翘曲变形分析及优化提供了思路。

Powder injection molding of pure titanium

An improved wax-based binder was developed for powder injection molding of pure titanium. A critical powder loading of 69 vol.% and a pseudo-plastic flow behavior were obtained by the feedstock based on the binder. The injection molding, debinding, and sintering process were studied. An ideal control of carbon and oxygen contents was achieved by thermal debinding in vacuum atmosphere （10^-3 Pa）. The mechanical properties of as-sintered specimens were less than those of titanium made by the conventional press-sintering process. Good shape retention and ±0.04 mm dimension deviation were achieved.

A strategy to obtain a high-density and high-strength zirconia ceramic via ceramic injection molding by the modification of oleic acid

Despite its unique high efficiency and good environmental compatibility, the water-soluble binder system still encounters problems achieving a desired sintered part via ceramic injection molding because of the poor compatibility and the powder-binder segregation between ceramic powders and binders. The objective of this study was to obtain a sintered part with excellent properties by introducing a small quantity of oleic acid to the surface of zirconia powders before the mixing process. As opposed to many previous investigations that focused only on the rheological behavior and modification mechanism, the sintering behavior and densification process were systematically investigated in this study. With the modified powders, debound parts with a more homogeneous and smaller pore size distribution were fabricated. Also, a higher density and greater flexural strength were achieved in the sintered parts fabricated using the modified powders.

NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF FEEDSTOCK MELT FILLING IN A CYLINDRICAL CAVITY WITH SOLIDIFICATION IN POWDER INJECTION MOLDING

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Preparation of liquefied wood-based resins and their application in molding material

To investigate value in use of liquefied wood-based resin applications in molding material, Chinese fir （Cunninghamia lanceolata） and poplar （Populus tomentosa） wood meal were liquefied in phenol. The reactant was co-condensed with formaldehyde to obtain liquefied wood-based resin. For this paper, we investigated the characterization of the resin and its application in molding material. The result shows that the basic properties of liquefied wood-based resin were satisfactory; the bonding strength of plywood prepared with liquefied Chinese fir and liquefied poplar resin can reach 1.54 and 1.00 MPa, respectively. The compression strengths of the molding material prepared with two kinds of liquefied wood resin were 73.01 and 73.58 MPa, almost the same as that of PF resin molding material. The limiting volume swelling of molding material made with liquefied Chinese resin and liquefied poplar resin were 8.5% and 8.3%, thickness swelling rates of water absorption were 3.3% and 4.2%, and the maximum weight ratios of water absorption were 25.9% and 26.2%, respectively. The soil burial test result shows that the weight loss rate of the molding materials made with liquefied Chinese resin and liquefied poplar resin were 8.3% and 9.1% and that of the PF resin molding material was 7.9%. After the soil internment test, the reduction ratio of compression strength of the two kinds of molding material achieved 16.9% and 17.7%, while that of the PF resin molding material was 15.4%. The test results of wood fungi inoculation on the three surfaces of the molding material indicate the breeding rate of molding material prepared with liquefied Chinese resin and liquefied poplar resin were at level 4 and that of PF resin molding material was at level 1 of the ISO standard.

Structural Scheme Optimization Design for the Stationary Platen of a Precision Plastic Injection Molding Machine

The current development of precision plastic injection molding machines mainly focuses on how to save material and improve precision, but the two aims contradict each other. For a clamp unit, clamping precision improving depends on the design quality of the stationary platen. Compared with the parametric design of stationary platen, structural scheme design could obtain the optimization model with double objectives and multi-constraints. In this paper, a SE-160 precision plastic injection molding machine with 1600 kN clamping force is selected as the subject in the case study. During the motion of mold closing and opening, the stationary platen of SE-160 is subjected to a cyclic loading, which would cause the fatigue rupture of the tie bars in periodically long term operations. In order to reduce the deflection of the stationary platen, the FEA method is introduced to optimize the structure of the stationary platen. Firstly, an optimal topology model is established by variable density method. Then, structural topology optimizations of the stationary platen are done with the removable material from 50%, 60% to 70%. Secondly, the other two recommended optimization schemes are given and compared with the original structure. The result of performances comparison shows that the scheme II of the platen is the best one. By choosing the best alternative, the volume and the local maximal stress of the platen could be decreased, corresponding to cost-saving material and better mechanical properties. This paper proposes a structural optimization design scheme, which can save the material as well as improve the clamping precision of the precision plastic injection molding machine.

A review of the techniques for the mold manufacturing of micro/nanostructures for precision glass molding

Micro/nanostructured components play an important role in micro-optics and optical engineering,tribology and surface engineering,and biological and biomedical engineering,among other fields.Precision glass molding technology is the most efficient method of manufacturing micro/nanostructured glass components,the premise of which is meld manufacturing with complementary micro/nanostructures.Numerous mold manufacturing methods have been developed to fabricate extremely small and high-quality micro/nanostructures to satisfy the demands of functional micro/nanostructured glass components for various applications.Moreover,the service performance of the mold should also be carefully considered.This paper reviews a variety of technologies for manufacturing micro/nanostructured molds.The authors begin with an introduction of the extreme requirements of mold materials.The following section provides a detailed survey of the existing micro/nanostructured mold manufacturing techniques and their corresponding mold materials,including nonmechanical and mechanical methods.This paper concludes with a detailed discussion of the authors recent research on nickel-phosphorus(Ni-P)mold manufacturing and its service performance.

Injection molding of micro-porous titanium alloy with space holder technique

The powder space holder （PSH） and powder injection molding （PIM） methods have an industrial competitive advantage because they are capable of the net-shape production of micro-sized porous parts. In this study, micro-porous Ti6Al4V alloy （Ti64） parts were produced by the PSH-PIM process. Ti64 alloy powder and spherical polymethylrnethacrylate （PMMA） particles were used as a space holder material. After molding, binder debinding was performed by thermal method under inert gas. Debinded samples were sintered at 1250℃ for 60min in a vacuum （10-4 Pa）. Metallographic studies were conducted to determine densification and the corresponding microstructural changes. The surface of sintered samples was examined by SEM. The compressive stress and elastic modulus of the rificro-porous Ti64 samples were determined. The effects of fraction of PMMA on the properties of sintered micro-porous Ti64 alloy samples were investigated. It was shown that the fraction of PMMA could be controlled to affect the properties of the Ti alloy.

Fabrication and sintering behavior of high-nitrogen nickel-free stainless steels by metal injection molding

High-nitrogen nickel-free stainless steels were fabricated by the metal injection molding technique using high nitrogen alloying powders and a mixture of three polymers as binders.Mixtures of metal powders and binders with various proportions were also investigated, and an optimum powder loading capacity was determined as 64vol%.Intact injection molded compacts were successfully obtained by regulating the processing parameters.The debinding process for molded compacts was optimized with a combination of thermo-gravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry analysis.An optimum relative density and nitrogen content of the specimens are obtained at 1360℃,which are 97.8%and 0.79wt%,respectively.

Water-Assisted Injection Molding System Based on Water Hydraulic Proportional Control Technique

Water-assisted injection molding（WAIM）, an innovative process to mold plastic parts with hollow sections, is characterized with intermittent, periodic process and large pressure and flow rate variation. Energy savings and injection pressure control can not be .attained based on conventional valve control system. Moreover, the injection water can not be supplied directly by water hydraulic proportional control system. Poor efficiency and control performance are presented by current trial systems, which pressurize injection water by compressed air. In this paper, a novel water hydraulic system is developed applying an accumulator for energy saving. And a new differential pressure control method is proposed by using pressure cylinder and water hydraulic proportional pressure relief valve for back pressure control. Aiming at design of linear controller for injection water pressure regulation, a linear load model is approximately built through computational fluid dynamics（CFD） simulation on two-phase flow cavity filling process with variable temperature and viscosity, and a linear model of pressure control system is built with the load model and linearization of water hydraulic components. According to the simulation, model based feedback is brought forward to compensate the pressure decrease during accumulator discharge and eliminate the derivative element of the system. Meanwhile, the steady-state error can be reduced and the capacity of resisting disturbance can be enhanced, by closed-loop control of load pressure with integral compensation. Through the developed experimental system in the State Key Lab of Fluid Power Transmission and Control, Zhejiang University, China, the static characteristic of the water hydraulic proportional relief valve was tested and output pressure control of the system in Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene（ABS） parts molding experiments was also studied. The experiment results show that the dead band and hysteresis of the water hydraulic proportional pressure relief valve are large, but the control precision and linearity can be improved with feed-forward compensation. With the experimental results of injection water pressure control, the applicability of this WAIM system and the effect of its linear controller are verified. The novel proposed process of WAIM pressure control and study on characteristics of control system contribute to the application of water hydraulic proportional control and WAIM technology.

Mold Filling Analysis in Vacuum Infusion Molding Process Based on a High-Permeable Medium

The objective of this paper is to understand the flow mechanism through visualization experiments and discuss theinfluence of process parameters on mold filling process. A 2D leakage flow model is developed to simulate the moldingprocess, and the simulation results show good agreement with experiments.