Development of lead-free copper alloy-graphite casting. Annual report, January--December 1994

Water model experiments were conducted to develop a two-stage stirring method for obtaining higher yields and a more uniform distribution of particles in copper alloys. This was followed by several melts for synthesis of copper-graphite alloys in which T1 was used as a wetting agent to improve the wettability of graphite in the copper melt. In the first stage, a vortex method was employed to facilitate the suction of graphite particles into the copper melt. In the second stage, the specially designed stirrer was used to avoid the formation of vortex in melt. The two stage stirring was found to considerably improve the recovery of graphite, over those obtained with the prior practice of single stage stirring. In addition, graphite recoveries increased with increasing Ti content. Flotation, fluidity, and directional solidification experiments were also conducted on copper-graphite alloys synthesized in this study. Tests showed that the spiral fluidity length of the yellow brass alloy increased with temperature and decreased with graphite. The fluidity of copper-graphite alloys investigated to date remained adequate to make a variety of castings. The observations of microstructure of directional solidification and flotation showed that in certain castings the graphite particles were agglomerated and they float to the upper part of the castings where they reduced the size of grains. However, in the agglomerated form, the graphite particles improved the machinability of copper alloys in a manner similar to lead. The result of the first years work provide an improved method of synthesis of lead free copper graphite alloys with improved machinability and adequate fluidity. Future work will continue to further improve the distribution of graphite particles in casting while retaining adequate fluidity and improved machinability. Techniques like centrifugal casting will be developed to concentrate graphite in regions where it is required for machinability in bearings