A New Approach Improving Pressure Tight Castings, Mechanical Properties & Die Soldering to Aluminum Sand, Permanent Mold and Die Casting by making a Titanium Addition above the Peritectic Composition of 0.15%. For 50 years, we believed that a small Titanium addition to Sand and Permanent Casting was adequate and it was not necessary to grain refine a die casting due to the rapid chill of the process. We were wrong. Strong evidence indicates that a Titanium addition above the Peritectic Composition of 0.15% is producing remarkable success in the above areas. The cost of energy and raw materials are comparable internationally. Labor is not. Developing new methods can be a major weapon to offset Asian labor costs. Castings of thin and heavy sections can develop micro shrink porosity due to improper feeding of the heavy sections. Machining these areas can open the entrapped porosity and under pressure, produce leakers. For some unknown reason, a Titanium addition above the P/C of 0.15% improves the integrity of these castings. Heat treatment, machining, impregnation and pressure testing is all very costly. Titanium addition to the metal is spending pennies to save dollars. Major Die Casters are enjoying the results of this procedure. Die Caster Alloy Test Old Scrap Rate New Scrap Rate Titanium Addition A 390 40,000 Castings 5-7% 0.35% 0.15-0.16% B 13 5 month test 5-7% 0.25% 0.17-0.18% *This data is amazing, not only in saving costs, but in saving customers. Mechanical Properties: An investment caster shared data on their test bars A356.2-T6 Ti 0.12% 0.14% 0.16% Tensile 44,566 45,008 49,058 Yield 36,134 36,451 39,935 Elongation 4.40% 4.33% 5.97% Titanium above the P/C of 0.15% showed an overall increase in properties. Interestingly, the yield and elongation increased together, normally they are reverse to one another. Die Soldering: A serious problem addressed by Dr. Sumanth Shankar, of the Advanced Casting Research Center of Worcester Polytechnic Institute; states, "Titanium additions, to the melt, of above 0.125% by weight is highly recommended to avoid soldering." He has published two papers on die soldering. (http://www.wpi.edu/Academics/Research/ACR/Research/diesoldering.html) One of the parameters that control the crystal (grun) density is the Titanim content that effects the nucleation of aluminum crystals in the melt. The grain density effects the way the dendrites grow, which in turn effects the shrinkage and distribution of porosity. The main effect of increasing Titanium above the Peritectic Composition of 0.15% would be that AlTi particles start to form in the melt prior to the nucleation of aluminum grains. These particles promote the nucleation of aluminum grain, which gives a fine grain size for better feeding conditions and improved dispersion of porosity. AlTi is a grain refiner; however, fading occurs during the dissolution of Ti Al3 crystals in holding time when levels are below the P/C of 0.15%. When levels are above 0.15%, the particles become thermodynamically stable and inclusion count begins to change drastically. SMP is a manufacturer of Powder Master Alloy TM , grain refining tablets that are used to replace waffles, piglets and rod. This technology has saved the Primary Aluminum Smelters million of dollars and billions of BTU's. One Primary Smelter replaced 1.2 million pounds per year of 10% waffle with 120,000 pounds per year of SMP Titanium tablets. All Primaries in North America today are using this technology to grain refine foundry alloys. SMP-54 one ounce grain refining tablets offer 50% savings over Master Alloy TM, making it economically feasible to consider Titanium levels above the Peritectic Composition. It doesn't seem possible that a little Titanium can produce such positive results, but our customers are proving that it does, every day. Shocking, is the number of Aluminum Casters that we have lost over the last twenty years. Our success depends upon our ability to be competitive in a world market. Innovation is the key to success and Titanium will help you become competitive. Give us a call, we can help. Contact us: (800) 326-5317 * (717) 246-0385 * (717) 246-0487 Fax SMP Co. Inc., 25 Pleasant Ave., Red Lion, PA 17356 info@smptitanium.com