Conditions of composite suspension emulation during the recycling process
Jacek Jackowski, Paweł Szymański Politechnika Poznańska, Instytut Technologii Materiałów, ul. Piotrowo 3, 61-138 Poznań, Poland
Quarterly No. 2, 2008 pages 119-122
DOI:
keywords: suspension composites, recycling, emulsification
abstract Specific structure, the way of its forming, and properties of metal composite materials cause that their recycling is unlike the one used in case of traditional alloys. Moreover, the process is technologically differentiated according to the kind of the recycled material. Important group of the composite materials make so-called suspension composites, obtained by formation of a suspension of reinforcing phase particles in matrix liquid metal or alloy. In case the scrap can not be remelted and casted again, the material may be recycled by separation of the suspension components. The research results available up to now have shown that the process may be effective when carried out in an especially chosen liquid medium provided that the composite suspension being recycled is emulsified with the medium. Since in order to emulsify a liquid special mixers are required, an important problem arises consisting in defining the conditions to be met to ensure effectiveness of the process. Based on the relationship (1) the dimensions of the drops of dispersed composite suspension (solid particles of the reinforcing phase - liquid aluminum alloy) are calculated according to required mixer size and rotational speed, for selected parameters characterizing the recycling system. Results of the calculation are graphically shown. Their analysis enabled drawing the presented conclusions. They say that the emulsification process of the recycled composite suspension imposes no difficult technological and/or constructional conditions. Nevertheless, the calculation results should be practically verified, particularly in order to assess the meaning of duration of formation of the emulsion of a required dispersion degree.