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Content archived on 2024-05-07

New production methods in cutting and degreasing of copper alloys

Objective



Wet machining of copper alloys is to the major and growing part performed with water based cutting emulsions. This chemistry dissolves lead (verified in a feasibility study during step 1 of the project), copper and zinc causing production disturbances and increased environmental waste generation. Alkaline water based degreasing, meeting increased use after phasing out of chlorinated hydrocarbons, gives an analogue metal dissolution problem with the same negative consequences. The present industrial use of lead is of great environmental concern for the EU. In Sweden several lead compounds are already prohibited or restricted as components in various products and a political decision has been taken by the parliament that all industrial use of lead and its compounds is to be phased out on a long term basis. The prime proposer of this project is using a water based degreasing process in exchange for a trichloroethylene process since about two years experiencing the problems stated above. The other SME workshop company of the project is just about to do the same type of exchange. This project would show the way to environmentally adapted production methods when phasing out environmentally controversial chlorinated hydrocarbon processes. After step 1 of the project, supported with an exploratory award by the EC, the objectives of step 2 have been expanded to include the following - Description of production economics and qualities for dry and/or semidry machining - Development of new cutting fluids and wet machining technology - Reduction of the metal dissolution in cutting emulsions with an aim set at 90 % - Specification of conditions for counteraction of surface transformations - Development of water based degreasing formulations with approved degreasing effect and minimised metal. dissolution -Specification of technology for management of standards for lead content of drinking water Basic experimental studies will be done in the project to develop production methods with alternative machining conditions and chemistry concepts where aqueous metal dissolution is significantly reduced. There is chemical evidence supporting the assumption that this will also reduce prevailing production disturbances. After a midterm assessment the performance of cutting and degreasing processes with optimised chemistries and process parameters will be verified in production scale tests. The benefits of achieved project objectives are: - Savings in consumption of cutting and degreasing chemicals because of increased utilization of the same through extended lifetime of cutting fluid and degreasing solution inventories . - Decreased costs for treatment of hazardous waste - Decreased heavy metal pollution to waters - Less downtime of process equipment induced by disturbances - Improved production quality

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Topic(s)

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Funding Scheme

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CRS - Cooperative research contracts

Coordinator

FM Mattsson AB
EU contribution
No data
Address

792 27 Mora
Sweden

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Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

No data

Participants (7)

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