The invention concerns a method of producing abrasive particles and abrasive particles produced in accordance with the method. The invention further concerns a method of producing a grinding tool for machining metallic materials and the grinding tool produced in accordance with that method and a nozzle body used in the method according to the invention.
Different methods of producing abrasive particles are known from the state of the art. For example, EP 3 342 839 A1 to the present applicant discloses a method in which abrasive particles of a non-uniform shape and/or size are produced by cutting an extrudate. In that respect, the aim with that method is to produce abrasive particles with an irregular geometry.
A disadvantage there is that only comparatively few abrasive particles can be produced in a given time.
Furthermore, such a method involves a relatively high level of wear as the cutting edges used for the cutting operation are subject to a high loading and thus wear comparatively quickly.
The object of the present invention is to provide a method of producing abrasive particles, which avoids the above-mentioned problems, the abrasive particles produced therewith, a method of producing a grinding tool for machining metallic materials, in which the abrasive particles produced according to the invention are used, a grinding tool produced by means of that method, and a nozzle body used in the method according to the invention.
It is therefore provided in a method according to the invention in the course of the extrusion operation the starting mixture is pressed through at least one nozzle body having a plurality of nozzle passages which extend substantially parallel, preferably wherein the at least one nozzle body was produced by an additive production method and/or at least a material-removing production method.
The plurality of nozzle passages in the nozzle body provide that more abrasive particles can be produced in the same time, than with methods known from the state of the art. In addition, the wear with the method according to the invention is less than in the state of the art as no cutting apparatus is required.
It is to be pointed out that the technology of converting a starting mixture containing at least aluminum hydroxide at least into aluminum oxide by heat treatment has already long been known. In this connection attention is directed to the so-called “sol-gel process”. That involves using a starting mixture containing at least aluminum hydroxide. Aluminum hydroxide can occur in different modifications. In connection with the present invention boehmite in powder form (γ-AlOOH) is preferably used. Further preferably the boehmite is subsequently converted into a clear sol with the addition of water and the addition of a peptizator, for example nitric acid. Preferably then a reaction to provide the gel, that is to say dehydration and polymerization, is initiated by the further addition of an acid, for example nitric acid, or a nitrate solution. The gelling step results in the boehmite being in a very homogenously distributed form. Liberated water can be evaporated in a subsequent working step. In the course of a subsequent heat treatment at a temperature between 400° C. and 1200° C., preferably at a temperature between 800° C. and 1000° C., the aluminum hydroxide can be converted into an aluminum oxide of the transitional phase γ-Al2O3. In the reaction of boehmite to aluminum oxide nitrogen is liberated as a residue of the acid and water. That low-temperature firing operation is also referred to as calcination. Then in a last step a further heat treatment can be carried out in the form of a preferably pressure-less sintering. That step is preferably effected at a temperature of between 1200° C. and 1800° C., preferably at a temperature of between 1200° C. and 1500° C. Depending on the starting mixture, besides aluminum oxide (typically as alpha-aluminum oxide), secondary phases such as spinel can occur. Account is taken of that situation by the expression “at least into aluminum oxide”.
The term “extrusion” is used to denote a procedure in which solid to viscous hardenable materials are continuously pressed under pressure out of a shaping opening. That results in bodies with the cross-section of the opening, referred to as the extrudate.
The term “material-removing production method” is used to denote for example production methods like boring and milling or also laser or water jet cutting.
In the present case, the cross-section of the extrudate depends on the nozzle body used and is preferably rectangular, square, triangular or star-shaped and/or has at least one convex side or at least one concave side.
The method according to the invention for the production of abrasive particles is distinguished over the state of the art not only by its simplicity and the lower maintenance requirement and wear, but it also makes it possible to vary the shape and/or size of the intermediate particles or the abrasive particles occurring after the sintering operation easily and flexibly by changing the nozzle body and/or upon changes in the separation operation.
A possible way of influencing or controlling the dimensions of the abrasive particles provides feeding the extrudate to the separation method step at a variable delivery speed and/or in an oscillating movement. In the case of an oscillating movement that involves a given length of the extrudate to be separated.
It can further also be provided that the intermediate particles produced by the separation operation are comminuted prior to the heat treatment in a further method step, preferably by a cutting apparatus. Instead of a cutting apparatus, it is also possible to use other comminuting apparatuses which for example also cause the intermediate particles to be broken up and/or chopped.
A further possible way of influencing the shape and/or size of the abrasive particles involves changing the consistency of the starting mixture. For that purpose, in the preparation of the starting mixture and/or in the extrusion of the starting mixture water, a peptizator, preferably nitric acid, and/or additives, for example an acid which can also be nitric acid, and/or nitrate, preferably cobalt nitrate, are added.
Advantageous embodiments of the method of producing abrasive particles further provide that the intermediate particles created by the separation operation, in the course of the heat treatment, are calcined, preferably at a temperature of between 400° C. and 1200° C., particularly preferably at a temperature of between 800° C. and 1000° C., and/or are sintered, preferably at a temperature of between 1200° C. and 1800° C., particularly preferably at a temperature of between 1200° C. and 1500° C. In addition it can be provided that the intermediate particles created by the separation operation are pre-dried in the course of the heat treatment prior to calcining and/or sintering, preferably at a temperature beween 50° C. and 350° C., particularly preferably at a temperature beween 80° C. and 100° C.
As previously stated, protection is also claimed for a method of producing a grinding tool for machining metallic materials, wherein abrasive particles which were produced according to the method according to the invention of producing abrasive particles are incorporated into a binding, for example a ceramic binding or a synthetic resin binding. Advantageously that affords a grinding tool of a porosity of 2 to 50% and/or a density of 1.5 to 4.5 g/cm3.
Protection is also claimed for a nozzle body used in the method according to the invention. It is provided that the nozzle passages of the at least one nozzle body respectively have a preferably circular or ellipsoidal inlet opening through which the starting mixture passes into the nozzle passages and a respective outlet opening which is preferably rectangular, square, triangular or star-shaped and/or has at least one convex side or at least one concave side and for issue of the extrudate from the nozzle passages. The outlet opening however can basically be of any suitable shape.
Particularly preferably, a part of the nozzle passages, preferably all nozzle passages, have a portion which adjoins the outlet opening and which is in the form of a twisted prism for conversion of the starting mixture to be extruded into a spiral shape.
With such a configuration of the nozzle body, it is possible to easily produce spiral-shaped abrasive particles of the most widely varying cross-section. The abrasive particles can be adapted to various use conditions by virtue of the variable cross-section.
The result of the spiral configuration of the abrasive particles is that, on the one hand, incorporation of the abrasive particles into a binding - for example in the production of a grinding tool according to the invention - is facilitated. On the other hand, in the course of use of the grinding tool or the abrasive particles, fresh cutting edges of differing configuration, facing in different directions in space, are repeatedly offered, and they permit particularly efficient removal of material.
Further details and advantages of the present invention are described more fully hereinafter by the specific description with reference to the drawings in which:
In the preferred embodiment shown in
The starting mixture 2 produced in that way is subsequently fed to an extrusion apparatus 18. It can provided that the extrusion apparatus 18 is arranged on a platform 19 which can be displaced in an oscillating movement. That oscillating movement is diagrammatically indicated by means of a double-headed arrow in
The extrudate 3 leaving the extrusion apparatus 8 is of a given cross-sectional shape which is determined by the nozzle body.
The extrudate 3 is subsequently separated by a rotating or oscillating blade 10. It can also be provided that separation into intermediate particles is effected by means of at least one laser or at least one water cutter or at least one plasma cutter, preferably wherein the extrudate 3 which is to be separated by means of the at least one laser or the at least one water cutter or the at least one plasma cutter is deposited on a conveyor means prior to the separation operation.
The intermediate particles 4 created by separation of the extrudate 3 are fed to a pre-drying device 21 by means of a belt guide 20. It can also be provided that it is only after being deposited on the belt guide 20 that the extrudate 3 is separated on the belt guide 20.
Then the pre-dried intermediate particles 4 are transferred into a calcination furnace 22 in which calcination of the intermediate particles 4 takes place.
Following the calcination operation there is a sintering furnace 23 in which the intermediate particles 4 are sintered to give abrasive particles 5. The shape and the size of the abrasive particles 5 produced in that way is discussed in greater detail with reference to
Instead of three devices 21, 22 and 23 for the heat treatment, which follow each other in spatially separated relationship, it is also possible to use an integrated device for the heat treatment, for example a tunnel furnace, with temperature zones which are controllable independently of each other.
The sintered abrasive particles 5 are positioned on a belt guide 24. During transport by means of that belt guide device 24 the abrasive particles 5 created by the sintering operation are cooled down.
The finished abrasive particles 5 are then transferred into a storage device 25 and are available for further processing, for example for a method of producing a grinding tool for machining metallic materials.
In the case of a nozzle body 6 as shown in
For the sake of better understanding
After passing through the twisted portion 7d the extrudate 3 issues in a spiral shape from the outlet openings 7b and can then be separated.
For better understanding
In this embodiment the starting material 2 to be extruded is shaped by the interference bodies 8 in the nozzle passages 7 to give an extrudate 3 in the shape of a hollow body. Separation of the extrudate 3 into individual intermediate particles 4 is then in turn effected. Those intermediate particles are diagrammatically shown in
A configuration of the intermediate particles 4, in the form of hollow bodies, is advantageous in particular when producing a grinding tool 12 according to the invention as a binding can also penetrate into the hollow space in the abrasive particles 5, whereby improved anchorage of the abrasive particles 5 on the grinding tool 12 is achieved in comparison with abrasive particles 5 in the form of solid bodies.
It is also conceivable for an interference body 8 according to the invention to be arranged in relation to nozzle bodies 6 with twisted portions 7d. That affords twisted intermediate particles 4 and abrasive particles 5 in the form of hollow bodies.
In a nozzle body 6 as shown in
The mixture 2 to be extruded then issues from the nozzle body 6 in the form of an extrudate 3 through the outlet openings 7b. The outlet openings 7b in this embodiment are similar in their shape to a three-blade rotor.
The nozzle body 6 shown in
In the case of a material-removing production it could be provided for example that blind hole bores are produced in a metal blank. Outlet openings 7b are then cut out in those blind hole bores by means of laser cutting. It is however also possible to involve any other suitable production method.
It can be seen that a large part of the abrasive particles 5 from the photographed sample involve a twist angle of 90° to 180°. In particular however it can be provided that the abrasive particles 5 have a twist angle of up to 360°.
7
a inlet opening
7
b outlet opening
7
c funnel-shaped portion
7
d twisted portion
8
a bar
8
b torpedo-shaped tip
9
a baffle surface
17
a mixing container
17
b rotational unit
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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A 50934/2019 | Oct 2019 | AT | national |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | PCT/AT2020/060368 | Oct 2020 | US |
Child | 17731572 | US |