Better durability and more efficiency:
PLANSEE molybdenum components for MIM

• See also this sponsored download: Higher efficiency MIM furnaces through new materials and design solutions

In MIM sintering furnaces materials face extreme thermal and mechanical loading in a harsh environment. With its special properties molybdenum is the ideal material for these demanding conditions.

Molybdenum permits operation temperatures up to 1800 °C / 3272°F and is suitable for vacuum, nitrogen, hydrogen, argon or mixtures of these atmospheres. Compared to ceramics, molybdenum has a very low heat capacity and thermal expansion. As a result the material can be heated and cooled very fast with low energy demand and without cracking or distortion due to thermal shock. Carbon contamination from graphite components is avoided.

As an expert for refractory metals, PLANSEE produces molybdenum parts for high temperature MIM sintering furnaces:

• metal hot zones
• heating elements
• shielding
• charge carriers
• sintering boats
• trays and plates (ceramic coating on demand)
• hearth components (rails, posts)
• tubes and thermocouple sheaths
• sheets, plates, foils, rods and threaded rods
• wires and bundled wires for heating elements
• pins, screws, bolts, nuts, rivets and washers
  

Even stronger: Molybdenum-Lanthanum

The performance of the MIM box and carrier, and the lifetime of furnace components can be improved by replacing OEM parts with ML components:

• Less sagging of charging plates and sintering boats
• Hearth components tend to remain straight and true
• Heating elements resist sagging and distortion
• Radiation shielding is less likely to break.

Doping molybdenum with small quantities of La2O3 increases the recrystallisation temperature to 1400°C / 2552°F. After recrystallisation, the resultant elongated grain structure with jagged grain boundaries allows a considerable increase in ductility. Furthermore the creep resistance strength of ML is significantly higher than that of the pure metal. Although TZM has superior strength and creep properties compared to pure molybdenum, it does not attain the same performance of ML at the high temperatures typical for MIM.

Less energy. More performance.

With the following measures the total energy consumption for a typical MIM sintering cycle in an all-metal hot zone can be reduced by 20 - 25%, improving the performance at the same time.

• Reduced mass
• Improved shielding efficiency of an all-metal hot zone
• Composite shielding with ceramic fibre paper.

PLANSEE is at hand with its expertise and suggests:

• Reduction of material thickness, e.g. for charging devices and hearth components through the use of molybdenum components.
• Improved design and fabrication methods for hearth rails (U-shaped rails), element supports (one-piece bending) and power feed-throughs
• Reduction of the sheet thickness in the shield pack with circumferential spacer systems
• Replacing of stainless steel in the shield pack: the efficiency of one molybdenum layer is equivalent to five stainless steel layers
• Usage of high-strength stainless steel for the support frame

In all-metal hot zones, composite shielding in which a thin layer of a special alumina paper is added to the low-mass shielding design, reduces the energy consumption by 10-15%. The heating and cooling rates, short cycle times and carbon-free environment, remain unaffected.

In good hands. Service by PLANSEE.

PLANSEE has been operating high temperature processes since 1921. A good number of engineers devote themselves to furnace construction every day. They are experts in refractory metals such as molybdenum and tungsten and know exactly which factors need to be considered in order to optimize thermal processes. They customize each furnace to the special demands of every customer. Take advantage of the following hot zone services:

• complete hot zone concepts for new furnaces
• rebuilding and upgrading of existing furnaces
• designing with modern CAD Tools
• hot zone installation service by local teams
• spare parts

For further information about molybdenum components for high temperature applications please contact the PLANSEE furnace expert Dr. Bernd Kleinpass (bernd.kleinpass@plansee.com, +43 5672 600-2562). 

PLANSEE SE
6600 Reutte / Austria
www.plansee.com

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