Towards reliable optimization of metal powder-Lubricant mixing for high die filling performance: Exploring a rheology based approach

摘要

A previously unreported approach to optimize the time of an industry scale mixing operation for best filling performance, while ensuring premix uniformity, is tested. Mixing a base metal powder with a lubricant facilitates compacting and ejecting of powder compacts. However, the quality of lubricant admixing directly influences premix flowability and, therefore. the die filling performance of the premix. Insufficient lubricant admixing leads to non-uniform lubricant distribution, while excessive mixing, - to segregation or flowability degradation.