An apparatus and method for preparing an aluminum oxide film

Abstract

This invention provides an apparatus and method for preparing aluminum oxide films, including a steel mold, a mold frame, a lifting rod, a lifting gear, a support, a melting furnace, a perforated blower, and an inert gas cylinder. The lifting gear is mounted on the upper part of the support. A flow hole is provided at the bottom of the steel mold, and a mold frame is provided on the upper part of the steel mold. The upper part of the mold frame is connected to the lower part of the lifting rod, which is provided with meshing teeth and meshes with the lifting gear. The melting furnace is located below the steel mold, and the perforated blower extends into the bottom of the melting furnace. The inert gas cylinder is connected to the perforated blower through a gas pipe. The apparatus of this invention has a simple structure, is convenient to store and use, can obtain aluminum oxide films with relatively complete and smooth morphology, has high efficiency in preparing aluminum oxide films, the morphology of the oxide film is less affected by the operator, and the reproducibility in subsequent microscopic analysis of the aluminum oxide film is good. Since the steel mold and mold frame, and the lifting rod and mold frame are all detachably connected, it is beneficial for storing and storing the aluminum oxide film preparation apparatus.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of aluminum alloy smelting technology, and specifically relates to an apparatus and method for preparing an aluminum oxide film. Background Technology

[0002] In the aluminum smelting process, the formation and content of hydrogen in the molten aluminum are related to the microstructure of oxide inclusions. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct in-depth research on the structure of the oxide film and the influence of alloying elements on the oxide film structure. The oxide inclusions in the molten aluminum are mainly Al2O3 inclusions, while the alumina inclusions in the molten aluminum are mainly generated during the smelting process, and a considerable portion of them are entrained in the surface oxide film. Therefore, the morphology of the surface oxide film can characterize the morphology of alumina inclusions in the molten aluminum. The preparation of aluminum oxide films is usually quite difficult; due to shrinkage during the solidification of the molten aluminum, it is difficult to obtain a relatively complete oxide film. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This invention provides an apparatus and method for preparing aluminum oxide films, which can obtain relatively smooth aluminum oxide films and has good reproducibility of experimental results.

[0004] The present invention provides an apparatus for preparing an aluminum oxide film, comprising a steel mold, a mold frame, a lifting rod, a slide rail, a lifting gear, a support, a smelting furnace, a perforated blower, and an inert gas cylinder. The lifting gear is mounted on the upper part of the support and has a rotating handle. The lifting rod is fitted into the slide rail and can only move vertically along the slide rail; the lifting rod has meshing teeth that mesh with the lifting gear. The mold frame includes an upper mold ring, a lower mold ring, and a mold rod; the upper and lower mold rings are connected by the mold rod. The upper mold ring is connected to the lower part of the lifting rod. The steel mold is a hollow, bottomed cylindrical mold with a flow hole at the center of its bottom. The upper part of the steel mold is connected to the lower mold ring. The smelting furnace is located below the steel mold, and the perforated blower extends into the bottom of the smelting furnace. The inert gas cylinder is connected to the perforated blower via a gas pipe. In this invention, the flow hole at the bottom of the steel mold is used for the aluminum molten material in the smelting furnace to flow into and out of the steel mold; the lifting gear is connected to the meshing teeth on the lifting rod, and the lifting rod is driven to rise and fall through the lifting gear, which in turn drives the steel mold to rise and fall in the smelting furnace through the mold frame; the slide rail is designed so that the lifting rod can only rise and fall vertically along the slide rail, preventing the steel mold from shaking and maintaining horizontal stability; the support can be moved, thus facilitating storage and use.

[0005] Preferably, the tooth spacing of the meshing teeth on the lifting rod and the lifting gear is 0.5-2mm. The smaller the tooth spacing, the more stable the lifting rod is in rising or falling, thereby stabilizing the aluminum melt inside the steel mold and the aluminum oxide film on its surface.

[0006] Preferably, the upper mold ring is threaded to the lower part of the lifting rod. This threaded connection allows for easy separation of the mold frame and the lifting rod, facilitating the storage of the entire device.

[0007] Preferably, the ratio of the inner diameter of the steel mold to the diameter of the flow hole is 5:1-10:1. When the ratio of the inner diameter of the steel mold to the diameter of the flow hole is 5:1-10:1, the surface fluctuation of the molten aluminum in the steel mold flowing out of the flow hole is smaller when the steel mold is lifted, which is beneficial to the integrity of the aluminum oxide film.

[0008] Preferably, the diameter of the flow hole is 5-30 mm. If the diameter of the flow hole is too large or too small, it will not be conducive to the inflow and outflow of molten aluminum.

[0009] Preferably, the lower mold ring is threaded to the upper part of the steel mold, which facilitates the removal of the aluminum oxide film inside the steel mold and also facilitates the storage and handling of the entire device.

[0010] An apparatus for preparing an aluminum oxide film and a method for preparing an aluminum oxide film include the following steps: Step 1: Placing aluminum in a melting furnace, starting the furnace to melt the aluminum, and holding the temperature above 750°C; Step 2: Preheating a multi-hole blowing head and placing it at the bottom of the molten aluminum, opening an inert gas cylinder, allowing inert gas from the cylinder to enter the molten aluminum to purify it, skimming off any scum on the surface of the molten aluminum, and then closing the inert gas cylinder; Step 3: Coating the inside and outside of a steel mold with zinc oxide paint and preheating it, rotating a lifting gear by rotating a handle. The process involves controlling the descent of the lifting rod, which lowers the steel mold into the molten aluminum. The molten aluminum enters the mold through the flow hole and spreads across the bottom, maintaining mold stability. The mold is left to stand for 40-80 minutes to allow a sufficiently thick oxide film to form on the surface of the molten aluminum. In step four, the lifting gear is rotated by rotating the handle, causing the lifting rod to slowly lift the steel mold out of the molten aluminum. The molten aluminum flows out through the flow hole into the melting furnace, leaving the oxide film at the bottom of the mold. In step five, after the mold and oxide film have cooled, the oxide film can be removed. In this method, the lifting rod rises or falls under the drive of the lifting gear. Due to the limitation of the slide rail, the lifting rod can only move vertically along the slide rail, preventing the mold from shaking and improving its horizontal stability, thus ensuring the integrity of the oxide film inside the mold. Inert gas enters the molten aluminum through a porous nozzle to purify it, removing inclusions and reducing interference from internal impurities, resulting in consistent oxide film morphology across multiple preparations.

[0011] Preferably, the inert gas is nitrogen or argon.

[0012] The present invention has the following beneficial effects: (1) The device of the present invention has a simple structure and is convenient to store and use. (2) The lifting gear is meshed with the lifting rod. When the lifting gear is rotated to lift the steel mold, the aluminum melt can flow out of the steel mold relatively smoothly, which has little impact on the flatness and integrity of the oxide film. (3) The device and method of the present invention can obtain an aluminum oxide film with a relatively complete and flat morphology. The efficiency of aluminum oxide film preparation is high, the morphology of the oxide film is less affected by the operator, and the reproducibility of the aluminum oxide film in subsequent microscopic analysis is good. (4) Further, by setting the meshing teeth of the lifting rod and the tooth spacing of the lifting gear to 0.5-2mm, the depth of the steel mold entering the aluminum melt is controlled by the lifting gear, and the consistency of aluminum oxide film preparation is better in multiple preparations. (5) In the present invention, since the steel mold and the lower mold ring, and the lifting rod and the upper mold ring can all be connected by threads and can be disassembled, it is beneficial to store and place the aluminum oxide film preparation device. Attached Figure Description

[0013] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of the apparatus for preparing the aluminum oxide film in this invention;

[0014] Figure 2 This is a structural diagram of the mold frame in the aluminum oxide film preparation apparatus of the present invention.

[0015] Among them, 1. support; 2. steel mold; 21. flow hole; 3. mold frame; 31. upper mold ring; 32. mold rod; 33. lower mold ring; 4. lifting rod; 41. meshing gear; 5. slide; 6. lifting gear; 61. rotating handle; 7. multi-hole blower; 8. air pipe; 9. inert gas cylinder; 10. smelting furnace. Detailed Implementation

[0016] The following is in conjunction with the appendix Figure 1-2 The specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail, but it should be understood that the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments.

[0017] Implementation Method 1:

[0018] An apparatus for preparing an aluminum oxide film, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the system includes a support 1, a steel mold 2, a mold frame 3, a lifting rod 4, a slide rail 5, a lifting gear 6, a smelting furnace 10, a multi-hole blower 7, a gas pipe 8, and an inert gas cylinder 9. The lifting gear 6 is mounted on the upper part of the support 1 and is equipped with a rotating handle 61. The lifting rod 4 is fitted into the slide rail 5 and can only move vertically up and down along the slide rail 5. The lifting rod 4 is equipped with meshing teeth 41, which mesh with the lifting gear 6. The mold frame 3 includes an upper mold ring 3. 1. Lower mold ring 33 and mold rod 32; the upper mold ring 31 and the lower mold ring 33 are connected by the mold rod 32; the upper mold ring 31 is connected to the lower part of the lifting rod 4; the steel mold 2 is a hollow cylindrical mold with a bottom; a flow hole 21 is provided at the center of the bottom of the steel mold 2; the upper part of the steel mold 2 is connected to the lower mold ring 33; the smelting furnace 10 is located below the steel mold 2; the perforated blown head 7 extends into the bottom of the smelting furnace 10; the inert gas cylinder 9 is connected to the perforated blown head 7 through a gas pipe 8. In this invention, the flow hole 21 at the bottom of the steel mold 2 is used for the aluminum molten material to flow into and out of the steel mold 2 in the melting furnace 10; the lifting gear 6 meshes with the meshing teeth 41 on the lifting rod 4, and the lifting gear 6 drives the lifting rod 4 to rise and fall, and the lifting rod 4 drives the steel mold 2 to rise and fall in the melting furnace 10 through the mold frame 3; the slide rail 5 is set so that the lifting rod 4 can only rise and fall vertically along the slide rail 5, preventing the steel mold 2 from shaking and maintaining the horizontal stability of the steel mold 2, thereby ensuring the integrity of the aluminum oxide film inside the steel mold 2; inert gas enters the aluminum molten material through the porous blower 7 and purifies the aluminum molten material, removing inclusions in the aluminum molten material, making the aluminum oxide film formed on the surface of the aluminum molten material uniform and reducing the interference of internal impurities. The support 1 is movable, which facilitates storage and use.

[0019] The method for preparing an aluminum oxide film using the above-mentioned aluminum oxide film preparation device includes the following steps: Step 1: Place aluminum in a melting furnace 10, start the melting furnace 10 to melt the aluminum, and maintain the temperature above 750°C; Step 2: After preheating the porous blown head 7, place it at the bottom of the molten aluminum, open the inert gas cylinder 9, and allow the inert gas in the inert gas cylinder 9 to enter the molten aluminum to purify it, skimming off the slag on the surface of the molten aluminum, and then close the inert gas cylinder 9; Step 3: Coat the inside and outside of the steel mold 2 with zinc oxide paint and preheat it, and rotate the lifting gear 6 by rotating the handle 61, thereby controlling the lifting rod 4. The steel mold 2 is lowered into the molten aluminum by the lifting rod 4. The molten aluminum enters the steel mold 2 through the flow hole 21 and covers the bottom of the steel mold 2. The steel mold 2 is kept stable and left to stand for 40-80 minutes to allow a sufficiently thick oxide film to form on the surface of the molten aluminum inside the steel mold 2. Step 4: Rotate the lifting gear 6 by rotating the handle 61. The lifting rod 4 slowly lifts the steel mold 2 out of the molten aluminum. The molten aluminum in the steel mold 2 flows out through the flow hole 21 and enters the smelting furnace 10. The aluminum oxide film remains at the bottom of the steel mold 2. Step 5: After the steel mold 2 and the aluminum oxide film have cooled, the oxide film can be removed.

[0020] In this method, the lifting rod 4 rises or falls under the drive of the lifting gear 6. Due to the restriction of the slide rail 5, the lifting rod 4 can only rise and fall vertically along the slide rail 5, preventing the steel mold 2 from shaking and improving the horizontal stability of the steel mold 2, thereby ensuring the integrity of the aluminum oxide film inside the steel mold 2. Inert gas enters the aluminum melt through the porous nozzle 7 and purifies the aluminum melt, removing inclusions and reducing interference from internal impurities, so that the morphology of the aluminum oxide film prepared multiple times is consistent. The device and method of this invention can obtain aluminum oxide films with relatively complete and flat morphology, with high efficiency in preparing aluminum oxide films, minimal influence of the operator on the morphology of the oxide film, and good reproducibility in subsequent microscopic analysis of the aluminum oxide film.

[0021] Implementation Method Two:

[0022] In this embodiment, the difference between the aluminum oxide film preparation device and that in Embodiment 1 is that the tooth spacing of the meshing teeth 41 on the lifting rod 4 and the lifting gear 6 is 0.5-2mm. The smaller the tooth spacing of the meshing teeth 41, the smoother the lifting rod 4 can rise or fall, thereby stabilizing the aluminum melt inside the steel mold 2 and the aluminum oxide film on its surface. The ratio of the inner diameter of the steel mold 2 to the diameter of the flow hole 21 is 5:1, and the diameter of the flow hole 21 is 5mm. When the steel mold 2 is lifted, the surface ripples of the aluminum melt flowing out of the flow hole 21 are small, which is beneficial to the integrity of the aluminum oxide film.

[0023] The difference between the method for preparing aluminum oxide film and the first method is that the inert gas in the inert gas cylinder 9 is nitrogen.

[0024] Implementation Method 3:

[0025] In this embodiment, the difference between the aluminum oxide film preparation device and that in Embodiment 1 is that the upper mold ring 31 is threadedly connected to the lower part of the lifting rod 4. This threaded connection allows for easy disassembly and assembly of the mold frame 3 and the lifting rod 4, facilitating the storage of the entire device. The ratio of the inner diameter of the steel mold 2 to the diameter of the flow hole 21 is 10:1, and the diameter of the flow hole 21 is 15mm. When the steel mold 2 is lifted, the aluminum molten material flowing out of the flow hole 21 experiences minimal surface fluctuation, which is beneficial to the integrity of the aluminum oxide film.

[0026] The difference between the method for preparing aluminum oxide film and the first embodiment is that the inert gas in the inert gas cylinder 9 is argon.

[0027] Implementation Method Four:

[0028] In this embodiment, the difference between the aluminum oxide film preparation device and that in Embodiment 1 is that the ratio of the inner diameter of the steel mold 2 to the diameter of the flow hole 21 is 8:1, and the diameter of the flow hole 21 is 30mm. When the steel mold 2 is lifted, the surface fluctuation of the aluminum melt flowing out of the steel mold 2 is smaller, which is beneficial to the integrity of the aluminum oxide film. If the diameter of the flow hole 21 is too large, it will cause large fluctuations on the surface of the aluminum melt in the steel mold 2 when the aluminum melt flows out of the flow hole 21, resulting in the rupture of the aluminum oxide film. If the diameter of the flow hole 21 is too small, it is not conducive to the flow in and out of the aluminum melt.

[0029] Implementation Method 5:

[0030] In this embodiment, the difference between the aluminum oxide film preparation device and the first embodiment is that the lower mold ring 33 is threadedly connected to the upper part of the steel mold 2. The threaded connection facilitates the assembly and disassembly of the mold frame 3 and the steel mold 2, facilitates the removal of the aluminum oxide film inside the steel mold 2, and also facilitates the storage and handling of the entire device.

Claims

1. An apparatus for preparing aluminum oxide films and a method for preparing aluminum oxide films, characterized in that, The apparatus for preparing the aluminum oxide film includes a steel mold, a mold frame, a lifting rod, a slide rail, a lifting gear, a support, a smelting furnace, a multi-hole blower, and an inert gas cylinder. The lifting gear is mounted on the upper part of the support and has a rotating handle. The lifting rod is fitted into the slide rail and can only move vertically along the slide rail. The lifting rod has meshing teeth that mesh with the lifting gear. The mold frame includes an upper mold ring, a lower mold ring, and a mold rod. The upper mold ring and the lower mold ring are connected by the mold rod. The upper mold ring is connected to the lower part of the lifting rod. The steel mold is a hollow cylindrical mold with a bottom. A flow hole is provided at the center of the bottom of the steel mold. The upper part of the steel mold is connected to the lower mold ring. The smelting furnace is located below the steel mold, and the multi-hole blower extends into the bottom of the smelting furnace. The inert gas cylinder is connected to the multi-hole blower through a gas pipe. The ratio of the inner diameter of the steel mold to the diameter of the flow hole is 5:1-10:

1. The diameter of the flow hole is 5-30 mm. The method for preparing the aluminum oxide film using the aforementioned apparatus includes the following steps: Step 1: Place aluminum in a melting furnace, start the furnace to melt the aluminum, and maintain the temperature above 750°C; Step 2: Preheat the multi-hole blowing head and place it at the bottom of the molten aluminum. Open the inert gas cylinder, allowing the inert gas inside to enter the molten aluminum and purify it, skimming off any scum on the surface. Then, close the inert gas cylinder; Step 3: Coat the inside and outside of the steel mold with zinc oxide paint and preheat it. Rotate the lifting gear by rotating the handle to control the temperature. The lifting rod descends, carrying the steel mold down into the molten aluminum. The molten aluminum enters the steel mold through the flow hole and covers the bottom of the mold. The steel mold is kept stable and left to stand for 40-80 minutes to allow a sufficiently thick oxide film to form on the surface of the molten aluminum inside the mold. Step four: Rotate the lifting gear by rotating the handle. The lifting rod slowly lifts the steel mold out of the molten aluminum. The molten aluminum in the steel mold flows out through the flow hole into the melting furnace, leaving the aluminum oxide film at the bottom of the steel mold. Step five: After the steel mold and aluminum oxide film cool, remove the oxide film.

2. The method for preparing an aluminum oxide film using the apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The tooth spacing of the meshing teeth on the lifting rod and the lifting gear is 0.5-2mm.

3. The method for preparing an aluminum oxide film using the apparatus described in claim 1, characterized in that, The upper mold ring is threadedly connected to the lower part of the lifting rod.

4. The method for preparing an aluminum oxide film using the apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lower mold ring is threadedly connected to the upper part of the steel mold.

5. The method for preparing an aluminum oxide film using an aluminum oxide film preparation apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inert gas is nitrogen or argon.

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