Device and method for electro-deposition of seamless metal tube

Abstract

The invention discloses a device and method for electro-deposition of a seamless metal tube, relates to the technical field of electro-deposition of seamless metal tubes, and aims to solve the problems that in the prior art, the use amount of an electrolyte is large, a soluble anode is adopted, impurities are introduced into the electrolyte, and the machining quality of the seamless metal tube is affected. Comprising a machining platform, a liquid inlet groove and a liquid outlet groove are formed in the machining platform, and a liquid passing plane is arranged between the liquid inlet groove and the liquid outlet groove; a cathode bar is rotationally connected into the liquid outlet tank through a baffle and is driven by a motor, a cathode shell is further arranged on the outer side of the cathode bar, and a liquid passing gap is formed between the cathode shell and the cathode bar; the line anode is made of an electrochemical inert material, and the gap between the line anode and the cathode bar is smaller than 1mm, so that the current density of the surface of the cathode bar is improved, and the electro-deposition forming performance is improved; and a line anode is arranged above the cathode bar through an anode hanger.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of electrodeposited seamless metal tubes, in particular to a device and method for electrodepositing seamless metal tubes. Background Art

[0002] In the field of electrodeposited seamless metal tube processing, issues such as electrolyte efficiency, deposited layer quality, and uneven current density distribution leading to uneven electrodeposition thickness have long been key areas of concern in the industry. In existing electroforming technologies for seamless metal tube production, the electrodeposition apparatus / electrolyte tank uses large amounts of electrolyte. Using soluble anodes, for example, introduces impurities into the electrolyte, increasing the difficulty of routine electrolyte maintenance and affecting the surface quality and inherent performance of the electrodeposited seamless tube due to impurity deposition.

[0003] While the technical solution proposed in patent document CN 109943867 A improves the flow and electric field distribution by creating friction and scraping effects on the cathode surface using flexible cilia, it has certain limitations in increasing current density. The gap between the anode structure and the cathode employed in this solution makes it difficult to generate a high current density on the cathode surface, limiting the effectiveness of adjusting EDM process parameters to improve the mechanical properties of seamless pipes.

[0004] Although the technology involved in patent document CN 117587469 A enhances the mass transfer effect of the solution, achieves coordinated balancing of the electric field and flow field distribution, reduces the negative impact of the current edge effect on the electroforming process, and improves the uniformity of the casting layer of the X-ray reflector, it relies on large electrolytic cells and adopts a contoured anode design, resulting in large electrolyte consumption and deficiencies in electrolyte recycling and impurity control. The large cell volume also leads to untimely electrolyte renewal.

[0005] In addition, the existing technology also has the problem of low cathode surface current density distribution, which makes the control of the thickness uniformity of the electrodeposited metal layer face a technical bottleneck and makes it difficult to meet the processing requirements of high-quality seamless metal pipes. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the existing defects and provide a device and method for electrodepositing seamless metal tubes, which can effectively solve the problems in the background technology.

[0007] To achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention discloses a device for electrodepositing seamless metal tubes, which adopts a technical solution comprising a processing platform, wherein a liquid inlet trough and a liquid outlet trough are respectively provided on the processing platform, and a liquid level is provided between the liquid inlet trough and the liquid outlet trough; The liquid inlet tank and the liquid outlet tank are connected to a liquid storage tank through a pipeline. The liquid storage tank is provided with electrolyte. The pipeline is also provided with a water pump for circulating the electrolyte. A cathode rod is rotatably connected to the liquid outlet tank via a baffle. The cathode rod is driven by a motor and further provided with a cathode housing on the outside of the cathode rod. A liquid-passing gap is provided between the cathode housing and the cathode rod. The wire anode is made of an electrochemically inert material, and the gap between the wire anode and the cathode rod is less than 1 mm, which is beneficial for increasing the current density on the cathode rod surface and improving the electrodeposition forming performance. A wire anode is arranged above the cathode rod via an anode hanger.

[0008] As a preferred technical solution of the present invention, the line anode is a long strip of electrochemically inert metal sheet with a thickness of 0.1-0.5 mm. The metal sheet is vertically clamped by an electrical insulating plate, and its bottom end surface forms a linear discharge area.

[0009] As a preferred technical solution of the present invention, there are two groups of baffles, which are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the cathode rod, and the processing platform is also provided with mounting grooves adapted for the baffles.

[0010] As a preferred technical solution of the present invention, the cathode housing is a circular tube with an opening at the top, and is coaxially arranged with the cathode rod.

[0011] As a preferred technical solution of the present invention, grooves are provided on the facing surfaces of the two groups of baffles, the cathode housing is installed in the grooves, the cathode rod is rotatably connected to the baffle, and the cathode housing is arranged on the outside of the cathode rod to form a compact electrolytic cell. The anode hanger is used to adjust the distance between the line anode and the cathode rod. When the cathode rod rotates, the electrolyte is continuously updated to ensure the molding quality.

[0012] As a preferred technical solution of the present invention, both ends of the cathode rod are respectively provided with detachable short shafts, and the short shafts include a rotating short shaft and a current-drawing short shaft.

[0013] As a preferred technical solution of the present invention, the motor is installed on the processing platform, and a pulley is also provided on the rotating short shaft of the cathode rod. The output end of the motor drives the pulley to rotate through a synchronous belt, and the wire anode is installed on the anode hanger, which is convenient for the staff to adjust the distance between the wire anode and the cathode rod through the anode hanger, thereby improving the uniformity of the electrodeposition surface.

[0014] As a preferred technical solution of the present invention, a drainage plate is further provided on the liquid passing plane. The drainage plates are provided in two groups and are symmetrically arranged at one end of the liquid passing plane close to the liquid outlet trough.

[0015] As a preferred technical solution of the present invention, the facing ends of the two groups of guide plates are provided with guide slopes, and the minimum spacing between the two groups of guide slopes is smaller than the length of the cathode rod.

[0016] A method for electrodepositing a seamless metal tube comprises the following steps: S1, pre-treating the outer surface of the cathode rod, performing electrical insulation treatment on both end surfaces, and installing the cathode rod on the baffle so that the cathode rod can rotate on the baffle; S2, inject electrolyte into the liquid storage tank, and connect the water pump and motor to the power supply, so that the anode and cathode rods are connected to the positive and negative poles of the external power supply respectively; S3, control the water pump to input the electrolyte in the liquid storage tank into the liquid inlet tank through the pipeline. After the liquid inlet tank is filled with electrolyte, the electrolyte overflows the liquid level and the upper surface of the cathode rod, fills the liquid gap between the cathode rod and the cathode shell, and then flows into the liquid outlet tank to form a circulation loop; S4, adjust the anode hanger so that the wire anode is parallel to the top of the cathode rod and the gap between them is between 0.2 and 1 mm; S5, control the motor to work, drive the cathode rod to rotate on the baffle, and at the same time energize the anode and cathode rod through the external power supply; S6, metal ions in the electrolyte are deposited on the cathode rod to form a seamless metal tube; S7, the electrodeposition process is completed, the power is turned off, the water pump is turned off, the cathode rod is removed from the baffle, and the seamless metal tube and the cathode rod are separated to obtain the seamless metal tube.

[0017] As a preferred technical solution of the present invention, the pre-treatment of the cathode rod includes degreasing, pickling activation and distilled water cleaning.

[0018] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: 1. Improve electrolyte resource efficiency Existing electrodeposition technology requires the complete immersion of the anode and cathode in a large electrolytic cell (often exceeding 100 L in volume), resulting in high electrolyte consumption and high costs. The present invention utilizes a laminar flow film design for electrolyte circulation, cascading from an inlet tank to a liquid level, then a drainage plate, then cathode rod and cathode housing, and finally an outlet tank. This creates a micro-volume electrodeposition environment. Under the same specifications, the electrodeposition processing area is less than 10 L in volume, reducing electrolyte consumption by over 90%, significantly lowering raw material and maintenance costs, and enabling green and efficient manufacturing.

[0019] 2. Improve electrodeposition thickness uniformity On the one hand, the gap between the wire anode and the cathode rod is precisely adjusted (0.2~1 mm) by the anode hanger to ensure uniform inter-electrode spacing, which is conducive to the formation of a uniformly distributed inter-electrode electric field; the two end faces are electrically insulated to reduce the current edge effect, and the deviation of the uniformity of the deposited layer thickness is less than 5%; flow field enhancement: the rotation of the cathode rod is coordinated with the guide slope design of the guide plate to constrain the electrolyte to form a stable laminar flow, forcibly renew the cathode surface diffusion layer, accelerate the mass transfer of metal ions, avoid local concentration polarization, and meet the sub-millimeter thin-walled tube precision requirements with one-time molding.

[0020] 3. Manufacturing of high-purity and high-performance seamless metal pipes The use of electrochemically inert platinum wire anode eliminates the introduction of metal impurities from soluble anodes, achieving a deposited layer purity of over 99%. A micro-gap of less than 1 mm is used between the wire anode and cathode rod to achieve high current density (>30 A / dm²) electrodeposition, inducing high overpotential to promote the formation of fine crystal nuclei. At the same time, cathode rotation inhibits grain growth, resulting in a nanocrystalline structure with a grain size of less than 100 nm. The microhardness and tensile strength are significantly superior to the mechanical properties of electroformed seamless metal tubes under low current density conditions. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the processing platform and internal structure of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the installation structure of the liquid outlet tank and internal components of the present invention; Figure 4 This is an exploded view of the internal structural components of the liquid outlet tank of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic structural diagram of the anode hanger of the present invention; Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the workflow of the present invention.

[0022] In the figure: 1. Processing platform; 2. Liquid storage tank; 3. Water pump; 4. Motor; 5. Rotating short shaft; 6. Liquid plane; 7. Drainage plate; 8. Anode hanger; 9. Cathode rod; 10. Liquid inlet tank; 11. Liquid outlet tank; 12. Baffle; 13. Mounting slot; 14. Synchronous belt; 15. Wire anode; 16. Cathode shell; 17. Pulley; 18. Groove; 19. Drawer short shaft; 81. Base; 82. Slide rod; 83. Slide seat. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of the present invention. Example

[0024] like Figures 1 to 6 As shown, the present invention discloses a device for electrodepositing seamless metal tubes, which adopts a technical solution comprising a processing platform 1, wherein the processing platform 1 is provided with a liquid inlet trough 10 and a liquid outlet trough 11, and a liquid level 6 is provided between the liquid inlet trough 10 and the liquid outlet trough 11; The liquid inlet tank 10 and the liquid outlet tank 11 are connected to the liquid storage tank 2 through a pipeline. The liquid storage tank 2 is provided with electrolyte. The pipeline is also provided with a water pump 3 for circulating the electrolyte. A guide plate 7 is further provided on the liquid passing plane 6 . The guide plates 7 are provided in two groups and are symmetrically arranged at one end of the liquid passing plane 6 close to the liquid outlet trough 11 .

[0025] The cathode rod 9 is rotatably connected to the liquid outlet trough 11 through a baffle 12 . The two sets of guide plates 7 are provided with guide slopes at their facing ends. The minimum spacing between the two sets of guide slopes is smaller than the length of the cathode rod 9 .

[0026] There are two groups of baffles 12 symmetrically arranged on both sides of the cathode rod 9 , and mounting grooves 13 adapted for the baffles 12 are also provided on the processing platform 1 .

[0027] Both ends of the cathode rod 9 are provided with detachable short shafts, which extend out of the baffle 12 . The short shafts include a rotating short shaft 5 and a current-drawing short shaft 19 .

[0028] A cathode housing 16 is further provided on the outside of the cathode rod 9 , with a 2-10 mm liquid gap between the cathode housing 16 and the cathode rod 9 ; the cathode housing 16 is a circular tube with an opening at the top and is coaxially arranged with the cathode rod 9 .

[0029] Grooves 18 are formed on the facing surfaces of the two groups of baffles 12 , and the cathode housing 16 is installed in the grooves 18 .

[0030] The cathode rod 9 is driven by a motor 4, which is installed on the processing platform 1. A pulley 17 is also provided on the rotating short shaft 5 of the cathode rod 9. The output end of the motor 4 drives the pulley 17 to rotate through a synchronous belt 14; the power-leading short shaft 19 is used to be connected to the negative pole of the external power supply.

[0031] A line anode 15 is provided above the cathode rod 9 via an anode hanger 8 .

[0032] The anode wire 15 is a 0.3mm thick platinum strip, insulated by acrylic plates on all sides, with only the 0.3mm edge exposed at the bottom serving as a linear discharge area. This edge is parallel to the axis of the cathode rod 9, with a gap of 0.5mm between them.

[0033] like Figure 5 As shown, the anode hanger 8 includes a base 81 and a slide 83. The base 81 is provided with a slide rod 82, and the slide 83 is slidably connected to the slide rod 82. The wire anode 15 is provided on the slide 83, and the slide 83 is also engaged with a bolt for limiting the position of the slide rod 82.

[0034] A method for electrodepositing a seamless metal tube comprises the following steps: S1, pre-treating the outer surface of the cathode rod 9, including degreasing, pickling and activation, and cleaning with distilled water. Electrical insulation treatment is performed on both end surfaces of the cathode rod 9. Both end surfaces of the cathode rod 9 are immersed in insulating varnish, leaving the metal on the radial surface of the cathode rod 9 exposed. The cathode rod 9 is then mounted on the baffle 12 so that the cathode rod 9 can rotate on the baffle 12. S2, inject electrolyte into the liquid storage tank 2, and connect the water pump 3 and the motor 4 to the power supply, so that the wire anode 15 and the cathode rod 9 are connected to the positive and negative poles of the external power supply respectively; S3, control the water pump 3 to input the electrolyte in the liquid storage tank 2 into the liquid inlet tank 10 through the pipeline. After the liquid inlet tank 10 is filled with electrolyte, the electrolyte overflows the liquid level 6 and the upper surface of the cathode rod 9, fills the liquid gap between the cathode rod 9 and the cathode housing 16, and then flows into the liquid outlet tank 11 to form a circulation loop; S4, adjust the anode hanger 8 so that the wire anode 15 is parallel to the top of the cathode rod 9 and the gap between them is between 0.2 and 1 mm; S5, control the motor 4 to work, drive the cathode rod 9 to rotate on the baffle 12, and at the same time energize the anode 15 and the cathode rod 9 through the external power supply; S6, the metal ions in the electrolyte are deposited on the cathode rod 9 to form a seamless metal tube; S7, the electrodeposition process is completed, the power is turned off, the water pump 3 is turned off, the cathode rod 9 is removed from the baffle 12, and the seamless metal tube and the cathode rod 9 are separated to obtain the seamless metal tube.

[0035] The circuits and mechanical connections involved in the present invention are conventional means used by those skilled in the art, and technical inspiration can be obtained through limited experiments, and they are common knowledge.

[0036] Components not described in detail herein are prior art.

[0037] While embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions, and variations may be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, and that the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A device for electrodepositing seamless metal tubes, characterized in that: The processing platform (1) comprises a liquid inlet groove (10) and a liquid outlet groove (11), respectively provided on the processing platform (1), and a liquid level (6) is provided between the liquid inlet groove (10) and the liquid outlet groove (11); The liquid inlet tank (10) and the liquid outlet tank (11) are connected to the liquid storage tank (2) through a pipeline. The liquid storage tank (2) is provided with electrolyte. The pipeline is also provided with a water pump (3) for circulating the electrolyte. A cathode rod (9) is rotatably connected to the liquid outlet tank (11) via a baffle (12), the cathode rod (9) being driven by a motor (4), and a cathode housing (16) is provided on the outside of the cathode rod (9), with a liquid gap being provided between the cathode housing (16) and the cathode rod (9); A line anode (15) is provided above the cathode rod (9) via an anode hanger (8).

2. The device for electrodepositing seamless metal tubes according to claim 1, characterized in that: The line anode (15) is a long strip of electrochemically inert metal sheet with a thickness of 0.1-0.5 mm. The metal sheet is vertically clamped by an electrical insulating plate, and a linear discharge area is formed on its bottom end surface.

3. The device for electrodepositing seamless metal tubes according to claim 1, characterized in that: The baffles (12) are provided in two groups and are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the cathode rod (9). The processing platform (1) is also provided with mounting grooves (13) adapted for the baffles (12).

4. The device for electrodepositing a seamless metal tube according to claim 1 or 3, characterized in that: The cathode housing (16) is a circular tube with an opening at the top, and is coaxially arranged with the cathode rod (9).

5. The device for electrodepositing seamless metal tubes according to claim 4, characterized in that: Grooves (18) are provided on the facing surfaces of the two groups of baffles (12), and the cathode housing (16) is installed in the grooves (18).

6. The device for electrodepositing seamless metal tubes according to claim 1, characterized in that: Both ends of the cathode rod (9) are respectively provided with detachable short shafts, and the short shafts include a rotating short shaft (5) and a current-drawing short shaft (19).

7. The device for electrodepositing seamless metal tubes according to claim 6, characterized in that: The motor (4) is mounted on the processing platform (1), and a pulley (17) is further provided on the rotating short shaft (5) of the cathode rod (9). The output end of the motor (4) drives the pulley (17) to rotate via a synchronous belt (14).

8. The device for electrodepositing seamless metal tubes according to claim 1, characterized in that: Two groups of guide plates (7) are symmetrically arranged on the liquid-passing plane (6). The two groups of guide plates (7) are located at one end of the liquid-passing plane (6) close to the liquid outlet trough (11). The two groups of guide plates (7) are provided with guide slopes at the opposite ends thereof, and the minimum spacing between the guide slopes is smaller than the length of the cathode rod (9).

9. A method for electrodepositing seamless metal tubes, applied to the apparatus for electrodepositing seamless metal tubes according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: S1, pre-treating the outer surface of the cathode rod (9), performing electrical insulation treatment on both end surfaces thereof, and installing the cathode rod (9) on the baffle (12) so that the cathode rod (9) can rotate on the baffle (12); S2, injecting electrolyte into the liquid storage tank (2), and connecting the water pump (3) and the motor (4) to electricity, so that the wire anode (15) and the cathode rod (9) are connected to the positive and negative poles of the external power supply respectively; S3, controls the water pump (3) to work, and inputs the electrolyte in the liquid storage tank (2) into the liquid inlet tank (10) through the pipeline. After the liquid inlet tank (10) is filled with the electrolyte, the electrolyte overflows the liquid level (6) and the upper surface of the cathode rod (9), fills the liquid gap between the cathode rod (9) and the cathode shell (16), and then flows into the liquid outlet tank (11) to form a circulation loop; S4, adjust the anode hanger (8) so that the wire anode (15) is parallel to the top of the cathode rod (9) and the gap between them is between 0.2 and 1 mm; S5, controlling the motor (4) to work, driving the cathode rod (9) to rotate on the baffle (12), and simultaneously energizing the anode (15) and the cathode rod (9) through an external power supply; S6, metal ions in the electrolyte are deposited on the cathode rod (9) to form a seamless metal tube; S7, the electrodeposition process is completed, the power is turned off, the water pump (3) is turned off, the cathode rod (9) is removed from the baffle (12), and the seamless metal tube and the cathode rod (9) are separated to obtain a seamless metal tube.

10. The method for electrodepositing a seamless metal tube according to claim 9, wherein: The pre-treatment of the cathode rod (9) includes degreasing, pickling activation and distilled water cleaning.

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