Copper-Manganese Alloy Solidification for Plumbing Valves

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Solution Overview

Problem

Copper-based alloys, such as brass and bronze, used in plumbing applications face issues with wide freezing ranges leading to dendritic solidification, chemical segregation, and microporosity, making them prone to contamination and requiring lead, which is hazardous and costly to replace.

Innovation Solution

Copper-manganese alloys with compositions near the congruent melting point of the Cu—Mn system are developed to avoid dendritic growth during solidification, using ferromanganese as a manganese source, and processed through multidirectional solidification to produce castings with cellular or planar structures, reducing microporosity and segregation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If lead is added to copper-based alloys to improve machinability and plug microporosity, then machinability is improved, but harmful factors increase due to lead contamination and environmental damage

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovemachinabilityVSAvoidlead contamination

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes lead from the copper-based alloy composition entirely, extracting the harmful element while maintaining the desired functional properties through alternative alloying elements and controlled solidification processes

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces expensive and hazardous lead with more economical and environmentally friendly alloying elements such as tin, zinc, and controlled manganese additions, achieving cost reduction and environmental compliance

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

2Adaptability or versatility

If copper-based alloys contain additions of metals with low melting points (tin, zinc, lead) to achieve desired properties, then alloy functionality is improved, but freezing range increases causing dendritic solidification and microporosity

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvealloy functionalityVSAvoidmicroporosity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent modifies the alloy composition parameters by controlling the types and amounts of alloying elements to achieve a narrower freezing range, thereby preventing dendritic solidification and reducing microporosity while maintaining functional properties

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent develops composite copper-based alloys with specific combinations of alloying elements (such as copper-tin-zinc-manganese systems) that work synergistically to control solidification behavior and eliminate microporosity without sacrificing alloy functionality

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

3Ease of operation

If bismuth is used to replace lead in copper alloys to maintain machinability, then machinability is preserved, but cost increases and environmental issues persist

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovemachinabilityVSAvoidalloy cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces expensive bismuth with more economical alloying elements including tin, zinc, and manganese, achieving cost reduction while maintaining the desired machinability and functional properties through controlled solidification and appropriate composition

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The copper-manganese alloys exhibit a narrow freezing range, reduced microporosity, and high castability, making them suitable for complex shape casting like plumbing valves, while being lead-free and cost-effective, with the potential for large-scale production.

Implementation Method 1

avoid dendritic growth during solidification of the copper-manganese alloy

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSolidification: Freezing

Implementation Method 2

compositions at or sufficiently near the congruent melting point of the Cu—Mn system

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCongruent melting: Melting

Implementation Method 3

combining copper and ferromanganese as a source of manganese

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectAlloying:

Data Source

PatentUS10507520B2Copper-based alloys, processes for producing the same, and products formed therefrom

Publication Date: 2019.12.17 PURDUE RES FOUND

AI summary

Processes are provided that include providing a copper-manganese alloy containing copper and manganese and having an amount of manganese that is at least 32 weight percent and not more than 40 weight percent of a combined total amount of the copper and manganese in the copper-manganese alloy, and casting the copper-manganese alloy by multidirectional solidification to produce a product in the form of a casting. The copper-manganese alloy has a composition sufficiently near the congruent melting point of the Cu—Mn alloy system to sufficiently avoid dendritic growth during the multidirectional solidification of the copper-manganese alloy to avoid the formation of microporosity attributable to dendritic growth. The product has a cast microstructure having a cellular and/or planar solidification structure free of dendritic growth and having multidirectional columnar grains.