A team at South Westphalia University of Applied Sciences in Iserlohn, Germany, is working to develop a process flow for large-scale production of energy-efficient, low-emission components made from innovative wrought zinc alloys. The lead-free material alternatives have a lower density than brass, are more cost-effective and promise to deliver an up to 40% smaller carbon footprint. Contemporary brass alloys contain a large proportion of lead, which should and must no longer be used for environmental and health reasons. The university reports that newly developed wrought zinc alloys, known as zinc extrusion products (ZEPs), can be used as a replacement for brass. According to the Iserlohn institution, the new wrought zinc alloys offer comparable or better physical properties than brass alloys. The lead-free wrought zinc alloys have a lower density, are more cost-effective and offer an up to 40% smaller carbon footprint, the team says.
ZEPs are manufactured in state-of-the-art casting and extrusion processes and are generally available only as round rods or hexagonal profiles with diameters of 8–50 millimetres with lengths of up to 3 metres. The industrial mass production of smaller components requires semi-finished products in the range of 5–12 millimetres in diameter, which can be continuously processed from the coil. As a result, the project team led by Prof. Michael Marré is working on the development of technologies for cost-effectively producing and processing continuous ZEP wires with diameters below 13 millimetres.
A versatile material “Material and process innovations of this type are essential for the development of sustainable goods and technologies”, explains Marré, a professor of mechanical engineering. The state of North Rhine-Westphalia offers an excellent environment for innovation, especially in the fields of lightweighting, material efficiency and energy efficiency, he explains. The professor notes that brass, a versatile material, is used in a series of different industries such as door fittings, electronics, installation technology and pneumatics. In Germany, the non-ferrous metal industry consists of around 654 companies with approximately 111,000 employees and a turnover of over 52 billion euros. North Rhine-Westphalia accounts for almost a quarter of these figures. Approximately 1.2 million metric tons of brass are processed worldwide every year.
Zinkpositiv (“Zinc Positive”), a collaborative project spearheaded by Altena-based formed parts company Möhling, receives funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Just Transition Fund (JTF). Aside from South Westphalia University of Applied Sciences, the other partners include zinc specialists Grillo Zinc Metals. The project will run from June 2024 to May 2027.
Source: IDW
