초록 ▼

Aluminum weld wire having a nascent aluminum surface, (the weld wire is also useful for vacuum and arc metallizing), is lubricated with a dual coating of an essentially anhydrous lower alkanol and a colloidal solid lubricant each present as a layer so thin that they are essentially invisible to the

Aluminum weld wire having a nascent aluminum surface, (the weld wire is also useful for vacuum and arc metallizing), is lubricated with a dual coating of an essentially anhydrous lower alkanol and a colloidal solid lubricant each present as a layer so thin that they are essentially invisible to the naked eye. The solid lubricant is oil-free colloidal graphite which may be combined with a minor amount of a sulfide of molybdenum. The lubricant particles are deposited from a 1% to 15% by wt dispersion of the particles in the alkanol, in substantially spaced-apart relation, forming a non-uniform, monoparticulate layer on the nascent aluminum surface. The high propensity of the lubricant particles to settle out (they are smaller than 10 microns, and generally smaller than 1 micron in size) from the dispersion, permits formation of the monoparticulate layer. The alkanol layer is so thin that only from 100 ppm to 0.1% of alkanol, by weight of the weld wire, is present. Despite such minimal presence of each layer, the lubricity provided by the dual-coated weld wire is sufficient to level-layer spool the wire mechanically, substantially without human intervention. Because of such minimal presence, neither lubricant layer interferes with the welding process. When the dual-coated weld wire is spooled and sealed in a confined atmosphere provided by a hermetically sealed spool, the alkanol provides protection against oxidation of the nascent aluminum surface; and, despite being a hydrogen-containing material, the alkanol does not interfere with the high quality of the weld produced with the weld wire. Processes for using the weld wire are also disclosed.

대표청구항 ▼

A process for metallizing with a lubricated predominantly aluminum metallizing wire through a feed tube for said wire, through which tube said wire is urged without significant binding therewithin, said process comprising, (a) feeding said wire which is selected from the group consisting of a wrough

A process for metallizing with a lubricated predominantly aluminum metallizing wire through a feed tube for said wire, through which tube said wire is urged without significant binding therewithin, said process comprising, (a) feeding said wire which is selected from the group consisting of a wrought alloy of the 1000, 2000, 4000 and 5000 series, and a cast alloy of the 100, 200 and 300 series, having a nascent aluminum outer surface coated with a randomly spaced-apart particles forming a non-uniform monoparticulate layer of so1id lubricant wetted with from about 100 ppm to about 0.1% by weight of an essentially anhydrous lower alkanol having a boiling point below 100°C. and a viscosity lower than about 5 cp at 15°C., said layer derived from a dispersion of a colloidal solid lubricant in the alkanol in which the solid lubricant is present in an amount in the range from about 1% to about 15% by weight, based on the weight of the dispersion, (b) vaporizing said lubricated wire in vapor-depositing proximity with a deposit-receptive surface, and, (c) depositing aluminum vapor essentially free of pores without occluding hydrogen.