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-----Powdered metal parts rusting after pickling process
New to this ourselves but understanding that porosity is an anticipated characteristic of powder metal parts, and knowing that porosity is a significant problem for pickling or plating, we got a quick intro to infiltration as one method to reduce that porosity from ...
https://www.industrialheating.com/articles/83856-a-description-of-the-copper-infiltration-process-used-in-iron-based-p-m-parts
... and a quick introduction to the numbering system for the composition of powder metal components from ...
http://mpif-extension.org/material-code.html
Q. Good day,
We are having rust issues with a Carrier we assemble.
The material for the Carrier is FC-0208 with a Copper Infiltrate - FX-1008
We send these to a supplier for shot blasting and pickling. However, roughly 2 weeks afterwards we are noticing rust form on these assemblies. Not receiving any help from the supplier, so I wanted to reach out and see if these was any experience on how to troubleshoot this application.
Thank you!
- Rochester, Michigan
September 7, 2021
A. Hi Matt. Although I don't know much about powdered metal fabrication, what I do know if that iron rusts even if it's 100% solid -- especially after pickling.
The pickling solution must be rinsed, then neutralized with a dip in a high pH tank. Depending on transport and storage conditions, this may not be enough to last two weeks, and a dip in some sort of rustproofing treatment may be necessary. I think a question for your pickling shop is what happens after pickling.
Luck & Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
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finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
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