•  General presentation of the project

•  Sponsor - financing axix

•  Project value

•  Project detailes

•  Consortium partners

•  Time schedule of project :20 august 2013 - 30 november 2015

•  Goal of the project

The project aims at achieving strips coated with protecting layers of nickel-phosphorus, alloyed nickel-phosphorus and composite coatings in nickel matrix, by the method of chemical reduction. The improved and new chemical compositions of the layers proposed by this project will be achieved by using various addition materials in the nickel plating bath and by thermal and chemical treatments after coating. These will be correlated with the other process parameters (pH, agitation conditions, temperature, etc.). An important stage from technological point of view will be that of achieving a high surface quality of the steel strips both in the rolling process and in the surface preparation process because, during the chemical nickel coating, the layer follows the support surface with consistency, copying the defects. Research will be made for this purpose regarding improvement of the rolling technology and optimization of degreasing and pickling processes of the steel strip.

Inovative character versus cu state-of-the-art . For chemical nickeling process will be researched and trial of different bath compositions in regards to obtain layers of Ni-P, Ni-P-Me, Ni-P-MeO, Ni-P-Me1-Me2O, following the establish of optimal process parameters and design of technologies for obtaining of layers with matrix, chemistry and innovative properties, which was not tried yet and are fitted on market interest.Study of ternaries alloys or much complexity and of composites and nanocomposites materials coated through this method are fresh rearch directions.

Technology history The nickeling by method of chemical reduction is the actual research interest because the method seems to be attractive for obtaining of high-tech products such nanomaterials, providing the possibility for modification of materials surface and obtainind of wide range of properties and utilities. There are worldwide companies which success to obtain duallayers through chemical deposition. The steps of production flow are related to metallic coating such as follows: surface preparation of steel strips, coating, heat treatment versus nicklel bath

•  The project foreseen results

Thin steel strips coated with protecting layers with special and improved properties versus electrolytic coated layers. These layers are foreseen a better corrosion and wearing resistance, having a longer service time.These product has a targeted market and could represent an alternative for replacing the expensive stainless steel in some applications.

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•  Report

The project time schedule consist of three main stages from which for now at november 15-th, 2014 are completed two of them as folows :

•  Stage 1

Stage name - Obtaining of cold rolled strips with dimensional characteristics, plasticity nd surface quality suitable for protective layers.

Activity no. 1.1

Establish of quality technical condition of cold rolled strip ( chemistry, mechanical characteristics, tolerances, plasticity, deep drawing capacity, and so on..)

Activity no. 1.2

The analisys of root-causes for surface defects apearance during cold roll and heat treatment processes

Activity no. 1.3

Study of emulsion for rolling process along the rolling and heat treatment processes

Activity no. 1.4

Establish of improvment measures for surface quality of strips suitable for covering process

Activity no. 1.5

Establish of preliminary technological parameters of production flow of cold rolled strips for deep drawing process and metalic cover layers ( reduction scheme, heat tretment diagrams)

Activity no. 1.6

Environment improvment condition during cold rolling stage.

•  Stage 2

Stage name - Design of technology for obtaining of thin steel strips with nickel alloys and composites in nickel matrix

In cadrul documentatiei sunt analizate in detaliu pe capitole distincte aspecte teoretice si tehnice cu privire la tehnologiile de laminare a otelurilor in vederea obtinerii de benzi foarte subtiri destinate ambutisarii adanci sau foarte adanci. Deasemeni a fost luata in considerare si a doua etapa de procesare a acestor benzi respectiv operatii de acoperire cu un strat de protectie in vederea protejarii materialului de baza impotriva coroziunii.

Pentru aceasta a fost necesar studierea si punerea in evidenta a factoriilor ce determina calitatea finala a produselor destinate acestui segment de industrie. . Analiza acestora este destul de detaliata oferind informatii precise despre parametrii ce influenteaza caracteristicile finale ale produselor supuse deformarii plastice la rece ale benzilor din otel foarte subtiri si nu in cele din urma a calitatii straturilor depuse. Ca urmare au fost definite mai multe activitati de cercetare dupa cum urmeaza :

Activity no. 2.1

Design of technology for rolling and annealing of thin steel strips suitable for metalic protection layers

Activity no. 2.2

Establish of a modern method for surface activation related to degreasing and pickling bathes, working temperature and imersion time.

Activity no. 2.3

Improving of surface activation of steel strips through speeding of physical-chemical processes of fabrication flow.

Activity no. 2.4

Trials regarding of different adding in nickel bath for speeding of processesin and obtaing of new compositions and structures of layers.

Activity no. 2.5

Establish of optimal parameters versus layer characteristics.

Activity no. 2.6

Establish of chemical nickel deposition technology ( choice of bath chemical composition, working parameters, testing of whirpool methods)

Acti vity no. 2.7

Analisys of obtained layers ( image, adherence, chemistry, thickness, macro and microstructure, brightness, hardness, rugosity, plasticity, wearing and abrasion resintaces)

Activity no. 2.8

Experimental secondary heat treatments, in regards for obtaining new structures and properties of layers and improvment of characteristics of strip protected with nickel alloys and composites in nickel matrix

Activity no. 2.9

Establish of heat treatment technology according with foreseen characteristics.

Activity no. 2.10

Analisysy of trial resulted layers after heat treatments ( image, adherence, chemistry, thickness, macro and microstructure, brightness, hardness, rugosity, plasticity, wearing and abrasion resintaces)

Activity no. 2.11

Corosive resistance testing of resulted layers in various corrosive chemical environments checking of mass and penetration index)

Activity no. 2.12

Corosive resistance testing through chemical methods in different pH environments ( drawing and reading of polarization curves, checking of polarization resistence along time)

Activity no. 2.13

Establish of corosion type through macro and microanalysis and establish of its mechanical process.

•  Stage 3 ( in du e )

Stage name Establish of technical documentation for pilot device. Establish of presentation documents of technology for thin steel strips with nickel alloys and composites in nickel matrix

Activiy no. 3.1

The Pilot design for chemical protection of thin steel strips with layers of nickel alloys and composites in nickel matrix

Activiy no. 3.2

Establish of technical and supply specs for acquisition of items necessary for erection of pilot.

Activiy no. 3.3

Erection of pilotfor chemical reduction nickeling process..

Activiy no. 3.4

Trials on pilot of technology for chemical reduction regarding the thin steel strips with layers of nickel alloys and composites in nickel matrix

Activiy no. 3.5

Quality analysis of prototype products ( mechanical characteristics, chemistry and structural analysis, samples)

Activiy no. 3.6

Establish of presentation documents of technology for entire manufacturing flow

Activiy no. 3.7

Establish of working instruction of pilot.

Activiy no. 3.8

Copyright protection of technology designed by project

Activiy no. 3.9

Spreading of industriales research activities and experimental development gained within project.

6.      Contact

Project Director - Cristinel ENI

Address : Galati , str. Calea Smardan nr.2A

e-mail : cristinel.eni@galfinband.ro

phone: 0236 800 101, 0722 277 654

fax: 0236 449 777

web proiect: http://www.galfinband.ro/cercetare-en.html