Application of Titanium Alloy on Gear Pump
Abstract
Titanium alloy has gradually become one of the materials used in gear pump manufacturing by virtue of its superior properties, such as its strength to density ratio, corrosion resistance and biocompatibility. With the increasing requirement for its mechanical properties, titanium alloy parts can now be used not only in high temperature applications, but also in practical production. In this paper, the application of titanium alloy part in gear pump is introduced from three aspects, the material choice, design considerations, and production processing.
1. Introduction
As a kind of industry equipment, gear pump is widely used in various practical production and process operations. The uses of gear pump include the oil and natural gas industry, chemical process industry, electricity industry, metallurgy industry and waste water disposal industry etc. In light of the above, the requirements for the materials used for pumps are relatively strict, ensuring the pump running normally under harsh conditions, and improving its service life.
Apart from the traditional steel materials, titanium alloy has gradually become one of the materials used in the manufacturing of gear pump. Because of its superior performance such as its high strength-to-density ratio, corrosion resistance and biocompatibility, titanium alloy can be used to make the internal components of gear pump to effectively reduce the overall weight and increase the operation service life.
2. Material Choice
Titanium alloy applies to many kinds of production conditions. It is widely used due to its advantages of high strength-to-density ratio, good corrosion resistance and high temperature resistance. Commonly used alloy grades used in the manufacturing of gear pump are Grade 2, Grade 5 and Grade 6.
Grade 2 is the most common grade used. It is relatively economical and widely commercially available. It provides excellent tensile properties and excellent corrosion resistance.
Grade 5 is the most widely used grade of titanium alloy. It provides excellent strength, fatigue strength and fracture toughness. It also has excellent resistance to general and localized corrosion and good weldability.
Grade 6 is an alpha-beta alloy that provides good strength and elongation. It has good weldability and excellent resistance to general and localized corrosion.
3. Design Considerations
Titanium alloy is an alloy that is relatively difficult to produce. Each individual process has its own unique characteristics and needs to be taken into account when designing to ensure that the internal components are light and strong.
When designing the internal components of the gear pump, the wall thickness of the parts should be taken into account. If the wall thickness is too thin, it will easily lead to deformation and distortion. Therefore, it is recommended that the wall thickness should be at least 3mm.
In addition, when designing the shape of the pump rotor, consideration should be given to the size and shape of the bearing, as well as the size of the clearance. It is recommended that the clearance between the rotor and the surface should be 0.05-0.2mm, so that the rotor can run stably and smoothly.
4. Production Processing
Titanium alloy is a relatively difficult material to produce parts with, and is also time-consuming. Generally, the production process of parts is divided into four steps: machining, forming, heat treatment, and surface treatment.
Machining is the most important process for producing titanium alloy components. It is applicable to the production of parts that require precise size and shape.
Forming is suitable for parts with complicated shape and structure, such as helical gears, involute gears and planetary gears. Generally, it can be press forming, rolling forming, welding forming and rapid prototyping.
Heat treatment is used to improve the mechanical properties of the parts and reduce the possibility of future defects.
Surface treatment is generally required for titanium alloy parts to improve their wear resistance, corrosion resistance and surface hardness. Common surface treatments include: polishing, hot spray coating, electroplating and galvanizing.
Conclusion
Titanium alloy is a suitable material used in the manufacture of gear pump. Its excellent mechanical properties, corrosion resistance and strength to density ratio makes it ideally suited for the manufacture of lightweight and efficient internal components, without compromising on durability. However, titanium alloy parts are relatively difficult to produce than others, owing to the various technology involved in their production. Thus, proper design considerations and production processes must be taken into account in order to ensure the production of desired titanium alloy parts.
