Research
Replacing critical metals in tools
Cobalt and tungsten play an important role in industry. The metals are often mined under questionable working and environmental conditions. They are also important for so-called hard metal tools such as drills, milling and turning tools. A research project at the Rhineland-Palatinate Technical University of Kaiserslautern-Landau (RPTU) will focus on reducing the proportion of these critical raw materials in the tools, replacing them or recycling the material in a material cycle. The Carl Zeiss Foundation is funding the work for six years with around 4.9 million euros.
So-called carbide tools such as drills, milling and turning tools are required in many areas: They form the basis of many production processes. "Tungsten, in the form of tungsten carbide, and cobalt form the basis of this metal group. They are wear-resistant and can withstand high temperatures," says Professor Dr Jan Aurich, who heads the Department of Production Engineering and Industrial Organization at RPTU in Kaiserslautern. Around 80 percent of these tools contain the two chemical elements. "Their extraction takes place under very questionable social and health conditions, in addition to the environmental destruction in the vicinity of the mines," he continues.
Recycling and material cycles as part of the solution
"We want to replace the metals or significantly reduce their use," says Aurich about the new project. "Where this is not possible for technical reasons, we want to recycle the metals and develop a closed material cycle." The aim is not to impair the mechanical properties and therefore the durability. "It will be important that the recycled material has the same quality as the primary raw materials," explains Aurich.
In another sub-project, the researchers are working on minimizing the proportion of tungsten and cobalt in the tools. For example, the shank of the tool can be made of steel and the two minerals are only used at the tip. The project also aims to completely replace the carbide in the tools with other materials.
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