Tribological Evaluation of Powder Type Mold Release Lubricant for Aluminum Die Casting

Abstract

In order to develop guidelines for developing lubricants of high performance for aluminum die casting, we conducted tribological evaluation tests on the thermal and lubricating characteristics of inorganic powders and waxes. Specifically, we measured the thermal conductivity of various inorganic powders and then selected powders superior in heat insulation. Next, we investigated the thermal behavior of the waxes contained in powder lubricants by thermogravimetry. In addition, by using a friction tester, we evaluated the lubrication performance of the composite lubricants at high temperatures of 250ºC and 350ºC. With all of these results, we proposed composite lubricants for aluminum die casting.

Keywords

• aluminum die casting
• mold release
• inorganic powder
• solid lubricant
• friction
• thermal conductivity