Metals and Metals Processes research area - Pretoria
- Powder metallurgy laboratory
- Casting Technology Facility
- Semi-solid Metal Forming Facility
- Heat Treatment Facilities
- Metallurgical Laboratory
- Mechanical Testing Laboratory
- Computational analysis, modelling and simulation Laboratory
- High-temperature Materials Laboratory
Contact Dr Willie du Preez
Research successes
Research successes include the successful development of a home grown technology to prepare billets for semi-solid metal-forming of aluminium alloys. It provides a highly competitive, cost-effective processing route for this purpose. An industrial demonstration cell has been established at the CSIR to confirm the industrial viability of this technology. This technology has been patented internationally and is being commercialised.
During the past couple of years, the process for successfully producing shells for titanium investment casting was developed and captured in a technology package. Subsequently, the first successes with the casting of Ti-6Al4V parts have been achieved.
High energy mechanical milling of titanium powder with alloying element powders has resulted in novel Ti alloys that have potential application in the medical and aerospace industries.
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