COMMERCIALLY PURE TANTALUM

WIREDRAWING
Kabayama, Leonardo Silva, (1)
Kyo ; (1)
Gilbert ,
Martnez, Gustavo A. S. (1)

(1) Departamento de Engenharia de Materiais FAENQUIL

Plo Urbo-Industrial Gleba AI-06, Lorena/SP, CEP: 12600-000
kabayama@ppgem.faenquil.br

INTRODUCTION
Metals which the highest melting points are called refractory metals, and are
characterized by the excellent behavior in high temperatures and by the excellent
corrosion resistance. Tantalum (Ta) has excellent corrosion resistance, making it to be
an excellent material to work in aggressive atmospheres in industrial processes [1]. It is
also used in pharmaceutical products manufacturing and in fine chemistry where
contamination may not be tolerated [2]. According to Smallwood [3], due to Ta
workability, low electrolytic action in body fluids and non toxidate, makes it to be
considered a very good material for medicinal use. Ta wire has several applications as
for instance, in electronic industry, chemistry, petrochemistry and so on. One of the most (a)
important Ta wire uses is in electronic industry, where wires in 0,19mm to 0,76 mm
range are used in capacitors manufacture [4]. In medicine one of the most interesting Ta
wire uses comes from its biocompatibilities which makes possible its use as wire for
suture and for nerves repair [5].
Such Ta wires are obtained through wiredrawing process and the great existing
difficult in this process is the wire wear due to galling in the die surface due to its high
ductility, causing deep groove, mainly in the first reduction pass. This Ta welding up the
die surface is responsible for a drastic wire friction increasing on die surface. Such a
friction increase on the die surface may cause even a rupture on wire during the
drawing process.
This work purpose is to present wear problems superficial aspects for wiredrawn
material welding up on the die, happened in cast Tantalum wiredrawing obtained by (b) (c)
electron beam casting furnace, which possesses a rude granulation and high ductility.
Moreover it also presents the wire fracture mechanisms after rupture of the wire due to
Figure 1 Surface texture of drawn regions
great friction increase on die surface caused by Tantalum galling problem.

PROCEDURES
Material used in this study is commercially pure Ta which has its origin in with
drawing shavings through an ingot machining. This Ta shavings has been made a
uniaxial pressing for samples compacting of about 200g and afterwards, they have been
melted in a Leybold electron beam furnace. After coalition, it has been obtained ingots
of about 11mm x 150mm. The obtained ingots after coalition have been drawn by
swage process in a FENN3F machine up to 2,54 mm.
In order to show material galling wear problem on die, which can appear in Ta
wiredrawing, a 5mm sample has been drawn by swage process up to 2,54 mm,
area reduction of 74,2%. In the sequence was tried a wiredrawing reduction pass in the
sample until the 2,50mm, reduction in area of 3,12%.
(a) (b)
For Ta Wire galling and rupture consequences analysis during wiredrawing, it has
been got images through Scanning Electronic Microscope (SEM) using secondary
electrons. These images have been made with a 1450VP LEO-SEM installed in
DEMAR/FAENQUIL.

RESULTS
Figure 1 (a, b and c) shows the swaging and wiredrawing regions and sample
rupture analisys due Ta galling on wiredrawing die. Figure 1(a) shows interface region (c) (d)
where part has been wiredrawn and another has been swaged. It is observed clearly
that in wiredrawn region there has been Ta galling on die surface. Figure 1(b) identifies Figur2 Fracture photomicrography of drawn wire.
with details such a region where clearer area indicates that Ta has welded to the die.
Swaged region presents less surface roughness as shown in photomicrography shown
in figure 1(c). It was just done one reduction pass due to Ta galling problem which has
caused material breaking and analyzed later.
Figure 2(a) shows Ta fracture identifying a ductile material characteristics. Ductile
fracture is generally characterized by three different regions: (1) fibrous zone; (2) redial REFERENCES
zone, and (3) shear zone (shear lips), however, depending on the tested material, this
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CONCLUSIONS Symposium on Tanalum and Niobium, 1995, p. 219-226.
[5] HAMPEL, C.A., Rare metals handbook, second edition, New York, 1971.
Such results indicate necessity to use a copper capsuling in order Ta wire breaking
due galling up may not occur during wiredrawing process. For copper has high ductility
and owns a known behavior during wiredrawing during wiredrawing where dont ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
presents galling problem during the process. Or use a lubricant that can get completely We would like to acknowledge the CAPES financial support to present this
separated the interface presented between wire and die surface. research work.