Other electron beam processing techniques

As well as traditional EB welding and the more advanced techniques such as surface texturing and Surfi-Sculpt^® processing; electron beams can be used for many other processing jobs. Some of which are available at TWI.

Electron beam evaporation

Electron beams can be used for the evaporation of various metals to produce thin films on numerous different substrates for many industries, e.g. optical, electronic, aerospace, textile, packaging, and electronics industries. These industries produce items such as: capacitors, magnetic devices, semiconductors, metal coated plastics, special photographic products, and multi-layer systems for optical devices.

Overlay coating is an equally important industrial area using electron-beam evaporation, for example, the coating of turbine blades with yttrium-stabilised zirconia for thermal barrier coatings.

Electron beam melting

The need to process high melting-point metals easily has led to the use of high power electron beams in vacuum furnaces. By using EB melt processing at high vacuum it is possible to melt refine metals via the removal of trapped gases and the evaporation of impurities with high vapour pressures. This technology is used to process refractory metals such as tantalum, niobium and molybdenum and reactive metals such as titanium and zirconium, as well as some platinum metals.

Titanium scrap re-processing accounts for approximately 90% of the EB melted tonnage per year with the remainder being refractory metals.

Electron beam irradiation

Electron-beam curing of adhesives and resins is a technology which has the potential to provide significant advantages for aerospace/automotive industries and some consumer applications.

Unlike traditional thermal curing methods, electron beam curing has: shorter cure times, low energy consumption, reduced volatile emissions, the ability to utilise low-cost tooling materials, and control over curing energy-absorption profile.

EB cured materials have been shown to possess excellent mechanical properties, with low molded-in stresses, high glass transition temperatures (Tg) and low porosity content.

As well as the above uses for electron beam they can also be used for localised in-chamber vacuum brazing, diffusion bonding, heat treating and many other conventional processing techniques which can be performed under vacuum.

Contact: electronbeam@twi.co.uk