TEHRAN - An Iranian 
company used copper-alumina nanocomposites to boost resistance in welding electrodes.
Alireza Jaanabadi, the managing director of the company, elaborated on the company’s latest product, namely copper-alumina nanocomposite tips, saying that the nanocomposite structure used in the product has been able to provide a more stable and resistant alternative to conventional alloys in resistance welding.
He added that one of the most important challenges in conventional copper alloys is the loss of strength at high temperatures due to the softening of the crystal structure; however, in the new nanocomposite, aluminum oxide particles are distributed within the copper matrix in a way that prevents grain growth and structural changes due to heat, noting that this stability maintains mechanical properties even at high temperatures and increases the useful life of the electrode in production lines.
“In these types of alloys, strengthening occurs by adding or forming stable oxide particles, and unlike conventional alloys, oxide particles do not dissolve or grow within the structure. As a result, when the material is exposed to high temperatures, its mechanical strength will not significantly decrease,” Jaanabadi said.
In a relevant development in May, an Iranian technological company had also used nanotechnology to produce wear-resistant flux cored welding wires which enjoy a much higher performance than similar domestic and foreign products.
No nano-based raw materials are used in the production of these welding wires, but the formulation is engineered in such a way that nanostructures are formed at the welding site during the welding process. These nanometer structures provide high strength and special resistance to wear and impact.
Haniyeh Farahi, the R&D manager of the company, said that the technology can be applied in the mining, ceramic, crystal and steel industries,
“Price reduction compared to foreign models, savings in material consumption with a deposition rate of 95 percent, and welding without the need for shielding gas are among the advantages of these products,” Farahi said.
“Also, the anti-wear plates produced by our company, with a microstructure containing nanometer carboborides, enjoy much higher wear resistance than domestic and foreign samples. These plates have been produced thinner and lighter due to modern welding technology and, despite the presence of stress cracks, have maintained the ability to form and bend,” she noted.
Farahi announced the annual production capacity of the company’s nano welding electrodes as 300 tons, and said, “At present, nearly 120 tons are produced per year.”