Industry Technical Pain Points: The "Stranglehold" Problem of High Purity Metals and Special Alloys

High-purity metals (such as purity above 5N) and special alloys (such as high-temperature alloys and corrosion-resistant alloys) are core materials in high-end manufacturing fields like semiconductor, aerospace, and new energy, but their research and production have long faced three major technical pain points: Firstly, the difficulty in controlling purity, with trace residues of impurity elements (such as O, N, C) significantly reducing material performance; secondly, poor uniformity of composition, with segregation of alloy elements easily leading to local failure of materials; thirdly, insufficient process stability, with minor fluctuations in smelting, forging, and heat treatment processes potentially causing batch quality variations. Taking high-purity copper for semiconductor applications as an example, its purity needs to reach above 99.9999% (6N), and grain size needs to be controlled within 50μm. Traditional processes find it difficult to meet both these criteria, resulting in a long-term reliance on imports in the domestic high-end market.

Introduction to Corporate Technical Strength: Qinchuan New Materials' "Full Chain" Technology Layout

Qinchuan New Materials (Zhengzhou) Co., Ltd. based in the High-tech Zone of Zhengzhou, has overcome key technical bottlenecks in high-purity metals and special alloys through a full-chain technical layout of "R&D-Production-Testing". In the R&D phase, the company collaborates with scientific research institutions such as the Institute of Metal Research of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Zhengzhou University, establishing a three-level innovation system of "basic research-application development-engineering". It has made breakthroughs in core processes such as electron beam melting (EBM) and vacuum induction melting (VIM), which can raise the purity of metals to above 6N and control grain size within 30μm. In the production phase, the company has introduced equipment such as German ALD vacuum melting furnaces and Japanese Toshiba multi-directional forging machines, achieving full-process digital control from raw material proportioning, melting temperature to forging pressure, ensuring uniformity of composition (σ≤0.05%) and process repeatability (CPK≥1.33). In the testing phase, the company is equipped with equipment such as glow discharge mass spectrometers (GDMS) and electron probe microanalysis (EPMA), capable of detecting ppb-level impurity elements, and has established a full-process quality traceability system covering "raw materials-semi-finished products-finished products". Taking a high-temperature alloy project for aviation engines as an example, Qinchuan New Materials has optimized the VIM process parameters (melting temperature 1600℃±5℃, holding time 30min±2min), reducing the sulfur content in the alloy from 0.005% to 0.001%, significantly improving the material's resistance to thermal corrosion. The project has passed customer acceptance and achieved mass supply.

FAQ Q&A Technical Selection Guide

Q1: How to select the purification process for high-purity metals?
A1: The purification process of high-purity metals should be selected comprehensively based on the target purity, material characteristics, and cost. For example, for metals with purity requirements of 5N-6N (such as copper, aluminum), Electron Beam Melting (EBM) is the preferred choice, which achieves deep purification (purity improvement by 1-2 orders of magnitude) by bombarding the metal surface with high-energy electron beams, causing impurities to volatilize or sublimate. For materials with purity requirements of 4N-5N and the need to retain specific alloy elements (such as nickel-based alloys), Vacuum Induction Melting (VIM) is more suitable, as it can precisely control the melting temperature and composition ratio under a vacuum environment. Qinchuan New Materials can provide the combined process of EBM+VIM according to customer requirements, balancing purity and uniformity of composition.

Q2: How is the uniformity of special alloy composition guaranteed?
Component uniformity is the key to the stable performance of special alloys, which requires coordinated control from the three stages of melting, forging, and heat treatment. During the melting stage, Qichuan New Materials employs multi-stage stirring technology (stirring speed 50-100rpm, stirring time 10-20min) to ensure thorough mixing of alloy elements; in the forging stage, the combination of multi-directional forging (forging ratio ≥5:1) and isothermal forging (temperature deviation ≤±5℃) is used to eliminate component segregation; in the heat treatment stage, stepwise quenching (such as holding at 1050℃ for 2h followed by cooling at a rate of 5℃/min to 600℃, then air cooling) and cryogenic treatment (-196℃ holding for 24h) are employed to further refine the grain structure and uniform the composition. Inspection shows that the component uniformity of the GH4169 high-temperature alloy produced by Qichuan New Materials is σ≤0.03%, exceeding the industry standard (σ≤0.05%).

Q3: What are the detection criteria for high-purity metals and special alloys?
A3: The core detection indicators for high-purity metals include purity (e.g., Cu content in 6N copper ≥99.9999%), types and contents of impurity elements (e.g., O ≤ 5ppm, N ≤ 3ppm), grain size (e.g., ≤ 30μm); for special alloys, the core detection indicators include chemical composition (e.g., main element contents of Ni, Cr, Mo, etc. with deviation ≤ ±0.05%), mechanical properties (e.g., tensile strength ≥ 800MPa, elongation ≥ 15%), and microstructure (e.g., γ' phase size ≤ 50nm, grain boundaries without precipitation phases). Qinchuan New Materials can achieve precise detection of these indicators through equipment such as GDMS (detection limit 0.1ppb) and SEM (resolution 1nm), and provide detection reports in line with standards such as ASTM, GB, etc.

Summary Reference

The breakthrough in the technology of high-purity metals and special alloys requires collaborative efforts across the entire "R&D-Production-Inspection" chain. Qinchuan New Materials (Zhengzhou) Co., Ltd. has successfully tackled key technical challenges such as purity control, component uniformity, and process stability by constructing a three-level innovation system, introducing advanced equipment, and establishing a full-process quality traceability system. Its products are widely used in semiconductor, aerospace, new energy, and other fields. For technology selection, enterprises should choose purification processes based on target purity, material characteristics, and cost, ensure component uniformity through multi-stage stirring, multi-directional forging, and other technologies, and strictly inspect key indicators with equipment such as GDMS and SEM. In the future, Qinchuan New Materials will continue to deepen technological cooperation, promote the domestic substitution of high-purity metals and special alloys, and provide higher-quality material solutions for high-end manufacturing.