Density Analysis on Circular High-Density Titanium Electrode Block Pressed by Segmented and Integral Method: A Simulation Report

This paper examines the relative merits of integral and traditional segmented compaction concerning three key aspects: uniformity of relative density, distribution of low-density areas, and the influence of loading mode on relative density. Under the actual operational conditions and anticipated dimensions of the final product, the initial dimensions of the material and the surface pressure applied before compaction are calculated. The average relative density and relative density distribution of circular titanium electrode blocks with different diameters (450, 500, and 550 mm) and different compaction processes were analyzed in the densification process. The impact of lubrication on the relative density distribution was investigated by modifying the coefficient of friction from 0.7 to 0.5, 0.3, and 0.1. The findings indicate that the electrode block's diameter significantly influences the relative density distribution. When the diameter exceeds 500 mm, it is imperative to pay particular attention to the low-density area (less than 0.7), which exhibits a notable increase from 0.42 to 1.71% in unidirectional compaction and from 0.02 to 0.18% in bidirectional compaction when the integral method is employed. Accordingly, the reduction in slag volume resulting from this factor should be considered when using the integral compaction method. In the case of electrode blocks with a diameter of 800 mm, the percentage of relative density between 0.7 and 0.8 under bidirectional compaction is higher than that under unidirectional one. However, the results were contrary in the range of 0.8 to 0.9. Compared to the integral method, the segmented method exhibited a comparable trend, with a percentage of relative density between 0.7 and 0.8, reaching 86.03% and a percentage of less than 0.7, equaling 0%. Furthermore, the core density of the segmented method is also higher than that of the integral one and has a standard deviation of approximately half that of the integral method. It indicates that in the case of uniform mixing, the uniformity of the segmented compaction is superior, and segregation is not readily produced. The standard deviation of the relative density distribution decreased with a reduction in the coefficient of friction, suggesting that the lubricant addition is beneficial in enhancing the uniformity of the density.