Base Metal Products from Sri Lanka

Base metals are common metals that are widely used in commercial and industrial applications. Base metal products are mostly used in construction and manufacturing applications. Users of these metal products enjoy the advantage of their low price when compared to the prices of precious metals. This is due to the abundance of base metal sources. Unlike silver, gold, and platinum, these metals are easier to mine. 

Copper, Nickel, Aluminum, and Zinc are some of the most popular base metals used in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is home to a widespread foundry industry that acts as a feeder to the local light engineering sector. This industry is also a supplier of a wide range of products to the marine industry. These production facilities have the production capabilities of grey iron casting, ductile iron casting, aluminium, brass, and steel castings.

(De Silva)

Aluminum Products Made in Sri Lanka

Aluminium is a non-ferrous, lightweight metal. Its excellent strength, ductility, and corrosion resistance are some of its highly appreciated characteristics. It is a good conductor of heat and electricity. It is sometimes used as an alloying element in steel alloys. The metal is lighter than titanium. It has proven its excellent rigidity and flexibility with increasing temperatures.

Aluminium is primarily found as an aluminium oxide in an ore called bauxite. Bauxite and Alumina are the main two raw materials involved in the production of aluminium. The electrolysis of alumina results in the creation of aluminium. It is a process where pure aluminium metal is extracted from alumina. Alumina is extracted from bauxite through refining. The separation process involves a hot solution of caustic soda and lime. The aluminium obtained this way is used to create items and equipment that serve various purposes. Although Sri Lanka has no natural aluminium resources, the country’s light engineering industry depends on reclaimed aluminium for production purposes

Aluminium PCB

Printed circuit boards (PCBs) are designed to support and connect the electronic components of a device through conductive tracks. Aluminium printed circuit boards are very effective when compared to other types of PCBs. Although fibreglass is a popular base material, aluminium PCBs consist of metal-based, copper-cover laminate that delivers high performance including superior electrical insulation and thermal conductivity.

These circuit boards are metal-based laminates covered by copper foil circuit layers. They are made using alloy plates that are a combination of aluminium, magnesium, and silumin. These PCBs deliver excellent electrical insulation, good thermal potential, and high machining performance.

Aluminum Doors and Frames

Although much thought isn't given to the doors that we open and close every day, there are a lot of factors that sum up before a door is fixed. Quality and durability are two key factors that are taken into consideration before arriving at this decision. Aluminium is mostly used to make indoor frames combined with a glass panel. The base metal is commonly found in sliding doors, bifold, and stacker frames.

Aluminium retains powder coating well. Therefore, it is a flexible material that will suit any decor. The aluminium door construction process starts with the melting of aluminium which is then poured into moulds. These moulds resemble a frame which is then cut into the required size. The aluminium frame joins in once the glass panels are fitted.

Aluminium Pipes

Aluminium tubing is always practised in industries such as construction, automobile engineering, and rail transportation. It is also commonly used in the aerospace sector. Aluminium pipes have the advantage of good heat conductivity. Their corrosion resistance and low-density qualities qualify them to be used in many weight-sensitive applications. Several methods are followed in the creation of these pipes.

Most of them are manufactured using the aluminium extrusion process that utilizes a solid aluminium blank. Material from the centre blank of the pipe is removed using a die, leaving a uniform, straight hollow. An aluminium pipe will go through the drawing process, where the extruded pipe is pulled through a tool that reduces its diameter.

Lead Alloy Products

Lead is a soft, low melting point metal that has excellent corrosion resistance and ductility. It is alloyed with other metals to improve its mechanical properties. Lead alloys are melted and cast into various shapes that are useful for many purposes. The base metal is primarily used in the production of batteries.

Without limiting its capabilities, it further serves cable sheathing, roofing, insoluble anodes, the solder material, and other low melting point materials. Lead alloys are positioned as worldwide commodities that have to be handled with special care to prevent exposure. It is the most recycled metal.

Lead Alloy Roofing Sheets

The properties of lead make it an excellent medium for the production of roofing sheets. It can be securely dressed around penetrations and joints. It can cooperate with wide-ranging temperature fluctuations. It is resistant to corrosion from the atmosphere, saltwater, and most other natural chemicals. It is also a good absorbent of sound, vibration, and radiation. As a result, lead sheets can be used in the ceilings and walls of rooms that require soundproofing. These roofing sheets are also a great tool for the prevention of water penetration.

Lead Alloy Pipes

Lead alloy pipes are used for corrosion resistance in the chemical industry. They also serve the general purposes of plumbing and water distribution. The corrosion resistance and flexibility of these pipes help them to stand out from other products in the market. Lead alloy pipes can be used for the carriage of corrosive chemicals in chemical plants and laboratories.

Iron Products

Sri Lankan foundries practise the production of both ductile iron and grey iron. Both these types of iron have been able to dominate industries due to their low material cost, high machinability, and performance. Both these metals are used to serve a range of applications in various industries that include construction, transportation, agriculture, etc.

The difference between ductile iron and grey iron is formed by their differences in carbon levels. During the solidification process of grey iron, Rod-like graphite flakes are mixed into the composition. This creates its line from ductile iron. Grey iron comprises high density and strength. It is well known as a lightweight metal that meets low-cost requirements. Ductile iron is defined by its high strength and flexibility.

It is the type of iron that can be shaped into wires and other products that require elasticity. A ductile iron bar comprises graphite nodules that provide it with its flexibility during solidification. Both these irons equally participate in the creation of a variety of products.

Machine Frames

Ductile iron is required in machining. It is used in the production of a lot of automotive parts since it is much stronger than aluminium. It is used to build the frames of agricultural tractors, trucks, trailers and more. It is also used to make the coverings of machines used in the wind power industry since it can stand against strong pressure. Iron-based machine frames have great wear resistance and corrosion resistance. Ductile iron’s great quality of vibration dampening makes it an ideal medium for manufacturing these frames and other machine-related tools.

Centrifugal Pumps

Centrifugal pumps are used in buildings to pump water supply. It acts as a booster for domestic water supplies. Its design makes it useful when pumping sewage and slurries too. They are also useful in the making of fire protection systems and cooling applications.

Iron is used as the main manufacturing medium for this product since the physical properties and mechanical properties of iron suit the functioning of the pump. An increase in temperature can make the liquid more corrosive. Cast iron shows corrosion resistance.

Gearbox Housing

A gearbox housing is traditionally made from cast iron following the methods of permanent mould casting and shell moulding. Gear housing covers the mechanical components of the gearbox while providing mechanical support for moving components. Cast iron housings are less expensive than steel housings.

Copper Products

Copper is a good conductor of both heat and electricity. This base metal used to be shaped into different moulds since the early ages. Copper is commercially produced through smelting and leaching. It is extracted from its ore. Pure copper metal has a face-centred cubic crystal structure. It is malleable and ductile. Copper has low chemical reactivity. It serves as a frequently used material in the electrical industry. It is also combined with other metals to form alloys.

The importance of copper is equal to the importance of iron. Cold working increases its strength and hardness. Although long term exposure to air results in a thin-green protective coating, copper resists the actions of the atmosphere and seawater. With all these properties, the base metal participates in the production of various products.

Copper Wires

Copper cables and wires are widely used in the electronic media industry. The base metal passes a lot of stages before it takes the shape of a wire. The copper metal is crushed and minced before it is ground using machines that convert it into metal. Then it is turned into a copper cathode.

The size of copper is reduced with the help of various dyes. Then it is bunched, twisted, and braided to form the perfect copper wire that is used for power generation, power transmission, telecommunication, and various other applications.

Copper Coils

Copper coils are used to minimize resistive heating from high alternating current. These coils are used in the manufacturing of refrigerators, heaters, and other industrial machinery. Copper coils are versatile. They are used in a wide range of applications that include gas lines, water distribution systems, fuel oil systems, solar heating systems, etc.

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Bibliography

De Silva, Indika. “Foundry Industry in Sri Lanka.” ResearchGate, The Institution of Engineers, Sri Lanka. (IESL), July 2020, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/343049504_Foundry_Industry_in_Sri_Lanka. Accessed 11 August 2021.