Henkel Brings a New Casting Release Agent for Light-Metal Alloys to the United States

The metal alloys that are shaped for today’s automobiles, aircraft and other highly engineered products require a table with a dozen columns to list their full chemical composition. 

These complex, self-curing lightweight components often are subject to high-pressure die casting and do not go through the heat treatment process. Light aluminum alloys like AlSi9Mn, known for its ductility and energy-absorption capacity, and AlSi9MnMoZr, which is optimized for high thermal or electric conductivity, have expanded the capability of castings while placing new demands on the casting process.

Key among these demands has been the need for future-oriented casting release agents with specific release characteristics that help separate molds from materials and reduce surface imperfections. The Henkel global lab network, supported by an automotive OEM customer in Europe, has developed an outstanding release agent that is perfect for all high-pressure casting applications and for new alloy types that no longer need heat treatment. The agent  is now available in the United States.Developed with new, future-driven chemistry, this very special, proven release agent is designed especially for self-curing alloys.

The agent, BONDERITE^® L CA CP 799 (referred to simply as CP799),  is an important factor in meeting the market’s demand for weight reduction, lowering CO2 emissions, cutting overall costs, improving safety and enabling such e-mobility components as battery trays, electric motor housings and control housings.

Easier cleaning, lower costs, longer life

CP799 overcomes issues that hinder many other release agents. High wetting temperatures, dilution rates, hard-water stability, bacteria protection, a clean burn-off and the release capability itself have been industry concerns for these new alloys. Self-curing alloys require a better lubricant that is easy to clean without heat and that offers a good release effect to prevent the alloys from sticking in cavities. 

Henkel’s CP799 product has surmounted all of these challenges. Manufacturers find substantial energy cost savings and, consequently, lower CO2 emissions  when they can avoid heat treatment. One side effect is that, without heat treatment, the process no longer burns away residues from release agents and substrate cleaning is not as easy. Henkel’s CP799, however, is formulated for easy cleaning and superb release properties in temperatures ranging as high as 620°F.

In its standard or micro-spray version,  CP799 yields cleaner component surfaces, and porosity is reduced. The high dilution rate of CP799’s concentrated emulsion can range up to 200:1, lowering release-agent expenses for the manufacturer. Even more important, CP799 promotes longer die life, fewer quality issues and higher production rates.

To learn how BONDERITE^® L CA CP799 can be your best friend forever, contact us for more information.

Thomas Scharpe