For many years Johnson Matthey has been a market leader in the supply of platinum alloy plant equipment to the glass industry worldwide. In the melting, mixing, transfer and forming of glass, platinum alloys provide the key properties of resistance to corrosion, strength and non-reactivity in a high temperature environment. We provide our customers with an individual service from discussions relating to drawings, designing the specific tools required for a defined manufacturing route to production of the first component and observations on its performance. Utilising CAD/CAM systems we ensure that they receive a component that is fabricated to the highest quality, tightest tolerances and in a material that is suitable for their application and glass type. From stirrers to thermocouple sheaths, plungers to orifice rings and mandrels to furnace linings our experience in the glass industry is far reaching and our operators have many years of experience that enables them to approach any job with confidence. Coupled with the mixture of modern equipment and traditional methods of high craftsmanship that we pride ourselves in, our customers are assured that the product they receive will function reliably. We work to the highest quality standards and have BS EN ISO 9002 Part 2 amongst other approvals. We use a variety of melting techniques and all ingots produced have a unique batch number to allow for full traceability. These include air melting, melting under a specific gas, vacuum melting and electron beam melting. The use of our modern analytical laboratories including spectrographic, and x-ray analysis and wet chemistry techniques ensures material purity.
TYPICAL FABRICATION MATERIALS AND PURITIES ARE:
Platinum 99.9%*
ZGS Platinum
5% Rhodium Platinum 99.9%*
10% Rhodium Platinum 99.9%*
ZGS 10% Rhodium Platinum
20% Rhodium Platinum 99.9%*
ZGS = Zirconia Grain Stabilised – see separate datasheet for details.
* Where impurities are known to be detrimental to product performance they specific limits.
Our operators are highly skilled and trained to TIG (tungsten inert gas) weld platinum alloy sheet from 0.35 mm to 10.00 mm thick achieving full penetration with the minimum of distortion. Welds can also be dressed to become non-visible which is desirable in glass contact areas. Other processes employed are plasma cutting, plant evacuation for clad molybdenum stirrers, pressure testing and non-destructive leak testing using dye penetrants. The manual operations of forming, spinning, cutting ,hammering, burnishing, polishing and developing of shapes are important to achieve the accuracy of dimensions and finish that is required.
From tiny fabrications for analytical instruments to large mandrels for glass tube production weighing tens of kilograms we maintain a consistent and competent approach. Our experience extends from solid platinum alloy fabrications to cladding of metal components and ceramic blocks.
The use of portable TIG welders has enabled on-site fabrications e.g. cladding of ceramic blocks at glass factories.
In 1993 Johnson Matthey launched ACTTM, Advanced Coatings Technology, a novel technique for depositing platinum and its alloys onto a range of ceramic and metal substrates that in some applications is an alternative to cladding. See separate datasheets for further information.
To support the cycle of platinum for replacements and rebuilds between Johnson Matthey and glass customers we offer a full refining service. This encompasses either alloy refining or chemical separation into the individual metals as appropriate. When additional metal is required we can submit market prices for precious metal on a regular basis and are always happy to provide historical information on market movements.
See our datasheet on Iridium Products for information on iridium fabrications and on Bushings for the glass fibre industry.