Moulding Sand Properties
Moulding Sand Properties
Moulding Sand Properties
A large variety of molding materials is used in foundries for manufacturing molds and cores. They
include molding sand, system sand or backing sand, facing sand, parting sand, and core sand. The choice of
molding materials is based on their processing properties. The properties that are generally required in
molding materials are:
Refractoriness
It is the ability of the molding material to resist the temperature of the liquid metal to be poured so that it
does not get fused with the metal. The refractoriness of the silica sand is highest.
Permeability
During pouring and subsequent solidification of a casting, a large amount of gases and steam is generated.
These gases are those that have been absorbed by the metal during melting, air absorbed from the
atmosphere and the steam generated by the molding and core sand. If these gases are not allowed to escape
from the mold, they would be entrapped inside the casting and cause casting defects. To overcome this
problem the molding material must be porous. Proper venting of the mold also helps in escaping the gases
that are generated inside the mold cavity.
Green Strength
The molding sand that contains moisture is termed as green sand. The green sand particles must have the
ability to cling to each other to impart sufficient strength to the mold. The green sand must have enough
strength so that the constructed mold retains its shape.
Dry Strength
When the molten metal is poured in the mold, the sand around the mold cavity is quickly converted into dry
sand as the moisture in the sand evaporates due to the heat of the molten metal. At this stage the molding
sand must posses the sufficient strength to retain the exact shape of the mold cavity and at the same time it
must be able to withstand the metallostatic pressure of the liquid material.
Hot Strength
As soon as the moisture is eliminated, the sand would reach at a high temperature when the metal in the
mold is still in liquid state. The strength of the sand that is required to hold the shape of the cavity is called
hot strength.
Collapsibility
The molding sand should also have collapsibility so that during the contraction of the solidified casting it
does not provide any resistance, which may result in cracks in the castings. Besides these specific
properties the molding material should be cheap, reusable and should have good thermal conductivity.
The moulding sand after it is prepared, should be properly tested to see that the requisite properties
are achieved. These are standard tests to be done as per Indian Standards.
Sample Preparation
Tests are conducted on a sample of the standard sand. The moulding sand should be prepared exactly as is
done in the shop on the standard equipment and then carefully enclosed in a container to safeguard its
moisture content.
Moisture Content
Moisture is an important element of the moulding sand as it affects many properties. To test the
moisture of moulding sand a carefully weighed sand test sample of 50g is dried at a temperature of 1050 C
to 1100 C for 2 hours by which time all the moisture in the sand would have been evaporated. The sample is
then weighed. The weight difference in grams when multiplied by two would give the percentage of
moisture contained in the moulding sand. Alternatively a moisture teller can also be used for measuring the
moisture content. In this sand is dried by suspending the sample on a fine metallic screen and allowing hot
air to flow through the sample. This method of drying completes the removal of moisture in a matter of
minutes compared to 2 hours as in the earlier method.
Another moisture teller utilizes calcium carbide to measure the moisture content. A measured
amount of calcium carbide ( a little more than actually required for complete reaction) in a container along
with a separate cap consisting of measured quantity of moulding sand is kept in the moisture teller. Care
has to be taken before closing the apparatus that carbide and sand do not come into contact. The apparatus
is then shaken vigorously such that the following reaction takes place:
Mathematically
GFN =
∑Mf i i
∑f i
Retained
Multiplying Retained
Sieve Number Percentage Mi x Pi Mi x fi
Factor, Mi Sample, fi (g)
Pi
40 30 2.495 5 150 74.85
50 40 13.972 28 1120 558.88
70 50 23.952 48 2400 1197.60
100 70 6.986 14 980 489.02
140 100 2.495 5 500 249.50
49.900 100 5150 2569.85
Table-V
Mi x Pi 5150
GFN = = = 51.50
Pi 100
Mi x fi 2569.85
= = = 51.50
fi 49.90
GFN is the average grain size and corresponds to a sieve number through which all the sand grains would
pass through, if they were all of the same size. GFN value varies between 40 and 220 for those sands used
by most of the foundries. Though the sand properties depend on both the grain size and the grain size
distribution, GFN is a very convenient way of finding the sand properties since it takes both into account.
Example: GFN 41 : steel castings 50 Kg and more
67 : Small steel castings
105: Light cast iron and copper castings
150: Aluminium alloy castings
Permeability
The rate of flow of air passing through a standard specimen under a standard pressure is termed as
permeability number. The standard permeability test is to measure time taken by a 2000 cm3 of air at a
pressure typically of 980 Pa to pass through a standard sand specimen confined in a specimen tube. The
standard specimen size is 50.8 mm in diameter and a length of 50.8 mm. Then, the permeability number, P
is obtained by
VXH
P=
pxAxT
Where V = volume of air = 2000 cm3
H = height of the sand specimen = 5.08 cm
p = air pressure, g/cm2
A = cross sectional area of sand specimen= 20.268 cm2
T = time in minutes for the complete air to pas through
Inserting the above standard values into the expression, we get
501.28
P=
p.T
Specimen Preparation
Since the permeability of sand is dependent to a great extent, on the degree of ramming, it is necessary that
the specimen be prepared under standard conditions. To get reproducible ramming conditions, a laboratory
sand rammer is used along with a specimen tube. The measured amount of sand is filled in the specimen
tube, and a fixed weight of 6.35 to 7.25 Kg is allowed to fall on the sand three times from a height of 50.8 ±
0.125 mm. The specimen thus produced should have a height of 50.8± 0.8 mm. To produce this size of
specimen usually sand of 145 to 175 g would be required. After preparing a test sample of sand as
described, 2000 cm3 of air are passed through the sample and time taken by it to completely pass through
the specimen is noted.
Strength
Measurement of strength of moulding sands can be carried out on the universal sand strength testing
machine. The strength can be measured in compression, shear and tension. The sands that could be tested
are green sand, dry sand or core sand. The compression and shear test involve the standard cylindrical
specimen that was used for the permeability test.
Green Compression Strength
Green compression strength or simply green strength generally refers to the stress required to rupture the
sand specimen under compressive loading. The sand specimen is taken out of the specimen tube and is
immediately (any delay causes the drying of the sample which increases the strength) put on the strength
testing machine and the force required to cause the compression failure is determined. The green strength
of sands is generally in the range of 30 to 160 KPa.
Green Shear Strength
With a sand sample similar to the above test, a different adapter is fitted in the universal machine so that the
loading now be made for the shearing of the sand sample. The stress required to shear the specimen along
the axis is then represented as the green shear strength. It may vary from 10 to 50 KPa.
Dry Strength
This test uses the standard specimens dried between 105 and 1100 C for 2 hours. Since the strength
increases with drying, it may be necessary to apply larger stresses than the previous tests. The range of dry
compression strengths found in moulding sands is from 140 to 1800 KPa, depending on the sand sample.
Besides these, there are other tests to determine such properties as deformation, green tensile
strength, hot strength, expansion, etc.
Reference:
1. Manufacturing Technology by P.N.Rao, TMH