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Moulding Sand

Binders are added to molding sands to produce cohesion between grains and give the sand strength and shape retention. The most commonly used binder is bentonite clay, which swells when combined with water to produce strong bonds. Proper amounts of binder and water must be used, as too much can reduce permeability and strength. Additives like facing and cushion materials are also used to enhance properties and prevent defects in castings.

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60 views

Moulding Sand

Binders are added to molding sands to produce cohesion between grains and give the sand strength and shape retention. The most commonly used binder is bentonite clay, which swells when combined with water to produce strong bonds. Proper amounts of binder and water must be used, as too much can reduce permeability and strength. Additives like facing and cushion materials are also used to enhance properties and prevent defects in castings.

Uploaded by

dhruvmistry300
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Molding Sand Binders

• Binders produce cohesion between the molding sand grains in the


green or dry state (or condition).
• Binders give strength to the molding sand so that it can retain its
shape as mold cavity.
• Binders (to the molding sands) should be added as optimal
minimum.
• Increasing binder content reduces permeability of molding sand.
• Increasing binder content, increases green compression strength
up to a limit; after which green compression strength remains
practically unchanged with further increase in binder content.
• Clay binders are most commonly used for bonding molding sands.
• The best clay is one which imparts the optimum combination of
bonding properties, moisture, life and cost of producing the
required casting.
Prof. J. V. Patel, UVPCE 2
Molding Sand Binders
• Clay binders are most commonly used for bonding molding sands.
• Clay binders can be classified as:
– Fire clay
– Bentonite
• Sodium montmorillonite
• Calcium montmorillonite
– Illite
– Kaolinite
• Fire Clay:
– Fire clay is a refractory clay usually found in the coal measures.
– Fire clay particles are about 400 times as large as compared to
those of Bentonite ; hence the same percentages of fire clay
produce lower strengths.
Prof. J. V. Patel, UVPCE 3
Molding Sand Binders
• Bentonite:
– The most commonly used clay binders are Bentonites as they
produce strongest bonds in foundry molding sands.
– Bentonite deposits are available in India in Rajasthan and Bihar.
– Bentonites are the weathered product of volcanic ash and are
soft creamy white powders.
• Illite:
– Illite is the decomposition product of micaceous materials due
to weathering.
– Illite is found in natural molding sands.
– Illite has softening point of about 2500°F.
– Illite does not swell in the same way as bentonite but gives
reasonable strength.
– Illite particles have thickness and width of 20 and 100-250 milli-
microns respectively. Prof. J. V. Patel, UVPCE 4
Molding Sand Binders
• Kaolinite:
– Kaolinite is the residue of weathered granite and basalt.

– Kaolinite binder has its composition 60% kaolinite, 30% illite and
10% quartz.

– Kaolinite gets Very low swelling due to water and is non-gel


forming.

– Kaolinite particles possess thickness and width of 20 and 100-


250 milli-microns respectively.

Prof. J. V. Patel, UVPCE 5


Water
• The amount of water may vary from 1.5 to 8%.

• water is responsible for the bonding action of clays.

• Water activates the clay in the sand and the clay-sand mixture
develops strength and plasticity.

• Water added to the sand mixture, partly gets adsorbed by clay and
partly remains free and is known as Free Water.

• The absorbed water is responsible for developing proper bond and


the green strength.
• The free water acts as a lubricant.
• It increases plasticity.
Prof. J. V. Patel, UVPCE 6
Water
• It improves moldability, but It reduces strength of the sand
mixture.

• For a given type of clay and its amount, there is an optimum


required water content.

• Too little water will not develop proper strength and plasticity.

• Too much water will result in excessive plasticity and dry


strength.

• The amount of water required to develop the optimum properties


can be found out experimentally.

Prof. J. V. Patel, UVPCE 7


Additives
• The basic constituents of molding sand mixture are;
– Sand
– binder and
– water
• Materials other than the basic ingredients are also added to
molding sand mixtures, of course in small quantities, in order to
– enhance the existing properties.
– To develop certain other properties.
– to give special qualities like resistance to sand expansion,
defects etc.
• Some of the additive materials along are given below:
– Facing materials
– Cushion materials
– Other special Additives (Finely ground corn floor, Iron oxide, Boric
acid, diethylene glycol) Prof. J. V. Patel, UVPCE 8
Additives
• Facing materials:
– Facing materials tend to obtain smoother and cleaner surfaces of
castings and help easy peeling of sand from the casting surface
during shake out.
– A few facing materials are:
1) Sea coal 2) Graphite
3) Coke 4) Silica floor
• Cushion materials:
– Cushion materials burn when the molten metal is poured and thus
give rise to space for accommodating the expansion of silica sand at
the surfaces of mold cavity.
– In the absence of cushion materials, large flat surfaces of castings
may buckle due to thermal expansion of silica sand grains.
– A few cushion materials are:
• Wood floor
• Cellulose Prof. J. V. Patel, UVPCE 9

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