Abstract
This study aims to investigate the thermal conditions of the molds, changes in microstructure and hardness of casting products using sand mold and permanent mold. The use of sand mold and permanent mold results in different cooling rates. Thermal analysis was performed using a thermocouple to obtain a temperature versus time curve. Metallographic observations were carried out using a Scanning Electron Microscope equipped with Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy. The Vickers hardness test was carried out in three areas with different thicknesses. The results showed a constant temperature at 691 oC where the eutectoid phase reaction occurred. Testing with sand mold showed that cast iron with flake graphite was finer and spreader than graphite in cast iron produced by permanent mold. Meanwhile, gray cast iron from a casting process with a permanent mold has a higher hardness than gray cast iron from a casting process using a sand mold.
Highlights
Metal casting is the process of pouring molten metal into a mold for the manufacture of a variety of components, from high-performance automotive components to household goods
The results show that dendrite arm spacing (DAS) and secondary dendrite arm spacing (SDAS) as well as the thickness of the ferrite-cementite layer are highly dependent on the cooling rate, and they decrease as the cooling rate increases
The diagram of the cooling or solidification process of gray cast iron that has been obtained from the permanent mold and sand mold (Fig. 3) is connected to the temperature at which solidification occurs and is attached to the cast iron area in the phase diagram above 2% C (Fig. 4)
Summary
Metal casting is the process of pouring molten metal into a mold for the manufacture of a variety of components, from high-performance automotive components to household goods. Jafar and Behnam [11] investigated the effect of mold preheating and ductile cast iron silicon composition on number of graphite nodules, carbide percentage and shrinkage volume. 3% causes an increase in the number of graphite nodules and the size of the graphite and a decrease in the percentage of carbides. This is due to the increase in expansion pressure induced during the formation of graphite with an increase in the silicon composition. Suitable conditions for casting sound products from ductile iron without riser at a mold preheating temperature of 300 °C are a carbon equivalent of 4.7% and a silicon composition of 3.3%. Mold making, core, and smelting operations account for nearly 27% of the total energy costs in casting
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