Role of silicon carbide in enhancing microwave hybrid heating and reducing dewaxing time in investment casting

Abstract

Mould cracking is a common problem in investment casting (IC) that occurs during the dewaxing process, which is caused by the difference in thermal expansion between the wax pattern and the ceramic mould. Therefore, appropriate modifications to the mould, waxes and hybrid heating of the materials are proposed to address this problem. This study aims to investigate the effects of silicon carbide (SiC) addition on dewaxing time and mould structural defect in two different waxes (HYFILL B289 MOD S and SIVUCH L1203) under microwave hybrid heating. For the mould fabrication, stucco (Al2O3-SiO3) was added with various amounts of SiC to improve microwave heat absorption capabilities. The modified stucco was applied on layers 3–6 to ensure that the mould was more durable and suited for the casting process. The thermal expansion of the waxes and the ceramic mould was evaluated to determine its thermal expansion mismatch. The density, porosity, thermal conductivity, and dielectric properties were characterized to evaluate the properties of modified green mould. The results showed that SIVUCH L1203 wax outperformed HYFILL B289 MOD S wax, in obtaining a crack-free ceramic investment mould with a clean internal surface. This superiority is attributed to the exceptional thermal and absorption properties of the SIVUCH L1203 wax. Furthermore, the incorporation of SiC played a pivotal role in enhancing the hybrid heating process while maintaining the density and porosity of the green moulds. This was evident by the remarkable reduction of dewaxing time by 62% with 7.5% of SiC addition, which also contributed toward improving energy savings and sustainability.