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