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APPLICATION OF CONCEPT OF MODULUS IN NON-FERROUS FOUNDRIES G.M. RAJENDRA PRASAD

gmrpsbc@gmail.com 9480504635 ( BANGALORE ) Modulus = Volume / Surface area

Volume indicates the amount of HEAT present in the LIQUID METAL & Surface Area refers to the Area through which that Heat can be REMOVED FOR SOLIDIFICATION TO TAKE PLACE. On page no 149 ,of DIRECTIONAL SOLIDIFICATION OF STEEL CASTIINGS by WLODAWER, you find an equation --Solidification ------for Steel( Green Sand) In FIGURES (last page) in case of 100 X 100 Height(mm) sand casting you have three Surface Areas 1. Surface Area in contact with Sand Area at the Bottom (Conduction Heat Loss) 2. Surface Area in contact with Sand on the Side (Conduction Heat Loss + Convection Heat Loss) 3. Surface Area in contact with Atmosphere at the Top (Radiation Heat Loss)

Time in Minutes = 2.1(Modulus in Centimeter )

For Steel---with No Cover on Top , You Get a Solidification Time of 5.0 Minutes.(see FIGURES) If you Calculate Geometrically, you would get a Solidification Time of 5.8 Minutes. This Difference is because at 1640 C (Pouring Temperature of Steel) ,because of Radiation Heat Loss , the Top Surface is no longer the geometrical area but something more than that. This is called APPARENT SURFACE AREA (ASA) .This ASA can be Increased (By Chilling in Casting) or Decreased (By Insulating in Feeders). This alters the modulus and it is called MODULUS EXTENTION FACTOR (MEF)

For getting a Sound Casting We need to Know 1. 2. 3. 4. % of Shrinkage to be Fed by Feeder % of Shrinkage Required for Pattern Size of Feeder Number of Feeders Required.

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SHRINKAGES V L-L = Loss of Super Heat for Solidification to Occur. V L-S = Loss of Latent Heat for Solidification to Occur. V S-S = Contraction in Solid State from Melting Point to Room Temperature. V L-L + V L-S 6% STEEL 6.7% COPPER 8.3% ALUMINUEM 8% 5.7% V S-S 8%

V S-S is 8% in Steel on a Volumetric Basis, but on a Linear Scale it became 2% --- this gives you the Contraction Allowance to be provided on the Pattern

Feeding distance or Range

Feeding Distance is Proportional to

X
(of the alloy)

Density of Alloy x Specific Heat Alloy Thermal Conductivity

In case of Steel Plate (5:1 ) (5 is the Width & 1 is the Thickness) Feeding Distance is 4.5 T (Plain Carbon Steel) In Plain Carbon Steel = 2.5T (End Effect)+2.0T(Feeder Effect)=4.5T But the Feeding Distance in of Stainless Steel is almost 12T.

FEEDING DISTANCE = END EFFECT+FEEDER EFFECT

FEEDING DISTANCE Steel Plate4.5T Aluminum Plate11T Copper Plate8 T In a bar (1:1) Feeding Distance Reduces (see Wlodawer)

As X increases

feeding distance increases. (but data are not available). You have to pour a plate of the given alloy for copper or aluminum & ascertain the value by radiography (see FIGURES) This gives you the Number of Feeders to be Placed on the Casting.

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In case of Steel

M Feeder = 1.2 M Casting

This gives you the Size of Feeder. Similar equation for Copper & Aluminum will have to be established. Now you know , 1. Size of Feeder 2. Number of Feeder 3. Contract Allowance on Pattern to get a Sound Casting. As regards to MEF, you can get it from Figures Wlodawer s --- Directional Solidification of Steel Castings has a Wealth of Information for Steel Castings. But no such book is available for Non Ferrous Alloys. With help of Modulus concept in Steel, a good Casting can be made without trials. But it will have to be established for Non Ferrous Alloys, so that Non Ferrous Castings can also be made without trials. (As of now, it is not possible ,as no data is available) For S.G.Iron foundry men, the books on Gating & Feeding can be obtained from www.sorelmetal.com. (This is because of Gating & Feeding of Steel Castings & S.G.Iron are totally different.)

Reference
1. WlodawerDirectional Solidification of Steel Castings. 2. Beeley ------- Foundry technology. 3. Feeding Range ---Cast Metals Research Journal (AFS),June 1975,Volume 11,No 2

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