IE 337: Materials and Manufacturing Processes

Lab # 6

Casting and Solidification Process

Introduction: Casting is a manufacturing process by which a liquid material (usually metal and polymers) is usually poured into a mold, which contains a hollow cavity of the desired shape, and then allowed to solidify. The solidified part is also known as a casting, which is ejected or broken out of the mold to complete the process. Casting materials are usually metals or various cold setting materials that cure after mixing two or more components together such as epoxy, concrete, plaster or clay. A typical casting mold is shown in Figure 6.1. Casting is generally used for making intricate shapes (difficult or uneconomical to make by other methods).
Figure 6.1. A typical casting mold.

In a casting process, the material is first heated to completely melt and then poured into a cavity of the mold. As soon as the molten metal is in the mold, it begins to cool. When the temperature drops below the freezing point (melting point) of the material, solidification starts. Solidification involves a change of phase of the material and differs depending on whether the material is a pure element or an alloy. A pure metal solidifies at a constant temperature, which is its melting point (freezing point). For alloys, the solidification occurs over a temperature range depending upon the composition. A typical cooling curve for Ni-Cu system is given in Figure 6.2.

Figure 6.2. A typical cooling curve for Ni-Cu system.

As temperature drops, solidification begins at a temperature indicated by liquidus and is completed when the solidus is reached. It is also of interest to examine the metallic grain formation and growth during the solidification process. The metal which forms the initial skin has been rapidly cooled by extraction of heat through the mold wall. This causes the grains to be fine, equiaxed, and
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IE 337: Materials and Manufacturing Processes

Lab # 6

Casting and Solidification Process

randomly oriented. As cooling continues, further grain formation and growth occur in a direction away from the heat transfer and dendrite structure generated. Characteristic grain structures of in a casting of pure metal and in an alloy is provided in Figure 6.3. Pb-Sn alloy is a eutectic system and the phase diagram is shown in Figure 6.4. Pure Sn melts at 232C and pure Pb melts at 327C. Alloys of these elements melt at lower temperatures. The lowest melting composition of any alloy system is its eutectic composition. The eutectic composition is 61.9% Sn and the melting point is 183C. As in our lab, there is no casting facility; we would be doing some solidification experiments using different compositions of Pb-Sn solder alloy system.

(a) (b) Figure 6.3. Characteristic grain structure of (a) a pure metal, and (b) an alloy.

Figure 6.4. Pb-Sn eutectic phase diagram.

Objective: 1. To identify the importance of phase diagram. 2. To illustrate the use of cooling curves to determine chemical compositions of alloys using a series of Sn-Pb solder alloys. 3. To calculate the amount of heat extracted from pure Sn during various stages of solidification.
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IE 337: Materials and Manufacturing Processes

Lab # 6

Casting and Solidification Process

Equipment & Materials: 1. Compositions of Sn-Pb solder a. Pure Sn b. Mystery composition c. 40/60 (Sn/Pb) d. Eutectic composition 2. 4 crucibles 3. Butane torch 4. Digital multi-meter with temperature probe 5. Safety glasses and gloves Procedure: 1. Get four samples of solder from lab instructor. Weigh and label each sample. 2. Place the work piece in the crucible and ignite the butane torch. 3. Slowly and carefully heat the bottom of the crucible until the solder is completely molten. (DANGER! Crucible will shatter if heated too quickly!) 4. Turn the multi-meter on and place the end of the temperature probe in the crucible. 5. When the temperature stabilizes, remove the flame and immediately record the temperature. 6. Record the temperature every 10 seconds until the sample is completely cooled. 7. Repeat steps 1-6 for other three compositions of solder. Lab Deliverables: 1. Prepare a report detailing the lab activity, observations, results and difficulties faced (follow the lab report instructions). 2. Plot the temperature vs. time graph for each of the four samples. 3. Determine the composition of mystery alloy from the phase diagram provided. 4. Describe the dendrite structure formation in a pure metal and an alloy. Why the structures are different? 5. What is the difference between a pure metal cooling curve and an alloy cooling curve? Support your answer with clear diagrams. 6. Compare heat transfer rates for pure tin at three different time intervals using the cooling curve plots obtained and the equations given.
T t m C L Q Temperature (K) time (min) Mass (g) specific heat (J/(gK)) latent heat of fusion (for Sn = 14.5 cal/g) heat transfer rate (J/min)

References: 1. M.P. Groover, Fundamentals of modern manufacturing, 3rd edition, (2007). 2. Metals Handbook, 9th edition, vol. 16, ASM International, Materials Park, Ohio, 1989. 3. www.wikipedia.org
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