The Effect of the Surface Energy of Water Glass on the Fluidity of Sand

Abstract

In recent years, the metal casting industry has sought to meet ever more stringent environmental standards. Inorganic binders based on silicate chemistry have many advantages with respect to environmental issues, but often suffer from reduced strength, burn-on and poor water-resistance. In particular, when sand is mixed with a water glass based inorganic binder, it adversely affects fluidity. In this study, a Powder flow test (PFT) analysis was conducted to confirm the effect of the surface tension of water glass on mixed sand. Certain additives were selected as surfactants to lower the surface tension of the water glass. The characteristics of the samples were measured using the PFT. A correlation between the surface tension of the water glass and the fluidity of the mixed sand was established. We then evaluated the effect of the inorganic binder on core strength. Using the surfactants, the fluidity of the mixed sand increased by 66%. However, strength and water resistance were reduced by approximately 45%. As a result, it was found that when 1.5% of surfactant was added, the resulting fluidity and humidity strength characteristics produced a mixed sand with good properties. Water glass with improved fluidity can produce a high quality core and mold. Finally, we used a practical application prove that an inorganic binder can replace organic binders in foundry cores.