Foundry chemistry: What is it?
Casting is a manufacturing process in which liquefied material, such as molten metal,is poured at extremely high temperaturesinto a mould and allowed to cool and harden. This is how components for engines, wind turbines and many other products are created. The technique of metal casting has been in use for more than 5,000 years and it is continuously being refined and improved.
What does this have to do with chemistry?
Well, to produce modern castings with complex and sophisticated geometries, you need precision moulding processes. This is where the raw material sand plays an important role. Sand is used to make the moulds that give a casting is eventual shape. The process also uses “cores”, which serve as placeholders for the cavities in the final component. In casting, molten metal is poured into the mould and around the core.
The mould-making formula
But what is it that holds the sand together in such a stable shape throughout the casting process? The secret lies in the intelligent interaction of various chemicals known as “binders”. They have to withstand the extreme casting temperatures until the casting has hardened, at which point the sand moulds and cores are designed to disintegrate and trickle cleanly out of the casting.
Leading expertise
HA, as Hüttenes-Albertus is known throughout the global foundry industry, is a technology leader in the field of foundry chemistry. Thanks to decades of experience and our intensive research and development, we have the expertise to offer our customers the best possible products for every application.
The crucial final touch
The chemicals added to moulding sand often make up little more than one percent of the weight of the finished sand core. Nevertheless, they play a crucial role in achieving the best possible casting properties. The right chemical formulation makes everything possible by accelerating production schedules, improving productivity and allowing an infinite variety of geometries and shapes to be cast.
From digging teeth made of wear-resistent steel to high-gloss aluminum rims to wind turbine hubs: HA technologies are found in any conceivable cast component, all over the world.
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