Advances in Mechanical Engineering, ISSN: 2160-0619 Volume 2, Number 4, December, 2012

Effect of Moisture Content on the Permeability of Tailing Sand Samples Gathered from Ex Tin Mines in Perak State Malaysia A. Abdullah1,a , S. Sulaiman1,b, B.T.H.T. Baharudin1,c, M.K.A. Ariffin1,d, T.R.Vijayaram2,e
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Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia

Faculty of Engineering and Technology (FET) Multimedia University, Jalan Ayer Keroh Lama, Bukit Beruang, 75450, Melaka. Malaysia
a

azija656@yahoo.com, bsuddin@eng.upm.edu.my, ctuah@eng.upm.edu.my, d khairol@eng.upm.edu.my, evijayaram1@gmail.com doi.10.5729/ame.vol2.issue4.18

Keywords: Tailing sand, Clay content, Moisture content, Permeability.

Abstract. Tailing sand is one of the residue minerals obtained after tin extraction. It contains silica in between 94% and 99.5% and available in abundance at the Kinta Valley, Perak State, Malaysia. Permeability is one of the important molding sand properties and considered much in the sand casting mold preparation. This molding sand property plays a vital role in the sand casting process and helps to remove the gases during the casting processing. In this research work, samples of tailing sands were gathered from four identified ex tin mines located at the Perak State, Malaysia. They were investigated by the standard sand testing procedures prescribed by the American Foundrymen Society (AFS). Sand specimens of size 50 mm50 mm in height from various sand water ratios bonded with 4% and 8% clay were compacted on applying three ramming blows of 6666 g each by using a Ridsdale-Dietert metric standard rammer. The specimens were tested for permeability number with the aid of a Ridsdale-Dietert permeability meter. Before the tests were conducted, the moisture content was measured by using a moisture analyzer. The results were compared with the properties of the molding sand samples collected from RCS Manufacturing Sdn. Bhd., the company supplying sand to the Proton Casting unit car manufacturing company. The molding sand sample sample bonded with 8% clay was found to have maximum permeability with an optimum allowable moisture content range of 3.5-6.0% and for the sand mixture bonded with 4% clay at 3.0-3.5% moisture. 1. Introduction Permeability is defined by the AFS as the physical property of molded sand, which allows the gases to pass through it. It is determined by measuring the rate of flow of air (2000 cm3) through the metric standard rammed specimen (50 mm50 mm in height) under a standard pressure (10 g/cm2) [1]. Samples for this research work were taken from four identified locations, which are located at Taiping, Tronoh, Batu Gajah and Tanjung Tualang. Usually, the standard values for the permeability number depending on the type of metal being founded are 20120 [2]. The addition of clay and water in the sand influences the mechanical properties of molding sand, hence the permeability number. The amount of clay and moisture content has a significant role in improving the strength and permeability of green sand mould and it should be controlled to get defect free castings. For example, green sand properties for a mould prepared by using a jolt
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/squeeze machine are water (3-4%), live clay (5-5.5%) and permeability (80-110) while for the mould prepared by using a high pressure (DISA etc) are water (2.5-3.2%), live clay (6-10%) and permeability (80-100) [3]. Clay (Bentonite) will act as a binder, mixes with water to bind the sand particles and can be maintained in the range 5-7% to produce moulds with better refractoriness and higher permeability [4]. If the clay content is higher in the sand mixture, the permeability is lowered due to fine clay particles occupied in the available spaces between the sand grains. Water content in the mixture of 1.5% to 8%, activates the clay in the sand, causes the aggregate to develop plasticity and mold strength [5]. Without water addition, no strength would be achieved, as the sand and clay would be just two different dry materials. Clays are flake like substances and when dry the mass together with their plane surfaces approximately parallel, often likened to a deck of cards. The addition of water wets the flakes and they cleave apart and most become individually dispersed [6]. Too little water fails to develop adequate strength and plasticity where sands and clays grains are combined together apart thus the permeability is very poor. The clay adsorbs the water up to a limiting amount. Only the water rigidly held (adsorb) by the clay appears to be effective in developing strength and permeability [5]. The development of bond strength between the grains depends upon on the hydration of clay. The green strength and permeability of a moulding mixture increases with water content up to an optimum value determined by the proportion of clay. Above this value, an additional % of water causes the permeability to diminish due to the increasing of the thickness of the water films. So, the clay becomes soft, lose its bonding power and less stiff and the sand grains are held further apart thus decrease the strength [7]. Therefore, excess moisture must be avoided since it lowers the permeability and increases the chance of a blown casting. At the same time, plasticity and deformation of the mould will occur. Low permeability and green compression strength encourage the entrapment of gases and the washing away of sand by molten metal [4]. Figure 1 shows the effect of increasing the water content and the comparison between the sand mixtures bonded with 4% and 6% clay on the permeability of the moulding sand.

Figure 1. Influence of moisture content and clay on permeability [6].

2. Materials and methods The sand mixture was prepared by mixing 1000 grams of dry sand with 40 grams of bentonite clay, and subjected to milling for 5 minutes. Then, water was added to the mixture and it was started with 20 ml addition (approximately 2% moisture). The mixture was milled appropriately for 3 minutes and then the samples were tested for the moisture % by using a moisture teller shown in Fig.2. A test piece of size 50 mm50 mm in height was prepared by using a Ridsdale-Dietert Metric Standard Rammer shown below in Fig. 3. The specimens were weighed and it ranges from 138 grams to 150 grams depending on the sand/clay/water ratio [5]. The test piece was then tested with the aid of a Ridsdale-Dietert permeability meter shown below in Fig. 4. The permeability test was conducted three times to get an average reading. After the readings were obtained, 20 ml water was
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added until the condition of mixture becomes too wet and unmouldable where the moisture reading reached approximately 9%. The procedure was repeated for the mixture bonded with 80 grams clay.

Figure 2. Moisture analyzer.

Figure 3. Ridsdale-Dietert metric standard rammer

Figure 4. Ridsdale-Dietert permeability meter

3. Results The results of the tests performed on the permeability of the tailing sandclay mixture are shown in Table 1-2 and also presented graphically in Figure 5-9.
Table1. Moisture content and permeability number for tailing sands bonded with 4% clay. Batu Gajah Taiping Moisture(%) Permeability Number Moisture(%) Permeability Number Moisture(%) Permeability Number Moisture(%) Permeability Number Moisture(%) Permeability Number 1.27 46.0 1.69 212.0 1.74 120.0 1.96 219.0 2.13 178.0 2.21 71.0 2.85 234.7 2.63 142.0 3.18 253.0 3.32 198.0 3.01 91.0 3.91 235.0 3.47 144.7 4.40 253.0 4.12 212.0 4.10 94.0 4.99 232.0 5.00 140.7 5.61 240.3 5.15 209.7 5.52 93.0 6.33 212.0 5.87 134.0 6.60 226.0 5.90 205.0 6.43 88.7 7.27 198.0 7.56 123.0 7.59 219.0 6.77 200.3 7.15 82.0 8.10 185.0 8.01 120.0 8.24 209.7 7.44 194.7 8.05 77.0 8.84 167.0 8.84 109.3 9.09 202.7 8.09 190.3

Tronoh Tanjung Tualang RCS

Table1. Moisture content and permeability number for tailing sands bonded with 8% clay. Batu Gajah Taiping Moisture(%) Permeability Number Moisture(%) Permeability Number Moisture(%) Permeability Number Moisture(%) Permeability Number Moisture(%) Permeability Number 2.06 21.3 1.70 178.7 2.21 75.0 2.27 125.3 2.72 165.7 2.82 44.7 2.65 214.3 3.33 119.0 3.53 176.3 3.45 193.0 3.59 58.0 3.50 219.0 4.37 127.3 4.25 205.0 4.25 196.3 4.15 60.7 4.74 207.3 5.64 134.0 5.51 216.7 5.60 198.0 5.63 71.0 5.71 198.0 6.36 128.0 6.55 200.3 6.52 193.0 7.23 74.3 6.90 180.3 7.17 124.7 7.33 187.7 7.40 178.0 8.48 67.0 7.69 160.7 8.05 110.7 8.21 170.7 8.18 167.0 9.48 61.7 8.74 139.3 8.40 100.0 9.12 144.7 9.26 147.7

Tronoh Tanjung Tualang RCS

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100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 1 2 3 4

Permeability Number

4% Clay 8% Clay

optimum allowable moisture content for mixture bonded with 8% clay optimum allowable moisture content for mixture bonded with 4% clay 5 6 7 8 9 10

Moisture (%)

Figure 5. Effect of moisture content on the permeability number (PN) for tailing sand from Batu Gajah bonded with 4% and 8% bentonite clay.
250 225 200 175 150 125 100 75 50 25 0 1 2 3 4 4% Clay 8% Clay

Permeability Number

optimum allowable moisture content for mixture bonded with 8% clay optimum allowable moisture content for mixture bonded with 4% clay 5 6 7 8 9 10

Moisture (%)

Figure 6. Effect of moisture content on the permeability number (PN) for tailing sand from Taiping bonded with 4% and 8% bentonite clay.
275 250 225 200 175 150 125 100 75 50 25 0 1 2 3 4% Clay 8% Clay

Permeability Number

optimum allowable moisture content for mixture bonded with 8% clay optimum allowable moisture content for mixture bonded with 4% clay

10

Moisture (%)

Figure 7. Effect of moisture content on the permeability number (PN) for tailing sand from Tanjung Tualang bonded with 4% and 8% bentonite clay.

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160 Permeability Number 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

4% Clay 8% Clay

optimum allowable moisture content for mixture bonded with 8% clay optimum allowable moisture content for mixture bonded with 4% clay 9 10

Moisture (%)

Figure 8. Effect of moisture content on the permeability number (PN) for tailing sand from Tronoh bonded with 4% and 8% bentonite clay.
250 Permeability Number 200 150 100 50 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Moisture (%) optimum allowable moisture content for mixture bonded with 8% clay optimum allowable moisture content for mixture bonded with 4% clay 4% Clay 8% Clay

Figure 9. Effect of moisture content on the permeability number (PN) for sand from RCS bonded with 4% and 8% bentonite clay.

4. Discussion Sand mixture for all the samples bonded with 4% clay by weight has higher number of permeability when compared to the mixture bonded with 8% clay by weight. This can be observed from the permeability curve in Figures 5-9 where curve for mixture bonded with 4% clay is higher than the mixture bonded with 8% clay. This is due to finer clay particles, where mixture bonded with 8% clay has extra finer particle than mixture bonded with 4% clay. If the clay content is higher, the permeability of the mixture will be decreased because of more fine clay particles occupy the available spaces between the sand grains. As a result gas has difficulty to pass through grain particles. To achieve maximum permeability number, the optimum allowable moisture content for all mixtures bonded with 4% clay found to have moisture content approximately at 3.0% while mixture bonded with 8% bentonite clay is approximately at 5.0% moisture. Samples from Batu Gajah; bonded with 4% has optimum allowable moisture at range 3.0-3.5% moisture and when bonded with 8% is at range 5.5-6.0% moisture; Tronoh at 3.0-3.5% moisture (4% clay) and 4.5-5.0% moisture (8% clay) and Tanjung Tualang at 3.0-3.5% moisture (4% clay) and 4.5-5.0% moisture (8% clay). Samples from Taiping have optimum allowable moisture content slightly near for both mixtures, which about 3.0-3.5% moisture (4% clay) and 3.5-4.0% moisture (8% clay). Molding
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sand from RCS Manufacturing has optimum allowable moisture at 3.5-4.0% moisture for mixture bonded with 4% clay and 5.0-5.5% for mixture bonded with 8% clay. The results showed, if the mixture bonded with 8% clay, its needs more water then mixture bonded with 4% clay to achieve maximum permeability number. This shows that maximum permeability can be achieved only if the water rigidly held (adsorb) by the clay, and this occurred at optimum allowable moisture. At this range, water added to the mixture is sufficient to activate the clay and binding the sand particles. This has helped to remove the gases present in it thorugh the sand grains. 5. Summary The obtained results indicate that the influence of moisture on the permeability number for tailing sands bonded with 4% and 8% clay by weight. The sand mixture bonded with 4% clay found to have higher permeability number compared to mixture bonded with 8% clay due to the amount of fine particles of the binder. Moisture content in the molding sand is a vital one in determining the maximum permeability number. The amount of water should be controlled in getting the maximum permeability number so that the defect due to gases trapped can be reduced. Tailing sands from identified locations bonded with 4% bentonite clay have maximum permeability number at optimum allowable moisture ranged 3.0-3.5% and when bonded with 8% clay is at range 3.5-6.0% moisture. This is acceptable by comparing to sand from RCS Manufacturing, which is at 3.5%-4.0% moisture for mixture bonded with 4% clay and 5.0%-5.5% for mixture bonded with 8% clay. Test on green compression strength is necessary to determine the working range and the potential for tailing sand as aggregate for making green sand casting mould. References [1] Foundry Sand Testing Equipment Operating Instructions, Ridsdale & Co. Ltd., Newham, Hall, Newby, Middlesbrough, Cleveland, England. [2] Olasupo O.A. and Omotoyinbo, J.A., 2009, Moulding properties of a nigerian silicaclay mixture for foundry use, Journal of Applied Clay Science, Elsevier Science Publisher B.V., Amsterdam, May 2009, pp. 244-247. [3] J.R. Brown: Sand and Green Sand. Foseco Ferrous Foundrymans Handbook, 11thEdition, Elsevier Ltd.(2000) [4] Griffiths, J., 1990. Minerals in foundry casting, investment in the future, Industrial Minerals Journal, May 1990, pp. 39-51. [5] R.W. Heine, C.R.Jr. Loper, and P.C. Rosenthal, Molding Sands. Principles of Metal Casting. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company (1967), pp. 86-89. [6] P.D. Webster, Refractories, Sands and Binders. Fundamentals of Foundry Technology, Surrey, Portcullis Press, Redhill.(1980) [7] Beeley P.R, 2001, Foundry Technology, 2nd Edition, Elsevier Ltd.

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