DING HANDBOOK 83 (€) Tapping (F) Pour Complete Photog courtesy of Tansporaion Technology Catt, tr Jonmeon Gaon Community Clege Figure 15.13 (Continued}—Installation of a Thermite Weld in a Railroad Track (CHAPTER 15 OTHER WELDING AND CUTTING PROCESSES 577 climinate the variables associated with torch preheating and the equipment needed for the welding operation. ‘The rail ends are preheated by a portion of the molten ‘metal produced by the thermite reaction. The crucible and mold are a one-piece design. The thermite molds, commonly known as shell molds, are premanufactured of sand bonded with phenolic resins, They are very light, non-hygroscopic, and moisture-free. They have a Jong shelf life, typically one to two years. After the ther- mite reaction is completed, the molten steel automati- cally flows from the crucible into the joint rather than passing through the atmosphere, as is the case with a separate crucible. ‘A cross section of this thermite mold is displayed in Figure 15.14, showing the shape of the cavity in which the molten filler metal flows. A hollow chamber in the mold under the weld area receives the first molten metal, called the prebeat metal, and allows it to preheat the rail ends. By the time the chamber is filled, sufficient molten metal should have passed over the rail ends to preheat them to the required temperature to assure PREHEAT METAL CHAMBER Figure 15.14—Cross Section of a Mold: Crucible with a Preheat Metal Chamber