Department of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering

Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Dhaka

MME 346 Foundry Engineering Sessional

1.50 Credit Hours 150 Marks

Course Tutor: Prof. A. K. M. B. Rashid

Appendix A
LITERATURE REVIEW FOR SAND TESTINGS
Periodic tests are necessary to determine the essential qualities of foundry sand. The
properties changes by contamination from foreign materials, by washing action in
tempering, by gradual change and distribution of grain size and by continual subjection to
high temperature. Test may be either chemical or mechanical in nature. Various tests are
designed to determine the properties of moulding sand and these are described in the
following appendices.

Appendix-A1: Sieve Analysis

The test of determining the AFS grain fineness number is performed on a dried sand sample
from which all clay substances have been removed. A set of standard testing sieve is used to
screen the sand. These sieves are stacked in sequence with the coarsest sieve at the top and
placed in a sieve shaker. About 100 g sand is placed at the top sieve and, after 15 minutes
of vibration, the weight of the sand retained in each sieve is obtained. The AFS grain
fineness number of the sand tested can then be determined by taking the percentage of
sand retained on each screen, multiplying each by a multiplier (which is simply the next
available sieve old mesh number greater than the one being weighed out), adding the total,
and then dividing by the total percentage of sand retained on the sieves. Typical calculation
of the AFS fineness number, which includes the multiplier factor, is given in Table 1.

Table 1. Typical calculation of AFS grain fineness number.

Size of sample: 50 g; AFS clay content: 5.9 g, or 11.8%; sand grains: 44.1 g, or 88.2%.

USA sieve Sand retained on Percentage of sand Multiplier Product

series No. each sieve, g retained (A) (B) (A x B)
6 none 0.0 3 0
12 none 0.0 5 0
20 none 0.0 10 0
30 none 0.0 20 0
40 0.20 0.4 30 12
50 0.65 1.3 40 52
70 1.20 2.4 50 120
100 2.25 4.5 70 315
140 8.55 17.1 100 1710
200 11.05 22.1 140 3094
270 10.90 21.8 200 4360
Pan 9.30 18.6 300 5580
Total 44.10 88.2 15243

Total Product 15243

AFS grain fineness number = =
Total Percent of Sand Retained 88.2
= 172.8 or 173 AFS.

MME346/Appendix A/Page-1
Appendix-A2: Test for Clay Content
The equipment necessary for determining the percentage of clay in moulding sand consists
of a drying oven, a balance and weights, and a sand washer. Clay content test is carried out
as follows:
A portion of sand sample is thoroughly dried out at 220 C for about 4 h or until constant
weight is attained. 50 g of this dried sand is placed in a wash bottle. To this sand, 475 c.c.
of distilled water and 25 c.c. of 3.0 % caustic soda solution are added. The mixture is stirred
for 5 min in a rapid sand washer. Sufficient water is added up to the level line marked on
the bottle. The liquid is then siphoned off after 10 min. The bottle is refilled twice more and
siphoned the liquid off. The sand is placed in the oven for drying. The sand is weighed
when it is completely dried and the percentage of clay is determined by the difference in the
initial and final weights of the sample.

Appendix-A3: Test for Moisture Content

The most accurate method of moisture determination is to dry out the sand and to note
weights before and after. Fifty grams of tempered sand, accurately weighed and placed in
the pan. The timer for the blower of the moisture teller is set for the required time to dry the
sand (approximately 5 min) and air at 110 C is blown over and through the sand. The sand
is dried after this and weighed again. Note the difference in the initial and final readings
and determine the percentage of moisture in the sand.

Appendix-A4: Permeability Test

Permeability is defined as that physical property of the moulded mass of sand mixture
which allows gas to pass through it. It is determined by measuring the quantity of air that
passes through a given sample of sand in a prescribed time and under standard condition.
Permeability of moulding sand depends on several factors including shape of sand grains,
fineness, degree of packing, moisture content and amount of binder present. Hence coarse
grained sands are more permeable than finer ones.
To determine permeability the AFS Standard sand specimen of 5.08 cm (2 inches) diameter
and 5.08 cm in height is prepared by ramming the required quantity of sand in a smooth
surface tube with three blows of standard rammer. This sand specimen is placed in the
mercury cup of the permeability meter. The air drum is raised to take 2000 cm3 of air in to
the air drum which will be indicated by the graduation on it. The whole air is then allowed
to escape through the sand specimen with a pressure of about 10 g/cm3 and the time is
recorded.
The permeability number of the sand sample can be calculated from the following equation:
Vh
P =
Atp

Where P = AFS standard permeability number

V = Volume of air in cm3 = 2000 cm3
h = Height of specimen in cm = 5.08 cm (or, 2 inches)
A = Cross sectional area of specimen in cm2 = 20.268 cm2
p = Air pressure in g/cm2 = 10 g/cm2
t = Time in minutes
The above equation may be simplified as
3007.2
P =
t
where, t = time in seconds.

MME346/Appendix A/Page-2
Appendix-A5: Sand Hardness Test
The hardness achieved by ramming the moulding sand mixture can be measured by using
an indentation-type mould hardness tester where a spring-loaded 1/2 inch diameter steel
ball is pressed into the AFS Standard sand sample and the hardness number is read
directly from a dial gage which reads from 100 to 0. If no penetration occurs, the hardness
reading is set arbitrarily to 100. If the ball sinks completely into the sand up to the limiting
surface of the tester, the reading is set to 0; i.e. the sand is very soft. A hard rammed
mould generally reads 90, while a soft mould reads 50 to 60. Severe penetration by the
liquid metal and washing of the sand occur when the hardness reading is bellow 50.

Appendix-A6: Sand Strength Test

Sand strength test is the measure of holding power of various bonding materials in green
and dry sand. It determines the cohesiveness or natural binding capacity of the sand
grains. There are four types of test for sand strength: (1) compression, (2) shear, (3) tensile,
and (4) over-hang bar test. Of these tests, the compression test is by far most widely used
and is very convenient for routine testing of all types of national bonded and synthetic
moulding sand.
For green compression strength test, the AFS Standard sand specimen is prepared. The test
is performed on the sand specimen by using Universal sand strength machine. This
machine consists of a pusher arm and weight arm, both hanging from a pivot bearing at the
top of the machine. The weight arm applies load on the specimen while pusher arm pushes
the specimen against the weight. As the weight arm is pushed up higher, the load increases
until the specimen breaks. Then the compression strength in ton/in2 may be read at the
magnetic marker whose left side shows the maximum upward travel of the weight arm.
For dry compression strength test, the AFS standard specimen is placed in the oven and
dried it for about two hours at 110 C. The specimen is cooled and tested it on the same day
they are made. The specimen is placed in the upper position of the sand strength machine
and broken the specimen as in the case of green strength test. The dry strength values are
read in psi off the dry strength scale.

MME346/Appendix A/Page-3