FACULTY OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY

PDT 253
MATERIALS PROCESSING LAB

CRUCIBLE MOULD MAKING

(GROUP A4)

SEMESTER 3 2020/2021
MATERIAL PROCESSING (RY – 58)

NAME: MATRIC NO.

1. MUHAMMAD ALIFF HAIKAL BIN SHOLAHUDIN 191352635

2. MUHAMMAD FAIDZI BIN SHUKRI 191352825

3. MUHAMMAD IRFAN BIN MOHAMAD IDRIS 191352827

4. LOO BOON SIANG 191353289

5. NUR NABILA HUSNA BINTI SHARIZAL FAZLY 191352159

LECTURE NAME:

1. DR ALIDA ABDULLAH

2. MUHAMMAD FAHEEM MOHD TAHIR

DATE OF SUBMISSION: 1ST December 2020

CONTENTS

NO. CONTENTS PAGE

1.0 Introduction 1

2.0 Apparatus 3

3.0 Procedure 6

4.0 Conclusion 6

5.0 Discussion 8

6.0 References 8
1.0. INTRODUCTION

Figure 1.0
A crucible is a ceramic or metal container in which metals or other substances may be
melted or subjected to very high temperatures. While crucibles historically were usually
made from clay, they can be made from any material that withstands temperatures high
enough to melt or otherwise alter its contents. Mould making is the process used to
duplicate three-dimensional models or objects. A model is an object that has depth, and an
original model can be made from almost anything.

If making your object to mould, it might use clay, rock, or plastic. Through the use of
a mould making the material a negative, or a reverse, of a model part, is made, the negative
can then be used to cast a second part that is the same size and shape as the original part.
Simple parts such as relief sculptures can be duplicated by using a one-part mould. The
casting material is poured or pressed into the mould indentation. The casting material can
range from clay, soap, chocolate, concrete, liquid plastic, play-dough, and metal castings.

It can make two-part moulds or even three or more part moulds. Mould sizes can range
from a few millimetres to many feet in size. Mould making is used in industry to make
duplicates of a wide variety of creations ranging from car parts to Christmas ornaments.
More complicated moulds may include a variety of moulded parts, rigid parts of the
moulds, inserts, a variety of resins and fillers, and a lot of setup and thought.

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 The main material used in crucible mould making is Plaster of Paris. Plaster of Paris is
a building material that is used as a protective coating on walls and ceilings. It is also used
as a moulding and casting agent for decorative elements. It is used to give aesthetic
finishing touches to the buildings. Plaster of Paris is a white coloured powder. It is made
up of gypsum. The plaster gets its name because its main ingredient gypsum is found
abundantly in Paris. The white powder will form a paste when it is mixed with water and it
will harden into solid structures when dried. Thus, the Plaster of Paris is used to make casts
and moulds.

Plaster of Paris does not generally shrink or crack when dry, making it an excellent
medium for casting moulds. It is commonly used to precast and hold parts of ornamental
plasterwork placed on ceilings and cornices. It is also used in medicine to make plaster
casts to immobilize broken bones while they heal, though many modern orthopaedic casts
are made of fibreglass or thermoplastics. Some sculptors work directly in plaster of Paris,
as the speed at which the plaster sets gives the work a sense of immediacy and enables the
sculptor to achieve the original idea quickly. In medieval and Renaissance times, gesso
(usually made of plaster of Paris mixed with glue) was applied to wood panels, plaster,
stone, or canvas to provide the ground for tempera and oil painting.

Plaster of Paris is prepared by heating calcium sulfate dihydrate, or gypsum, to 120–

180 °C (248–356 °F). With an additive to retard the set, it is called the wall, or hard wall,
plaster, which can provide passive fire protection for interior surfaces.

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2.0. APPARATUS
 Powder of Plaster of Paris (PoP)

Figure 2.1 Powder of Plaster of Paris (PoP)

 Water

Figure 2.2 Water

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 Wash basin

Figure 2.3 Wash basin

 Analytical Precision Balance

Figure 2.4 Analytical Precision Balance

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 Big Spoon

Figure 2.5 Big Spoon

 Wooden Stick

Figure 2.6 Wooden Stick

 A cast

Figure 2.7 A cast

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3.0. PROCEDURES
i. Measure the mass of 2000.0g of powdered Plaster of Paris (POP) and 1157.4g of water
using Analytical Precision Balance.
ii. Filled the wash basin with POP and water. With the ratio of the plaster to the water are
2:1.
iii. The powder is sifted with water until there are no lumps by using the spoon.
iv. Add more powder until the mixture just appeared in a dry state above the surface of the
water, indicating that the water was fully saturated with powder.
v. The cast then be put into the bottom of the wash basin with the upside-down. Then, a
wooden stick is used to give pressure at the bottom of the cast.
vi. Distribute the mixture thoroughly in the wash basin till fully covered the cast.
vii. The wooden stick has removed when the mixture in the process become hard.
viii. After the mixture fully hardened, the cast then be removed from the surface carefully.
ix. The mould finished.

4.0. Discussion
4.1. Briefly compare between two-piece mould and press mould.

Two-Piece Mould.

Two-piece mould is a type of casting that is the act of pouring liquid material into the cavity
of a mould. After a while, this liquid will cure via chemical reaction or cooling. The solidified
part is also known as a casting, which is ejected or broken out of the mould to complete the
process. Two-piece mould can find the part line of the shape that will allow the two mould
pieces to pull apart and the model or cast to be released, free of undercuts. This type of mould
will allow to cast an object, remove the mould, and reuse.

Press Mould.

Press moulding refers to the process in which clay is forced into a mould to take on a certain
shape. Once the mould is removed, the piece produced is a uniform replication of the inside of
the mould.

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4.2. Explain in details the Plaster of Paris (POP) mould making with the schematic
figure.

Add water to POP

Pour POP and
with ratio 1:2 to
weigh it on the
POP and mix
weighing machine.
thoroughly.

Press the cast while Place the cast to be

pouring the mixed molded into the
POP into the basin basin.

Wait until the POP

harden and take
out the cast from
the mould

Figure 4.0 Schematic figure for the process of Plaster of Paris (POP) mould making.

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5.0. CONCLUSION
In conclusion, crucible mould or to be precise Plaster of Paris (POP), is usually made
of the combination between gypsum plaster/powder and water. The ratio of the mixture is
2:1 (two scoops of powder to one scoop of water). As for the first trial that had been done,
the mixture is not enough. Then for the second trial, 2000.0g of powder to 1157.4g of water
have been used to get the perfect mixture.

Next, POP does not generally shrink or crack when dry, making it an excellent medium
for casting moulds. During the procedure, there are a few steps to be taken seriously. An
example of that is during the mixing of both material, the mixture should be stirred
thoroughly and nonstop as to prevent the mixture to clump easily.

6.0. REFERENCES

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica (2018), Plaster of paris.

https://www.britannica.com/technology/plaster-of-paris. Accessed on 27 November 2020.

A.Gugliuzza, A.Iulianelli, A.Basile (2011), Advanced Membrane Science and Technology

for Sustainable Energy and Environmental Applications, Pages 295-338,
https://doi.org/10.1533/9780857093790.3.295. Accessed on 28 November 2020.

The America Ceramic Society (2014), Ceramic Processing: Slip Casting.

http://ceramics.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Slip-Casting-Lesson-111.pdf. Accessed
on 28 November 2020.

Tutorial Tips Civil (2020), what is POP? Advantages & Disadvantages of Plaster of Paris.
https://tutorialstipscivil.com/material/what-is-pop-advantages-disadvantages-of-plaster-
of-paris/. Accessed on 27 November 2020.

Henrik Norsker, James Danisch (2013), Forming Techniques for the Self-Reliant Potter,
vols 131-146.

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