Applied Mechanics and Materials Vol 729 (2015) pp 119-124 Submitted: 2014-11-06

© (2015) Trans Tech Publications, Switzerland Accepted: 2014-11-07

doi:10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.729.119 Online: 2015-01-29

The Formation of Cracks in Cast-Iron Molds during the Casting of Zinc

Blocks
Ivanov Mikhail Alekhsandrovich
South Ural State University, 76, Lenin prospekt, Chelyabinsk, Russia 454080
IvanovMA@susu.ac.ru

Keywords: Cracks, Molds, Zinc production.

Abstract. The article considers the problem of cracks formation in cast-iron molds during the casting
of zinc blocks. The analysis of casting technology for manufacturing of cast-iron molds is performed.
Changes of the construction of cast-iron molds is implemented to ensure the directional solidification.
The analysis of thermal cycles of cast-iron molds during its operation is performed. It is established
that the most dangerous moment of crack formation is the beginning of the pouring of molten zinc in
the cold cast-iron mold. The new composition of the separation insulating coating, which reduces
thermal shock and the probability of crack formation is developed.

Introduction
Despite the low temperature during the casting of zinc blocks compared with steel ingots [1, 2], the
problem of cracking in cast-iron molds is relevant. The stock of molds for casting of one-ton zinc
blocks has a low efficiency up to 400 fills that does not allow to achieve a given work resource in 5-7
months [3]. The main reason of their failure is the formation of through-holes (Fig.1) [7].

Fig.1 Crack in the wall of the cast-iron mold in its operation

To improve the productivity of casting zinc blocks in industrial conditions cast-iron molds are
cooled by flowing water, so the through cracks are the unacceptable defect, such molds are drafted
out.
Both the quality of the molds [5, 6, 8, 9] (manufacturing technology) and the mode of their
operation (fill zinc blocks) effect on the formation of cracks in cast-iron molds during their operation.

Research of the quality of cast structure of the cast-iron mold at the stage of its manufacture
To verify the quality of cast-iron molds the following parameters were used: chemical composition of
cast iron (given in Table. 1), the temperature of the fill (1260 ˚C), the duration of the fill (30 sec.). The
results of cast-iron molds quality simulation are presented in Fig. 2.
Table 1 Chemical composition of cast iron [%]
C Si Mn S P
3.3 - 3.5 1.4 - 2.4 0.7 - 1 to 0.15 to 0.2

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120 Materials, Mechanics and Information Engineering

a) b)
Fig.2 Shrinkage in the cross section of the mold (a) and during the crystallization (b)
During the simulation, the presence of gas porosity in the walls adjacent to the bottom of the mold
was revealed. The work of lost heads is unsatisfactory, the orientation of crystallization is not
provided.
The geometry of the cast-iron mold walls was modified to ensure directional solidification in the
form of a uniform slope in 3о toward the bottom of the mold.
The results of computer simulation of the new construction of the cast-iron molds is shown at Fig.
3. This construction allowed to eliminate gas and shrinkage defects in the walls of the mold and
provided the direction of solidification of the casting.

a) b)
Fig.3 Shrinkage in the cross section of the mold (a) and during the crystallization (b)

Research of the conditions of cracks formation during the operation of the cast-iron molds
Analysis of the stock of cast-iron molds, which were failed during their operation, showed that the
cracks are always in the same place – on the vertical longitudinal wall. Cracks form on the vertical
wall starting from the bottom near the riser and extend up to the flange. Several molds have cracks,
reaching only the middle of the wall.
During the pouring of the molten zinc with a temperature of 450±5 ˚С the wall of the cast-iron
mold is exposed to the temperature, which passes like the wave through the mold from the inner to the
outer surface. This process can be divided into 3 stages: the heating of the inner surface, heating to the
middle of the wall and full heating from the inner to the outer surface of the mold.
The thermometer free of the process of pouring zinc in cast-iron moulds by finite-difference
method was conducted. The layout of the thermocouples is shown in Fig. 4. A graph of the
temperature cycle is shown in Fig. 5.
 Applied Mechanics and Materials Vol. 729 121

4 3 6 5

2 1

4 3 1, 2

5, 6

Fig.4 Layout of the control points

σ, MPa

1 3 5

4 6 2
T, оC
Fig.5 Wall thickness – 50 mm, the cooling by flowing water. The numbers correspond to the numbers
of thermocouples in Fig. 4
According to the calculated dependence of the temperature distribution in the wall of the mold (see
Fig. 5), the stress diagrams at each point of time from the beginning of the casting were calculated
using finite-element method. The temperature distribution in the wall of the mold and stress diagrams
for the three stages are presented in Fig. 6.
30 seconds after the start of filling, the inner and outer surfaces have the compression stress with
the force 112 and 115 MPa respectively, and the center of the wall is stretched with a force of 87 MPa.
Upon further heating, in 2 min from the beginning of casting, the equalization of temperature starts in
the cross section, there is a reduction of the compression stress of the inner and outer surfaces to 23
and 25 MPa respectively, and of the tensile stress of the wall center to 21 MPa. The final stage, full
warm up in 4 min from the beginning of casting, is characterized by a reduction in tension of the
center of the wall down to 3 MPa and a weakening of the compression of the inner and outer surfaces
down to 2.5 MPa.
122 Materials, Mechanics and Information Engineering

30 sec 2 min 4 min

о о о
T, C T, C T, C
400 400 400

300 300 300

200 200 200

100 100 100

0 0 0
0 25 50 0 25 50 0 25 50

σy, MPa σy, MPa σy, MPa

100 100 10
50 50 5
0 0 0
-50 0 10 20 30 40 50
-50 0 10 20 30 40 50 -5 0 10 20 30 40 50
-100
-100 -10
-150
S [mm] S [mm] S [mm]
Fig.6 Temperature distribution and normal stress component along the axis OY in the wall of the
mold 50 mm while cooling by flowing water during the fill
Passing through the wall of the mold, the front of the heat wave causes strains with different signs,
which, after the front passes away, are gradually being reduced. Thus, the determining factor in the
formation of cracks in the molds operation is the temperature drop.
In order to reduce thermal shock at the initial period of time it is necessary to apply the separating
insulating coating at the cast-iron mold. Development and testing of a new coating was performed.
The composition of the separating insulating coating is shown in the table 2. The estimated
coverage density is 0.9-1.1 kg/m3.
Table 2 The composition of the separating insulating coating
Volume percent Volume Mass percent
Material Density [kg/m3] Mass [kg]
[%] [ml] [%]
ZnO 18.5 1 227 800* 15 0.980
Liquid glass 6.1 405 1 450 9 0.590
Water 75.4 5 000 1 000 76 5 000
* – The bulk density (kg/m3) is specified for ZnO.
It is established that
1. the coating has a good adhesion with a cast-iron mold;
2. the coating leaves no residue on the removed zinc blocks;
3. the coating is resistant lasts for a day.
The temperature cycle of a cast-iron mold casting of zinc was calculated taking into account the
application of the separating insulating coating with a thickness of 0.1 mm (Fig. 7). The initial
 Applied Mechanics and Materials Vol. 729 123

temperature while a thermal shock is significantly reduced, which reduces the probability of cracking
in cast-iron molds during casting of zinc blocks.
σ, MPa

1 2 3 4 5 6

T, оC
Fig.7 The wall thickness of 50 mm with a separating coating of 0.1 mm, the cooling by the flowing
water. The numbers correspond to the numbers of thermocouples in Fig. 4

Results and conclusions

The analysis of the cracks formation conditions in cast-iron molds during casting of zinc blocks is
performed. It is established that the cause of cracking are the casting defects appeared in the
manufacture of molds, as well as the conditions of their operation.
Numerical calculation there were set the regularities of shrinkage porosity in the molds during
their manufacture, which provoke the formation of through cracks in the molds at the early stage of
their operation (up to 400 fills). So, in order to eliminate the defects in the walls of the mold a uniform
slope in 3о toward the bottom of the mold was given to ensure directional solidification and to
improve the feeding of the bottom. This change resulted in the reduction of spoilage of molds from
24% to 13%.
The mechanism of occurrence of stresses in the wall of the mold in its operation is determined. It is
established that the determining factor is the rate of passage of front temperature through the wall of
the mold or the primary heat stroke of molten zinc on the bottom or the wall of the cast-iron molds.
Increase of the heat resistance of molds is possible by insulating separating coating and
replacement of a grey cast iron by a high-strength one with highly thermofatigue durability strength
and ductility.
These activities helped to increase the resource of cast-iron molds and led to a decrease in the
number of cracks.
124 Materials, Mechanics and Information Engineering

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Materials, Mechanics and Information Engineering
10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.729

The Formation of Cracks in Cast-Iron Molds during the Casting of Zinc Blocks
10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.729.119