Metallurgical and material engineering department 1

Determination of water content in sand by weightless method

1.0. Introduction:
1.1. Sand Casting:

Sand casting, also known as sand molded casting, is a metal casting process
characterized by using sand as the mold material. The term "sand casting" can
also refer to an object produced via the sand casting process. Sand castings are
produced in specialized factories called foundries.

Over 70% of all metal castings are produced via sand casting process.[1]

Figure #1: Different sets of casting

1.2. Methods of Casting:

Green sand casting is one of method of casting.

1.2.1. Green Sand Casting:

These castings are made using sand moulds formed from "wet" sand which
contains water and organic bonding compounds, typically referred to as clay.
The name "Green Sand" comes from the fact that the sand mold is not "set", it is
still in the "green" or uncured state even when the metal is poured in the mold.
Green sand is not green in colour, but "green" in the sense that it is used in a wet
state (akin to green wood).

The green sand casting is an important and main kind of casting method
because of the simple process, low cost and high productivity.

The green sand is composed of quartz sand, clay, water and additives, and the
water is one of the most important and sensitive parameters affected the quality
of green sand.
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Determination of water content in sand by weightless method

It is a mixture of:

 89% sand
 7% clay
 4 %water

Figure # 2: Green sand casting

Control of all aspects of the properties of sand is crucial when manufacturing

parts by sand casting; therefore a sand laboratory is usually attached to the
foundry.

 Sand:
Sand is a loose granular substance. Sand mainly composes of silica. In
terms of particle size according to the geologists, sand particles range in
diameter from 0.0625mm to 2mm. Sand has large particle and it is
coarse. Also it has largest spaces between the particles. It has porosity
and permeability property it retains water it drains much better than clay.
In green sand composition of sand is 89%. Due to coarse particles sand
allow water and nutrients to leach too rapidly.
 Clay:
Clay is stiff, sticky fine- grained earth. Clay is made of decomposition of
rocks through the action of weathering. Clay contains fine particles. It has
a small particle which does not hold air it does not drain easily.
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Determination of water content in sand by weightless method

The clay absorbs water up to a limiting amount. Only the water rigidly held the
clay appears to be affective in developing strength and permeability. The
development of bond strength between grains depends upon on the hydration of
clay. The green strength and permeability of a molding mixture increases with
water content up to an optimum value determination by proportion of clay

In green sand composition of clay is 7%. Clay has super fine particle that
cling together and prohibit water and nutrient movement. Due to which
sand permeability decrease by high concentration of clay.

 Water\moisture content
Extra water is called tempered. Composition of water in green sand is
4%. Above this value, additional percentage of water causes the
permeability to diminish due to the increasing of the thickness of the
water films. So the clay becomes soft and the sand grains are held further
apart thus decrease the strength.
Excess moisture must be avoided since it lowers the permeability and
increase the chance of blown up casting. At the same time, plasticity and
deformation of the mold will occur. Low permeability and green
compression strength encourage the entrapment of gases and the washing
away of sand by molten metal.

Figure# 3: Effect of moisture content and clay permeabilty

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Determination of water content in sand by weightless method

1.3. Permeability:
This refers to the sand's ability to exhaust gases. This is important because
during the pouring process many gases are produced, such as hydrogen,
nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and steam, which must leave the mold otherwise
casting defects, such as blow holes and gas holes, occur in the casting.

Note that for each cubic centimetre (cc) of water added to the mold 16,000 cc of
steam is produced.

1.4. Methods to determine water content in sand:

1. Direct method
2. Indirect method

1.4.1. Direct method:

It further contains two methods to determine water content in sand which are as
follows:

 Decomposition method
 Weightless method
 Decomposition method:
In this method, the moisture content of green sand is achieved according to the
decomposition of calcium carbide. The chemical reaction equation is as follows.

CaC2 + 2H2O ∆ Ca (OH)2 +C2H2

→

We can conclude that the amount of the generated acetylene is proportional to

the moisture content of green sand.

 Weightless method:
Weighing method is a standard method for measuring the moisture content of
green sand. The process is as follows. Firstly, a measurement sample of the
green sand is accurately weighed at room temperature, and usually it is 10 gram.
Secondly, at the temperature of 105℃-110℃, the sample is heated for an
hour in a special oven. Thirdly, the sample is pulled out and cooled down to the
room temperature in a dried container and is weighed by scale. Then, the
sample is heated for 10 minutes, cooled and weighed again. When the weight
difference between successive two times is less than 0.002 gram, the
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Determination of water content in sand by weightless method

measurement is finished, and the moisture content of green sand can be got by
the ratio of the final mass and the original mass.
To shorten the heating and cooling time, the infrared heat is often used
and the measurement result can be given in a few minutes. The weighing
method has high accuracy but longer measuring period, so it cannot be used for
the online Measurement and control during the casting production. In addition,
some substances in green sand may evaporate when heated, which will impact
on the measurement accuracy to some degrees.

1.4.2. Indirect Method:

 Capacitive method
 Resistance method
 Inductance method

 Capacitance method:
In the capacitance method, the moisture content is measured according to the
fact that the dielectric constant of green sand has the single-valued relationship
with the moisture but without the other components. This method has high
sensitivity to the moisture and can be used for the continuous measurement of
the production line. To reduce the influence of the resistance derived from the
leakage Conductance, the high-frequency AC power is usually employed, or the
resistance and capacitance of green sand are measured simultaneously.

Figure # 4: Capacitive method

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Determination of water content in sand by weightless method

 Resistance method
Resistance method is the first electrical measuring method used in green
sand, and it includes DC resistance method and AC impedance method [8].

The measurement basis is that the resistance or impedance differs when

the moisture content is different. Experiments show that the moisture content of
green sand has a logarithmically linear relationship with its resistance at the
fixed range, and that the higher the moisture content is, the smaller the
resistance is.

 Inductance method
The principle of the inductance method is as follows. The magnetic conductivity
coefficient of water is much greater than other components of green sand, so the
inductance of the sand-filled coil will improve with the increase of the moisture
content. When the moisture content does not exceed 15%, the output voltage
derived from the inductance shows an approximate linear relationship with the
moisture. Accordingly, the moisture content of green sand can be
Calculated by the inductance change
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Determination of water content in sand by weightless method

2.0. Experimental work:

2.1. Apparatus:
 30g of sand.
 Measuring balance.
 Paper (to carry the sand).
 Oven (required for heating).
 Gloves.

2.2. Procedure:

 Firstly take the sand from the laboratory.

 And then weighted the sand with the help of the measuring balance. It is
called original weight W1of the sample. (For weighting the sand it must
be noted that the weighing balance should be set on zero no error).
 After doing this, take the sand to the laboratory for heating .Heating of
the sand should be done at 110◦C to 115◦C .OR for an hour.
 After this take out the sample from the oven and analyze the sample.
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Determination of water content in sand by weightless method

3.0. Precautions:

 Take zero weight of paper before weighing sand.

 Use gloves while placing sand sample in oven.
 Wear lab coat and gloves in lab
 Hold the sample while taking the sample out from the oven.
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Determination of water content in sand by weightless method

4.0. Calculations:

Original Weight (W1) of sand = 30g

Final Weight (W2) of sand after heating = 28g

As we know that,

originall weight−finall weight

Total moisture content in sand = ×100
originall weight

30−28
= 30 × 100

= 66.67 %
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Determination of water content in sand by weightless method

5.0. Result & Discussion:

The experimental work shows that the weight of sand before drying the sand by
heating is greater as compared to the weight after drying the sand. The moisture
content in this dried sand is 66.67 %.

The weight of sand is greater before drying because this sand have water
content but when this sand is dried it losses water content . The water
evaporates.

Before Heating:

 Water content in sand decreases the permeability because of the

formation of thick layer of water formed.
 Moisture content in water develops strength and plasticity.
 It increases the green strength (tensile strength of green sand) of the sand.

After heating:

 In the absence of water content, the green strength of sand decreases.

 The permeability increases and due to this more gases escape.
 Without moisture content, there is no plasticity remains in sand

6.0. Conclusion:
Here, we use direct method i.e. weight loss method to find moisture content in
green sand. We take weight difference after oven drying the sand. Moisture
content comes out 66.67%.
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Determination of water content in sand by weightless method

References:
http://www.reliance-foundry.com/castings/sand-casting#gref

http://mechanicalinventions.blogspot.com/2016/02/sand-casting-process-with-
diagram.html