Experiment 2: Moisture and Clay Content Determination of

Moulding Sand
Objective: To determine the moisture and clay contents of prepared moulding sand. The water
content is the ratio, expressed as a percentage, of the mass of “pore” or “free” water in a given mass
of soil to the mass of the dry soil solids.

Materials and Equipment

1. Weighing balance
2. Oven
3. Prepared moulding sand
4. Water
5. Desiccator
6. Pan
7. Sand stirrer
8. Wash bottle
9. Distilled water
10. 3% NaOH solution
11. Hand gloves

Introduction and Theory

Water content is one of the most important factors which control properties of moulding sands.
Availability of water in moulding sands is responsible for the bonding action of the clay and hence
the proper performance of such moulding sands.

The percentage of moisture content in moulding sands should be regulated. Low moisture content in
the moulding sand does not develop strength properties and yet high moisture content also
decreases permeability and adds to other problems associated with moulding operations. Water
added to the sand mixture partly gets absorbed by the clay and partly remains free. The water that
remains free in the moulding sand is known as free water. The absorbed water is responsible for
developing bonds and the green strength of moulding sands. The free water acts as a lubricant;
increases plasticity, and improves mouldability but reduces the strength of the sand mixture.

Water content is most crucial in green-sand mould, which is the common mould material in the
foundry industry. The term green refers to the fact that the sand in the mould is moist or damp while
the metal is being poured into it. Green moulding sand is actually a mixture of sand, clay and water.
Other materials can also be added to this mixture to impart various properties, such as improved
strength at elevated temperatures, improved thermal stability and improves surface finish of the
casting. Green-sand moulding is the least expensive method of making moulds. Less time is
required to reuse the sand mixture, and the mould exhibits good collapsibility, thus reducing
defects.

Increasing clay content reduces permeability of moulding sand but increases green compression
strength. However, at higher clay content, green compression strength remains practically
unchanged.

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MSE 359/METE 357, Materials/Metallurgical Laboratory I, Materials Engineering Department, KNUST, Kumasi
In calculating moisture content, mass of moist sand is refer to as initial mass (Mi) and mass of the
dried sand is final mass (Mf). The mass of water present in the moulding sand is therefore (Mi –
Mi−Mf
Mf). Percentage moisture content is given by ×100 %
Mi

In calculating clay content, mass of dry moulding sand is refer to as initial mass (Mi) and mass of
the dried moulding sand after removal of clay is refer to as the final mass (Mf). Mass of clay present
in moulding sand is therefore (Mi – Mf).

Mi−Mf
Percentage clay content is given by ×100 %
Mi

Question
A foundry is to form a green-sand mould with sand, clay and water ratios of 0.60, 0.30 and 0.10,
respectively. Calculate the amount of sand, clay and water to be measured in order to form 500 g of
moulding sand.

fraction of sand
Amount of sand to be measured is × total mass of moulding sand
total fraction

0.60
Therefore, amount of sand is ×500 g = 300 g
0.60+0.30+0.10

Amount of clay is 150 g

Amount of water is 50 g

Procedure for Moisture Content Determination

1) About 20 – 50 g of prepared sand is placed in a pan and its initial weight is recorded
2) The moist sand together with the pan is heated in an oven at 105°C for 24 hours.
3) The moisture content in the moulding sand thus evaporates
4) The moulding sand is taken out from the heating source and placed immediately in a
desiccator for it to cool without absorbing moisture
5) The cooled sample is reweighed and its final mass recorded
6) The percentage of moisture contained in the moulding sand can be calculated from the
differences in the weights of the original moist sample and the consequently dried sand
sample.

Precautions
 Do not compress moulding sand. Compressing the sand sample will prevent effective
evaporation
 Wear protective gloves when handling hot samples to prevent body burns
 Record values on the data sheet immediately after reading

Post Lab Questions on Moisture Content Determination

1. Determine the percentage moisture content of your sample.
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MSE 359/METE 357, Materials/Metallurgical Laboratory I, Materials Engineering Department, KNUST, Kumasi
 2. State one casting defect associated with excess moisture content in the mould.
3. State two reasons why moisture is required in moulding sand
4. KNUST steel foundry shop is to formulate a moulding sand containing sand, clay and water
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only, in the sand to clay fraction of and respectively. If the sand obtained is dry but the
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clay is moist with moisture content of 15%, how much water should be added to formulate
850 g moulding sand?

Procedure for Clay Content Determination

1. Place a small quantity of moulding sand in an oven at 105°C. Allow it to stay in the oven till
all the water content has evaporated.
2. Cool hot sample in a desiccator
3. Weigh 50 g of the dried moulding sand and transfer it into a washed bottle
4. Add 475 cm3 of distilled water and 25 cm3 of 3% NaOH solution
5. Using a rapid sand stirrer, agitate the whole mixture for about 10 minutes on an agitator.
6. Top up the washed bottle with water up to the mark indicated on it and stir the constituents
thoroughly.
7. Allow about 10 minutes for the sand to settle; siphon out the water from the wash bottle.
The clay content dissolves in the water (due to NaOH and stirring action) and gets removed
along with the water.
8. Repeat steps 5 and 6 till the water over the settled sand is clean. This assures that the whole
of the clay content has been removed from the sand
9. Transfer the sand into a beaker
10. Air dry or oven dry the sand
11. Weigh its final mass and record the value
12. The clay content can be determined from the difference in weights of the initial and final
sand samples.

Precautions
 Transfer sand samples into flash bottles gently to avoid spillage
 Stir the mixture thoroughly to ensure effective dissolution of clay
 Do not decant water since fine sand particles will be discarded. This will affect the final
mass

Post Lab Questions on Clay Content Determination

1. Determine the clay content of the moulding sand.
2. Briefly state the importance of sand testing
3. Describe explain the term Green moulding sand
4. Beside silica sands, what other types of sands are used in foundry? Briefly describe them.
5. Name the various additives used in moulding sand and explain how they affect its
properties
6. Differentiate between binding and non-binding additives
7. Name the different types of clay used in the foundry industry

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MSE 359/METE 357, Materials/Metallurgical Laboratory I, Materials Engineering Department, KNUST, Kumasi
 MOISTURE CONTENT DETERMINATION
DATA SHEET
Date Tested:

Tested By:

Experiment Name:

Sample Description:

Sample number 1 2 3

Mass of empty clean can (grams)

Mass of can and moist soil (grams)

Mass of can and dry soil (grams)

Mass of soil solids (grams)

Mass of pore water (grams)

Water content, w%

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MSE 359/METE 357, Materials/Metallurgical Laboratory I, Materials Engineering Department, KNUST, Kumasi
 CLAY CONTENT DETERMINATION
DATA SHEET
Date Tested:

Tested By:

Experiment Name:

Sample Description:

Sample number 1 2 3

Mass of empty clean can (grams)

Mass of can and clayey soil (grams)

Mass of can and dry soil (grams)

Mass of soil solids (grams)

Mass of pore clay (grams)

Clay content, C%

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MSE 359/METE 357, Materials/Metallurgical Laboratory I, Materials Engineering Department, KNUST, Kumasi