Thermal Distribution

&
Solidification in Casting
•Thermal resistance by mould
•Thermal resistance by mould and metal
interface
•Thermal resistance with constant
casting surface temperature
•Thermal resistance with predominant
resistance in mould and solidified
metal
 Rate of Solidification

Temperature distribution in different layers

 Freezing time considering only thermal resistance of region 2
(sand or investment casting)

• Initial mould temperature –θ0 up to infinite in the ‘x’ direction

• Time at t=0 ; liquid metal at temperature θp
• Metal just contact with mould face – solidifies instantaneously
• Temperature of the mould raised to θf ; and maintained till completion
of solidification
 θf

x
Mould
Assume one dimensional heat conduction
Temperature distribution with in mould at a subsequent time ‘t’ in x direction
𝒙
θx(t) = θ0+(θf - θ0)[1 – erf ]
𝟐 𝜶𝒕
• 𝛼 = 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑙 𝑑𝑖𝑓𝑓𝑢𝑠𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑑 𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑙
• 𝛼 = k/ρc
• k = conductivity, ρ= density & c = specific heat of mold material
Rate of heat flow through the mold face at any instant ‘t’ is given by
𝜕𝜃𝑥
• Q = -kA @ x=0
𝜕𝑥
𝐤𝐀(𝜽𝒇− 𝜽𝟎 )
Q=
𝝅𝜶𝒕
Total quantity of heat flow across the mold face up to a certain time ‘t0’

𝒕𝟎 𝟐𝐤𝐀(𝜽𝒇− 𝜽𝟎 )
Qt0 = ‫𝒕𝒅𝑸 𝟎׬‬ =
𝝅𝜶
𝒕𝟎
• Liquid metal rejects the heat in order to solidify

• L= latent heat; cm = specific heat; ρm = density and V = total volume of casting

QR = ρm V[L+ cm(𝜃𝑝− 𝜃𝑓 )]
• Solidification time ts
2kA(𝜃𝑓− 𝜃0 )
𝜋𝛼
𝑡𝑠 = ρm V[L+ cm(𝜃𝑝− 𝜃𝑓 )

ts =γ(V/A)2
• γ = constant
𝜌𝑚 𝐿+ cm 𝜃𝑝− 𝜃𝑓 𝜋𝛼 2
• 𝛾={ 2𝑘𝐴 𝜃𝑓− 𝜃0
}
 Heat flow across various Types of metal mould interface

Metal
Metal
Metal

Mould Mould Mould

Convex Plane Concave

Convex – heat flow is more divergent & rate of solidification is over estimated
Concave – heat flow is more convergent and rate of solidification is underestimated.
Quantitative results of the effect of the mould – casting interface on the
freezing time
Two non dimensional parameters
𝑉/𝐴
•𝛽= = ts = (V/A)2/ 𝜶𝜷𝟐
𝛼𝑡𝑠
𝜃𝑓 −𝜃0
•𝜆= 𝜌𝑐
𝜌𝑚 𝐿′
• L’ = L + cm(θp - θf)
2𝜆
•𝛽= for infinite plane
𝜋
2 2
• 𝛽 = 𝜆( + ) infinite long cylinder
𝜋 4β′
2 2
• 𝛽 = 𝜆( + ) for sphere
𝜋 3β′
Relation between the time after pouring and the distance of solidification front from mould Face without superheat
• During solidification – most of the heat rejected through two side
faces, having cross section area A
• Heat rejected through other four faces (small as compared with A) is
negligible
• Solidification fronts move from the two sides through a distance ‘δ(t)’
at instant ‘t’ the respective mould – metal interfaces, heat rejected by
solidification
QR = ρmA δt
• Time taken to reject this heat through the mold face of the area A
2𝐴𝐾(𝜃𝑓 – 𝜃0)
QR = 𝑡
𝜋𝛼
Equating above equations
t = γδt2
• Case 1: Slab – shaped iron casting of thickness 10cm with following
• Case 2: Sphere of 10 cm diameter.

θ0 = 28°C ; θf = 1540; L= 272kJ/kg; ρm =7850kg/m3

• For sand
c=1.17kJ/kg-K; k = 0.8655 W/m-K; ρ = 1600kg/m3

ts = (V/A)2/αβ2
V/A = lbh/[2(lb+bh+hl)] ; l,b >h A = 2lb
V/A = h/2 = 5 cm
• α = k/ρc = 0.8655 / (1600 x 1.17 x103)= 4.6x10 -5m2/sec
2𝜆
• 𝛽 =
𝜋
𝜃𝑓 −𝜃0 (1540 – 28) 𝑥 1600 𝑥 1.17
•𝜆= 𝜌𝑐 = = 1.3256
𝜌𝑚 𝐿′ 7850 𝑥 272
2𝑥1.3256
•𝛽= = 1.4957
𝜋
• ts = (V/A)2/αβ2 = (5x10-2)2/ 4.6 x10-5 x 1.49572 = 2430sec or 0.675 hrs
• Case2 : Sphere of 10cm diameter
2 2 2 2
• 𝛽 = 𝜆( + ) = 1.4975 = 1.3256( + ) = 1.75
𝜋 3β 𝜋 3β
• V/A = R/3 = 5/3 cm
• ts = (5/3 x 10-2)2/ 4.6x10-5x1.752 = 0.055hrs
 Solidification with predominant interface resistance – region 3
(permanent mould or die casting and Small, thin section parts cast in
heavy metal mould)

θ
f

θ0
• Rate of heat flow through interface ( one dimensional heat flow)
• Q = hf((𝜃𝑓 – 𝜃0)A
• hf = film heat transfer coefficient of interface
• A = surface area at interface
• If solidification front at this instant is at distance δ from mould face
• Rate of heat released = ρm A L dδ/dt
• Equating the above and integrating t=0 and δ =0
Solidification time
𝑽𝝆𝒎 𝑳
ts =
A hf (𝜽𝒇 – 𝜽𝟎)
Solidification with constant casting surface temperature – region 4
Thin water cooled metal mould
θf

θs – θ0

𝒉𝟐
𝒕𝒔 =
𝟏𝟔𝝇𝟐 𝜶𝒔
Solidification with Predominant Resistance in Mould and Solidified Metal
Solid cooled – thick mould

θf

θs

θ0

Graphical and Trail & error method

Core
 Core
• Making cavities and hollow section which cannot be produced by
pattern alone
• Core sand should have higher strength than mould sand
 Types of cores

Horizontal Core
Vertical Core

Balanced Core
Hanging/ Cover core
Drop/ Stop off core
Ram – up Core

Kiss core
 Core Design
Weight of the core before pouring and the upward metallostatic pressure of
the molten metal after pouring
Core should not shifted during entry of molten metal in to the metal cavity
Main force acting on the core on pouring molten metal in to cavity, due to
buoyancy
Buoyant Force is calculate as the difference in the weight of liquid metal to
that of core material of same volume as that of the exposed core.
Fb = Wm -Wc
P = V(ρ - d)
P = buoyant force ,N
V = volume of core in mould cavity, cm3
ρ = weight density of the liquid metal, N/cm2
d = weight density of the core material = 0.0165 N/cm2
V = 0.25πD2H
P = 0.25π(D12 – D2)Hρ – Vd

P<= 350A (to keep core in position)

A = core print area, mm2
Metallostatic Force
Exerted by molten metal in all directions of cavity
Fm = Ap*ρ(h-c)

Ap – projected area of casting in the parting line

h & c head of the metal