Effect of pattern coating thickness on characteristics of lost foam Al-Si-Cu alloy casting

An experimental study on lost foam casting of an Al-Si-Cu alloy was conducted. The main objective was to study the effect of pattern coating thickness on casting imperfection and porosity percentage as well as eutectic silicon spacing of the alloy. The results showed that increasing slurry viscosity and flask dipping time influenced the casting integrity and microstructural characteristics. It was found that thinner pattern coating produced improved mould filling, refined microstructure and higher quality castings containing less porosity.