The effect of different binder levels on the heat absorption capacity of moulding mixtures made by the phenolic urethane cold-box process

The phenolic urethane cold-box (PUCB) process was first introduced to the foundry industry in the late 1960s. Since then, it has become one of the most popular methods to make foundry purpose sand moulds and cores, utilized in the manufacturing of aluminium and cast iron cast components. The factors to be considered, affecting the general performance of a PUCB moulding mixture, are the temperature of sand, the moisture content, the mixing conditions, etc. Moreover, there are variable production parameters such as binder level, to improve certain properties of the mould and/or the core based on their specific area of application. These are mainly mechanical properties such as tensile or splitting strength. They have significant influences on the behaviour of the moulding material and are usually tested at room temperature. Although the production phases of the PUCB system are refined to a high extent today, the effect of binder content on the quality of the mould/core and the final casting should be supported by new approaches also in thermal sciences, interpreted in high-temperature environment. In this work, different PUCB mixtures were produced to evaluate the effect of various binder levels on the thermophysical properties of sand cores. Thermogravimetry, differential thermal analysis and a novel application of Fourier thermal analysis were used to study the decomposition processes of the PUCB mixture and to reveal the impact of binder level on the heat absorption (cooling) capacity of sand cores at temperatures relevant in the manufacturing of cast iron parts (1300 +/- 10 A degrees C).