OPTIMIZATION OF THE MOULDING PROPERTIES OF RIVER NIGER BEACH SAND FOR FOUNDRY APPLICATIONS

SOURCE:

Faculty: Engineering
Department: Metallurgical And Materials Engineering

CONTRIBUTORS:

Agbo, A.O;
Nnuka, E.E

ABSTRACT:

The optimization of the moulding properties of River Niger beach sand have been conducted. The chemical analysis was carried out using X-Ray fluorescence (XRF) and X-Ray Diffractometer(XRD). Particle size analysis and mechanical properties tests such as green compressive strength, green shear strength, dry compressive strength, dry shear strength, permeability, moisture content and compatibility were carried out. The result of chemical analysis of River Niger sand indicated that the sand composed of silica SiO2 (94.49%), K2O (1.30%), CaO (0.48%), Fe2O3 (1.68%) etcwith 0.084% clay content. The fusion points of River beach sand were 13900C, 14640C and 14800C for pure silica sand, sand mixed with 5% bentonite and sand mixed with 5% Ukpor clay respectively, each with 5% watercontent. The sand contained quartz, sanidine, chrisotile, antigorite, phlogopite, muscovite and albite as predominant minerals with hopeite and orthoclase etc as minor minerals. Ukpor clay had Al2O3 (22.1%), SiO2 (70.3%), Fe2O3 (2.11%) etc. The Ukpor clay also containedanhydradite, truscottite, quartz, paragonite and riebekite as its major minerals with gibbsite, heamatite etc as minor minerals. The bentonite composed of Al2O3 (24.60%), SiO2 (64.10%), Fe2O3 (6.94%) etc. The result of the mechanical properties test conducted with a moulding mixture of 5% bentonite and 4% water content included: green strength (28.0kN/m2), dry strength (217kN/m2), permeability (146.64), compatibility (30.60%) etc. Under the same conditions, Ukpor clay gave the following values for green strength (23.48kN/m2), dry strength (215.0kN/m2), permeability (148.45 No), moisture content (2.94%) . The predicted optimum values for the moulded sand produced using bentonite content included green strength (23.66KN/m2), dry strength(210.36KN/m2),permeability (149.86 No) at desirability of more than 0.7.Ukpor clay had green strength(23.68KN/m2), dry strength (210.35KN/m2), Permeability (149.86 No) at desirability of more than 0.7. However,when tested 1-5% of starch content, could not show any value for green compressive strength, dry compressive strength and dry shear strength respectively. The result of the particle size analysis showed that over 70.85% of the sand were retained on the following screens: 0.18mm, 0.125mm and 0.09mm respectively. The result showed that 3-5% of Ukpor clay and bentonite content with 3-4% water content are suitable for casting light grey iron, malleable iron and non-ferrous alloys.