Melting speed of mould powders: determination and application in casting practice

Abstract

Controlled melting of mould powder on top of the meniscus is essential for efficient mould flux performance. This paper presents two complementary methods to determine the melting speed of a mould powder. One method measures the displacement of a prepressed cylinder of mould powder at a fixed temperature. This method yields qualitative, but reproducible, results which can be related to flux composition. In the second method, a sample of mould powder is melted on top of a steel bath. The data are interpreted with the help of an improved theoretical melting model, resulting in quantitative values of melting speed and thickness of the molten flux layer. The results of both methods agree well with measured plant data.

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