Why Furan Resin Sand Casting Technology is Commonly Adopted in Metal Foundries

Metals and Mining Review | Thursday, June 03, 2021

While previously manufactured goods were cut from their raw materials and made in foundries, casting is now done outside of the foundry in a different facility where the work process involves metalworking to create casting parts that are designed to make things from numerous industries, including mechanical engineering, automotive components, and aerospace.

FREMONT, CA: Metal casting is a highly adaptable method that can produce complex-shaped pieces regardless of the metal's hardness, but only up to the metal's melting point. Any melted metal is capable of being cast. Metalworking is processed in various ways, and each foundry invests in and specializes in a particular sort of casting processing. Below is the detailed process of one of the casting processes commonly applied in metalworking foundries discussed.

Furan resin sand casting

Furan resin sand casting is one of the standard casting processes in metal foundries. Furan resin sand casting uses some catalysts and binders to help bind the sand, just like the natural sand. Once the mixture is mixed, the chemical reaction causes the mixture to harden. As a result, the roughcasting collected features a smooth surface finish with a high level of precision.

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Molds are made using the following formula:

Silica sand (SiO2) (40-60 percent)

Furan resin can vary between 0.7 percent and 1.3 percent, depending on the casting mass. The amount of nitrogen needed to cast parts is based on their casting requirements and the structure of the parts being cast.

Furan resin is used in this casting method to help prevent brittleness. Furfuryl alcohol (75 percent), which is followed by Formaldehyde (11 percent), Ure (9 percent), Water (5 percent), and, in smaller amounts, Polyoxymethylene (50 percent) to yield a final mixture of compounds that contain 85 percent Furfuryl alcohol + 14 percent Formaldehyde + 9 percent Ure + 3 percent Water. When the ratio of Formaldehyde and Urea is high, the resin mixture takes longer to solidify, and the mixture's tensile strength is reduced. On the other hand, FA (furfuryl alcohol) strongly influences the mixture's heat resistance. Catalysts are used for solidification, as well as an adjuvant for growth (30-50 percent)

Benefits and disadvantages

Furan resin sand casting procedure is highly precise.  Casting with this method provides a smooth, predictable finish in comparison to other casting methods. In addition, the process prevents casting defects such as sand, air, and shrinkage. Furan resin sand casting can produce large pieces ranging from about a dozen kilograms to several tons.

Other casting processes are cheaper, which makes this a more expensive choice. In addition, this process demands exceptionally high-quality raw material generates. Furan resin sand casting procedure creates environmental concerns.

Applications

The Furan resin sand casting is often chosen for castings that require exceptional precision and tight tolerance, such as parts for automotive, agricultural, or industrial machinery, and aircraft and ships many other types of vessels.

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