Abstract:
A foundry sand binder composition and method of manufacturing cast metal objects by casting molten metal into a mold cavity formed of sand held in a predetermined mold configuration by a binder comprising a plurality of sodium bentonite clays. A blend of two or more sodium bentonite clays obtained from different areas as a foundry sand binder synergistically and unexpectedly improves the foundry sand used as a mold cavity for casting metal objects by unexpectedly improving one or more of the following foundry sand properties beyond the level of either of the blended sodium bentonites alone: green compressive strength; hot compressive strength; dry compressive strength; wet tensile strength; flowability; surface finish; activation speed and shakeout.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to clay binders formed from a mixture of sodium bentonites or water-swellable bentonites used as foundry sand binders in the casting of metal. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a foundry sand binder including a plurality of sodium bentonite clay binders mined from different areas having substantially and unexpectedly improved green compressive strength, hot compressive strength, dry compressive strength, wet tensile strength, surface finish, actuation speed, shakeout, flowability, and/or developing speed. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND PRIOR ART 
     Green sand molding is the production of molded metal objects from tempered molding sand and is the most diversified molding process used to cast ferrous as well as non-ferrous metal castings. Green sand molding is favored by foundrymen because it is economical and permits both quality and quantity production, particularly for smaller castings. Castings as large as three to four tons are made successfully in green sand molds; however, as molds become larger, more time is required for the making and assembling of mold parts. Consequently, other types of molding are generally favored for the larger castings. The rapid collapsibility of green sand molds makes them much less resistant to the normal contraction of the castings while metal solidification takes place, thus minimizing problems of stresses and strains. Green sand is defined as a water tempered molding sand mixture with plasticity. A green sand mold used for casting steel usually consists of silica sand, a clay binder, and/or an organic binding agent mulled together with temper water. Other useful foundry sands include chromite, zircon and olivine sands. 
     One or more binders mixed with the silica sand are essential to maintain the sand in a predetermined mold configuration. One of the most commonly employed green sand binders is clay, such as a water-swellable sodium bentonite clay or a low swellable calcium bentonite clay. The amount of the clay binder that is used together with the sand generally depends upon the particular type of sand used in the mixture and the temperature of firing. Silica sand grains expand upon heating. When the grains are too close, the molding sand moves and expands causing the castings to show defects such as &#34;buckles&#34; (a deformity in the casting resulting from excessive sand expansion), &#34;rat tails&#34; (a rough, irregular depression that appears on the surface of a casting or a minor buckle), and &#34;scabs&#34; (a breaking away of a portion of the molding sand when hot metal enters the mold). To overcome this harmful expansion, more clay is added to the sand mixture since the clay contracts upon firing thereby compensating for the expansion of the silica sand grains. In green sand molding, the reproducibility of the dimensions obtained on the casting are the result of such factors as shrinkage, changes in dimensions of mold cavity, hardness of mold, stability of molding sand, mechanical alignment of flask and maintaining a fixed temperature. 
     Clays have been blended in the past in an attempt to achieve acceptable combinations of permeabilities, green compression strengths and dry compression strengths in the molding sand mixture or composition. Toward this end, it is known to mix a sodium bentonite with a calcium bentonite or a kaolinite clay in an attempt to achieve the high dry compression strength of the sodium bentonite clay together with the high green compression strengths of the calcium bentonite clay and the low permeability of the kaolinite clay. See Foundry Sand Practice by Clyde A. Sanders, 6th Edition, 1973, pp. 585-590. To date, however, a plurality of various sodium bentonite clays, each having particular desirable characteristics, have not been blended for the purpose of providing a binder to a foundry sand. Quite surprisingly, it has been found that when a mixture of sodium bentonites is used as a binder in the preparation of a foundry sand, synergism results with respect to green compressive strength; hot compressive strength; dry compressive strength; flowability; surface finish; activation speed; and/or shake-out. One or more of these properties are better in the blend than each of the sodium bentonites, prior to blending. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In brief, the present invention is directed to a foundry sand binder composition and method of manufacturing cast metal objects by casting molten metal into a mold cavity formed of sand held in a predetermined mold configuration by a binder comprising a plurality of sodium bentonite clays. It has been found that a blend of two or more sodium bentonite clays obtained from different areas as a foundry sand binder synergistically and unexpectedly improves the foundry sand used as a mold cavity for casting metal objects by unexpectedly improving one or more of the following foundry sand properties beyond the level of either of the blended sodium bentonites alone: green compressive strength; hot compressive strength; dry compressive strength; flowability; surface finish; activation speed and shakeout. 
     Green compressive strength of a foundry sand is the maximum compressive stress that a sand mixture is capable of sustaining when prepared, rammed and tested according to standard procedure. Dry compressive strength is the maximum compressive stress that a dried sand mixture is capable of developing. Hot compressive strength of a foundry sand is the maximum compressive stress that a sand mixture is capable of sustaining when loaded between specific concave and convex refractor discs in a furnace according to standard procedure. Flowability, in general terms, refers to the movement of said grains when they are subjected to molding forces. Virtually every ingredient of a sand mixture has an effect on the flowability of a mixture, and one of the most important factors is the moisture content or degree of temper. The movement of sand grains during the molding operation is in more than one direction; lateral, as well as along the axis of load. The ability of a sand to flow under compaction forces is also affected by restrictions in area and by the depth of sand. 
     Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved foundry sand binder comprising a mixture of sodium bentonite clays. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved foundry sand comprising a blend of sand, a mixture of sodium bentonite clays and temper water. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved foundry sand binder, foundry sand and method of molding cast metal objects by pouring molten metal against the foundry sand containing the new and improved foundry sand binder. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments taken in conjunction with the drawings, wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a graph of dry compressive strength (DCS) of a foundry sand containing 10% by weight of a binder containing 50% by weight DC-1 and 50% by weight DC-3 sodium bentonite clays compared to the DCS of each clay alone, showing synergistic development of the DCS after about 4 minutes of molding time; 
     FIG. 2 is a graph similar to FIG. 1 showing the DCS of a foundry sand containing 6% by weight of a binder of a 50/50 blend of the DC-1 and DC-3 clays of FIG. 1 compared to the DCS of each clay alone; 
     FIG. 3 is a graph similar to FIG. 1 showing the green compressive strength (GCS) of a foundry sand containing 6% by weight of a binder containing 50% by weight DC-1 and 50% by weight DC-2 sodium bentonite clays compared to the GCS of each clay alone showing synergistic development of the GCS through about 5 minutes of molding time; 
     FIG. 4 is a graph similar to FIG. 3 showing the dry compressive strength (DCS) of a foundry sand containing 6% by weight of a binder containing 50% by weight DC-1 and 50% by weight DC-2 sodium bentonite clays compared to the DCS of each clay alone showing synergistic development of the DCS over the entire molding time; and 
     FIG. 5 is a graph similar to FIG. 3 showing the green compressive strength (GCS) of a foundry sand containing 10% by weight of a binder of a 50/50 by weight blend of DC-1 and DC-2 clays compared to the GCS of each clay alone. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     It is known to mix a southern, calcium bentonite with a western, sodium bentonite, or to mix a sodium bentonite with a kaolinite or fire clay in an attempt to use the better contraction and shakeout properties of the southern bentonite, and its ability to prevent hot cracks and hot tears in castings; together with the wester, sodium bentonite properties of higher dry, baked and hot strengths. 
     Other common additives for the foundry sands of the present invention include cellulose, cereal, or other fibrous additives included for the purpose of overcoming sand expansion defects, particularly those defects occurring on flat casting surfaces in an amount of about 0.5 to about 5% by weight of dry sand. Typical cellulose additives include wood flour and cereals such as rye flour, wheat flour, corn flour, oat hulls, rice hulls, alfalfa fines, grain chaff, flax seed pressings, corn cob flour, pulverized nut hulls, ground cotton-seed pulp after oil extraction, and the like. Cements, e.g., portland; natural cements, such as heated, ground limestone, resins and the like in amounts of about 3% to about 6% by weight of the dry sand also can be added to foundry sand binders of the present invention. 
     Various other additives may be included in the foundry sand of the present invention, such as various blackings or other carbonaceous materials, such as graphite; pitch; charcoal; bituminous coal, or soft coal, such as seacoal; hard coal; and coke which can be used with, or as a partial clay substitute for wet coating to prevent metal penetration or burn-on; chemical agents, such as resin binders; china clay; oils, such as linseed oil and the like. These additional additives generally are included in amounts of less than about 1.0% by weight of the sand and, generally, in an amount of 0 to about 10% by dry weight total. 
     Western (sodium) bentonites are known to supply the required dry and hot strengths to prevent cutting, washing and eroding of the molds when metal passes over them. Western bentonite is more durable than southern bentonite, and requires less replacements in reused molding sand mixtures. Further, Western bentonite bonded molding sands have a more gummy feel than southern bonded sand mixtures when the temper water is added and mulled into sand mixtures. Western bentonite sand mixtures are said to be &#34;tougher&#34; and not as &#34;brittle&#34; as southern bonded molding sands prepared in the same manner. It is also known to treat calcium bentonite with a sodium carbonate treatment, a process known as peptizing, to convert the calcium bentonite to a swelling sodium bentonite. Generally the clay or clay mixture is used in the silica sand in an amount of about 2% by dry weight up to about 15% based on the total dry weight of the foundry sand; generally about 3% to about 10% by weight based on the dry weight of the total sand content. It is understood in the foundry industry that by adding more clay binder to a foundry sand mixture, more water is also required. Therefore, it is often the case that by using less clay binder in a foundry sand mixture and reducing the amount of temper water added, the foundry sand mixture is just as strong as it was with a higher percentage of clay binder and water. 
     In accordance with an important feature of the present invention, it has been found that unexpected improvements in the foundry sand are achieved by blending two or more sodium bentonite or montmorillonite clays having different properties by virtue of the two sodium bentonites being mined from differently located mines. 
     Each sodium bentonite clay from different deposits when added to the same sand as a foundry sand binder for the casting of metal in molds can be tested in accordance with standard procedures and each different sodium bentonite provides a different value for green compressive strength, hot compressive strength, dry compressive strength, flowability, surface finish, activation speed and shakeout. Of these properties, the most important for the purpose of acting as a binder in a foundry sand for metal casting are green compressive strength and dry compressive strength. While the values for green compressive strength and dry compressive strength in any given sample of a sodium montmorillonite clay can vary from day to day, it has been found that by blending two or more sodium bentonite clays mined from different locations, and using this blend as a foundry sand binder, the green compressive strength and/or the dry compressive strength and/or the surface finish achieved from the blend will be greater than the green compressive strength, dry compressive strength and/or surface finish of either of the blended sodium bentonite clays alone. This is most surprising since it would be expected that a blend of two different clay binders would result in green compressive strengths and dry compressive strengths which are somewhere between the values for each of the individual clays alone. 
     In order to illustrate the new and unexpected results achieved in terms of green compressive strength, dry compressive strengths and/or surface finish by blending two or more sodium bentonite clays obtained from two different locations, different sodium bentonite clays were mined and each was designated with a different designation DC-1, DC-2, DC-3, DC-9 and DC-10. The individual clays had green compressive strengths (GCS) and dry compressive strengths (DCS) as shown in TABLE I: 
     
                       TABLE I______________________________________INDIVIDUAL CLAYSBASE   BLEND    %        SOURCE           DC-CLAY   CLAY     BLEND    DATE MINED  GCS  S______________________________________DC-1DC-1-A      100      Colony Wyoming 1                              10.6 128                5/16/88DC-1-B      100      Colony Wyoming 1                              10.8 122                5/23/88DC-1-C      100      Colony Wyoming 1                              10.9 132                7/5/88DC-1-D      100      Colony Wyoming 1                              10.6 130                7/11/88DC-1-E      100      Colony Wyoming 1                              11.2 110                7/18/88DC-2DC-2-A      100      Colony Wyoming 2                              9.8  132                5/16/88DC-2-B      100      Colony Wyoming 2                              10.0 123                6/20/88DC-2-C      100      Colony Wyoming 2                              9.8  142                7/5/88DC-2-D      100      Colony Wyoming 2                              9.3  138                7/11/88DC-2-E      100      Colony Wyoming 2                              9.8  113                7/18/88DC-3DC-3-A      100      Upton Wyoming 9.3  133                5/16/88DC-3-B      100      Upton Wyoming 10.2 110                6/6/88DC-3-C      100      Upton Wyoming 9.8  127                7/5/88DC-3-D      100      Upton Wyoming 9.7  135                7/11/88DC-3-E      100      Upton Wyoming 10.2 117                7/18/88DC-9 DC-9-A     100      Field-Sagebrush                              10.3 132                5/16/88DC-10DC-10-A     100      Colony Wyoming 3                              10.7 123                5/16/88______________________________________ 
    
     Blends of each of these clays in various proportions were found to have the green compressive strengths and dry compressive strengths set forth in TABLE II: 
     
                                           TABLE II__________________________________________________________________________SODIUM BENTONITE BINDER MIXTURES                               MAX. OF                               INDIV. CLAYSBASE CLAY  BLEND CLAY          % BLEND                DATE MINED                         GCS                            DCS                               GCS  DCS__________________________________________________________________________DC-1-A DC-2-A  75/25 5/16/88  10.5                            120DC-1-A DC-2-A  50/50 5/16/88  10.1                            140                               10.6 132DC-1-A DC-2-A  25/75 5/16/88  9.9                            113DC-1-A DC-3-A  75/25 5/16/88  10.5                            114DC-1-A DC-3-A  50/50 5/16/88  10.1                             95                               10.6 133DC-1-A DC-3-A  25/75 5/16/88  10.0                            117DC-1-A DC-9-A  75/25 5/16/88  10.2                            128DC-1-A DC-9-A  50/50 5/16/88  10.4                            124                               10.6 132DC1-A  DC-9-A  25/75 5/16/88  10.5                            115DC-1-A DC-10-A 75/25 5/16/88  10.8                            130DC-1-A DC-10-A 50/50 5/16/88  10.8                            122                               10.7 128DC-1-A DC-10-A 25/75 5/16/88  11.4                            125DC-1-B DC-2-B  75/25 5/23/88-6/20/88                         10.5                            115DC-1-B DC-2-B  50/50 5/23/88-6/20/88                         10.4                            122                               10.8 123DC-1-B DC-2-B  25/75 5/23/88-6/20/88                         10.2                            145DC-1-B DC-3-B  75/25 5/23/88-6/20/88                         10.7                            125DC-1-B DC-3-B  50/50 5/23/88-6/20/88                         10.6                            125                               10.8 122DC-1-B DC-3-B  25/75 5/23/88-6/20/88                         10.1                            123DC-1-C DC-2-C  75/25 7/5/88   10.4                            122DC-1-C DC-2-C  50/50 7/5/88   10.0                            126                               10.9 132DC-1-C DC-2-C  25/75 7/5/88   9.7                            122DC-1-C DC-3-C  75/25 7/5/88   10.2                            105DC-1-C DC-3-C  50/50 7/5/88   10.0                            115                               10.9 132DC-1-C DC-3-C  25/75 7/5/88   10.0                            110DC-1-D DC-2-D  75/25 7/11/88  10.1                            126DC-1-D DC-3-D  50/50 7/11/88  9.5                            124                               10.6 138DC-1-D DC-2-D  25/75 7/11/88  9.3                            109DC-1-D DC-3-D  75/25 7/11/88  10.7                            125DC-1-D DC-3-D  50/50 7/11/88  10.0                            126                               10.6 135DC-1-D DC-3-D  50/50 7/11/88  10.0                            126DC-1-E DC-2-E  75/25 7/18/88  10.7                            112DC-1-E DC-2-E  50/50 7/18/88  10.2                            112                               11.2 113DC-1-E DC-2-E  25/75 7/18/88  9.8                            117DC-1-E DC-3-E  75/25 7/18/88  10.7                            121DC-1-E DC-3-E  50/50 7/18/88  10.3                            132                               11.2 117DC-1-E DC-3-E  25/75 7/18/88  10.3                            128__________________________________________________________________________ Foundry sand: 95% silica sand 5% binder 
    
     As shown in TABLES I and II, the foundry sand binder containing a combination of DC-1-A having a green compressive strength of 10.6 and a dry compressive strength of 128 combined in a 50/50 mixture with DC-2-A having a green compressive strength of 9.8 and a dry compressive strength of 132 gives a green compressive strength of 10.1 and a dry compressive strength of 140. The marked synergism achieved in the dry compressive strength of 140 compared to the dry compressive strength of 128 of DC-1-A and the dry compressive strength of 132 of DC-2-A is most surprising and unexpected since the combination of these two clays in a 50/50 mixture would be expected to achieve a dry compressive strength of the average of the two clays or 130. DC-1-A is a sodium western bentonite clay mined from this assignee&#39;s Colony, Wyo. 1 mine on May 16, 1988; DC-2-A. is a sodium western bentonite clay mined from a different Colony, Wyo. mine of this assignee mined on the same date. The relative strengths of the other properties of hot compressive strength, flowability, surface finish, activation speed and shakeout for DC-1, DC-2 and DC-3 are set forth in TABLE III. 
     
                       TABLE III______________________________________DC-1Green Compressive Strength                     60Hot Compressive Strength  24Dry Compressive Strength  27Flowability               12Surface Finish            15Activation Speed          12Shakeout                   9DC-2Green Compressive Strength                      9Hot Compressive Strength   9Dry Compressive Strength  15Flowability               27Surface Finish            15Activation Speed          27Shakeout                  24DC-3Green Compressive Strength                      6Hot Compressive Strength  21Dry Compressive Strength  15Flowability               12Surface Finish            15Activation Speed          12Shakeout                  12______________________________________ 
    
     Various blends of DC-1, DC-2 and DC-3 were prepared and used in a foundry sand binder to determine the overall change in properties of the mixture compared to each component alone and the results are set forth in TABLE IV. 
     
                       TABLE IV______________________________________Trial 180% DC-1; 20% DC-2Green Compressive Strength                     21Hot Compressive Strength  18Dry Compressive Strength  24Flowability               15Surface Finish            18Activation Speed          12Shakeout                  12Trial 280% DC-1; 20% DC-2Green Compressive Strength                     12Hot Compressive Strength   9Dry Compressive Strength  18Flowability               21Surface Finish            18Activation Speed          21Shakeout                  21Trial 380% DC-1; 20% DC-2Green Compressive Strength                     12Hot Compressive Strength  15Dry Compressive Strength  18Flowability               15Surface Finish            18Activation Speed          12Shakeout                  15Trial 140% DC-1; 40% DC-2; 20% DC-3Green Compressive Strength                     18Hot Compressive Strength  15Dry Compressive Strength  21Flowability               18Surface Finish            18Activation Speed          18Shakeout                  15Trial 240% DC-1; 40% DC-2; 20% DC-3Green Compressive Strength                     15Hot Compressive Strength  18Dry Compressive Strength  21Flowability               12Surface Finish            18Activation Speed          12Shakeout                  12Trial 340% DC-1; 40% DC-2; 20% DC-3Green Compressive Strength                      9Hot Compressive Strength  12Dry Compressive Strength  15Flowability               18Surface Finish            18Activation Speed          18Shakeout                  1860% DC-1; 20% DC-2; 20% DC-3Green Compressive Strength                     18Hot Compressive Strength  15Dry Compressive Strength  21Flowability               18Surface Finish            18Activation Speed          18Shakeout                  15Trial 120% DC-1; 60% DC-2; 20% DC-3Green Compressive Strength                     18Hot Compressive Strength  15Dry Compressive Strength  21Flowability               18Surface Finish            18Activation Speed          18Shakeout                  15Trial 220% DC-1; 60% DC-2; 20% DC-3Green Compressive Strength                     15Hot Compressive Strength  18Dry Compressive Strength  21Flowability               12Surface Finish            18Activation Speed          12Shakeout                  12Trial 320% DC-1; 60% DC-2; 20% DC-3Green Compressive Strength                      9Hot Compressive Strength  12Dry Compressive Strength  15Flowability               18Surface Finish            18Activation Speed          18Shakeout                  18Trial 160% DC-1; 20% DC-2; 20% DC-3Green Compressive Strength                     15Hot Compressive Strength  18Dry Compressive Strength  21Flowability               12Surface Finish            18Activation Speed          12Shakeout                  12Trial 260% DC-1; 20% DC-2; 20% DC-3Green Compressive Strength                      9Hot Compressive Strength  12Dry Compressive Strength  15Flowability               18Surface Finish            18Activation Speed          18Shakeout                  18______________________________________ 
    
     As shown in TABLE IV, the surface finish for all Trials 1, 2 and 3 of 80% DC-1 and 20% DC-2 combined, gave a surface finish of 18 whereas the surface finish for DC-1 alone or DC-2 alone were each 15. (TABLE III). Accordingly, it has been found that combinations of DC-1 and DC-2 give synergistic and unexpected results in terms of a high quality surface finish on cast metal parts when a combination of DC-1 and DC-2 are used as a binder in foundry sand molding. Similarly, as shown in TABLE IV, the surface finish for 40% DC-1, 40% DC-2 and 20% DC-3 was unexpectedly improved in all three trials of this mixture compared to the surface finish of each of DC-1, DC-2 and DC-3 alone. As further shown in TABLE IV, the unexpected surface finish is also achieved with combinations of 60% DC-1, 20% DC-2 and  20% DC-3; 20% DC-1, 60% DC-2 and 20% DC-3 as well as 60% DC-1, 20% DC-2 and 20% DC-3. 
     Many modifications can be made to, and additives included in the molding sands containing the blend of sodium bentonite clay binders in accordance with the present invention.