Casting

Casting is a metalworking hot process where a melted metal (liquid metal) is poured into a mold
which has a negative shape of the one we want to achieve. After that the metal with the mold are
cooled down, the metal becomes solid and then it is extracted out of the mold. This method is used
for a shapes which would be tough or not economically efficient to do with for example a mill or a
lathe. Casting is used for shaping metals for example in jewelry in precious metals, weapons or tools.
We have different techniques of casting: sand casting, lost-wax casting, plaster mold casting. Every
sample made is starting as a liquid. The most important part is the cooling rate which affects
microstructure of the metal and its properties. If we cool it quickly, we will have a fine grain
structure, and opposite if we cool it slowly we will have a coarse grain structure. Depending on the
phase diagram of the metal (alloy), starting temperature, and the cooling rate, the final alloy is going
to have different microstructures. Most of the metals shrink after they are cooled down, so the mold
has to be little bit bigger than the final workpiece. The macrostructure has 3 regions: the chill zone,
columnar zone, equiaxed zone. The more the heat is removed the grains grow (elongate) towards the
center of the casting with anisotropic properties. The center of the equiaxed zone (the center of the
casting) has spherical crystals with isotropic properties-which is desirable. This can be promoted by
using a low pouring temperature.

Steel casting is used for manufacturing workpieces with higher strength and shock resistance than
the cast iron workpieces could have, such as hydroelectric turbine wheel. Steel has greater shrinkage
rate, so it will shrink little bit more after cooling than iron. It has higher melting point as well. For
example, molten steel is less fluid than molten iron and could most likely react with the mold surface.
It is more difficult to cast steel. Carbon cast steel can be divide by their carbon content: low carbon
cast steel is soft and not readily heat treatable; medium carbon cast steel (0.2%-0.5% C) is harder and
can be strengthened by heat treatment; high carbon cast steel is used for maximum hardness and
wear resistance.

VIDEO LINK:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33p0Nih6YkY

Exam question:

Which carbon cast steel are designed for maximum

hardness?

1) Low-carbon cast steel

2) Medium-carbon cast steel
3) High-carbon cats steel