Applied Mechanics and Materials Vol.

660 (2014) pp 301-305 Submitted: 2014-07-20

© (2014) Trans Tech Publications, Switzerland Revised: 2014-08-12
doi:10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.660.301 Accepted: 2014-08-13
Online: 2014-10-31

Application of Molasses as a Binder in Sand Mold Operation

1,a*
Ibrahim, B., 2,bTijjani, Y., 3,cRafukka, I. A, and 4,dSuleiman, M.U
1
Petroleum Product Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), Abuja, Nigeria
2
Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, UPM, Selangor, Malaysia
3
Department of Mechanical Engineering, UPM, Selangor, Malaysia
4
Department of Metallurgical & Materials Engineering, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria
a
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected],
d
[email protected]

Keywords: Blackstrap Molasses; Binder; and Sand Mold.

Abstract The application of molasses as a binder in sand mold operation was investigated. Standard
Sand Mold mixtures (5 cm diameter x 5cm height) were made with 1- 5% molasses and Chalawa
sand the balance. Molding Properties such as; Green Compressive Strength (GCS), Green Shear
Strength (GSS), Dry Compressive Strength (DCS), Dry Shear Strength (DSS), Green Shatter Index,
Green Permeability, Flowability, and Compactibility of sand molasses mixture were obtained. 2%
Molasses-Sand mixture was selected for molding the prototype cast based on the highest values of
the Green Compressive Strength, Green Permeability, and excellent Flowability (96.4%) observed
in the experiments. The result shows that molasses alone could not be used as a binder. This is
further supported by the low values of Green Shatter Index (31.3%) and Compactibility (25%)
reported.

Introduction
Metal casting is one of the most efficient, economical and probably the oldest method of metal
shaping processes employed in the production of machine components as well as archaeological
artifacts. The minimum requirement for making simple castings are wooden pattern which is a
replica of the intended part, to make a mold of the desired shape; a sand-clay/binder mixtures to
make mold, thereby creating the cavity into which molten metal of desired composition is poured;
and a furnace to melt the metallic materials for the desired composition of the required components.
Molds made of bonded and compacted sand accounts for up to 90% of the total tonnage of castings
made worldwide. The molds may be of hand for small scale production or machine mold for large
scale production [1]. The natural bonded molding sand is one which has natural binding clay in it
which is most suitable for non-ferrous alloy castings. Whereas Synthetic sands (sand relatively free
from clay particles) are suitable for sand mold and core making for both ferrous and non-ferrous
cast alloys [2]. Binders are added to a base sand to bond the sand particles together [3]. The choice
of any molding materials will depend largely on the availability, suitability for a particular alloy and
the cost involved.

Background to Research
In the research carried out by Tijjani et al., [4], they established the suitability of blackstrap molasses
as a core binder used in non-ferrous sand casting based on optimum baked compressive/shear
strength, and permeability. The prototype cast made has good collapsibility, and the surface finish of
the produced aluminium-silicon cast bushing is excellent. Furthermore, the research established
another green core binder from locally available materials for environmental sustainability. Sequel to
the breakthrough made the present research seek to explore further application of the binder in
foundry sand mold.

Materials
All the materials used in this research works were sourced locally. The silica sand was sourced from
Chalawa River in Kano, Kano State of Nigeria and the blackstrap molasses was obtained from
Savannah Sugar Company Adamawa State of Nigeria.

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302 Advances in Mechanical, Materials and Manufacturing Engineering

Methods
Determination of Grain Size Distribution of Chalawa Sand
The stacks of sieves were arranged according to the sieve aperture with the largest aperture on top
of the stack and the smallest aperture at the bottom (on top of pan). After drying the sample of sand
in an oven at 100oC for 30 minutes, 100g of the sand was introduced onto the top of the sieve stack
and the stack was coupled on the sieve shaker for effective vibration. The system was then set to
vibrate for 15 minutes. This is followed by the removal of sieve one after the other and weighing of
the sand remaining on each sieve. The weights were recorded respectively in the column
corresponding to the sieve mesh number and each separate sieve weight was multiplied by the
preceding sieve mesh number. Comparing the sum total of the product with the total sample
weighed gives the fineness number of the sand. This is tabulated in Table 1.0.

Preparation of the mold mixture

The required quantity of the sand, molasses for each of the sample was measured in accordance
with the varying proportion and charged into the laboratory mixer and mixed for about five (5)
minutes. When thoroughly mixed, the mixture was discharge from the mixer through the discharge
opening at the bottom of the mixer. The quantity that gives the required size of 5cm diameter x 5cm
height is weighed on the weigh - balance, poured into the specimen tube, and rammed with three
drop of the standard weight of 6.6kg with the aid of the specimen rammer. After ramming, the
specimen is ejected from the tube with the aid of specimen extractor. This procedure was repeated
for the preparation of the standard test specimens for the various compositions of the mold
mixtures.

Determination of Mold Mixture Properties

Green/Dry Compressive and Shear Strengths.
The green compressive strength (GCS) and green shear strength (GSS) were determined for the
freshly green as-prepared standard rammed sand mold samples, while the dry compressive strength
(DCS) and dry shear strength (DSS) were determined after drying in an oven at a temperature of
110°C for a period of 30 minutes and then removed and allowed to cool in the air to ambient
temperature. With the samples fixed to the universal-sand testing machine, various loads were
applied through compressive/shear heads until failure of the samples were observed. The green/dry
compressive and shear strengths at failure were recorded and tabulated as shown in Table 2.0. The
standard used conforms to IS: 11099-1984 [5].

Permeability.
The gas permeability test was carried out on the standard sample specimens of 5cm diameter x 5 cm
height. The specimens, while still in the tube, were mounted on the permeability meter
(Perm-meter). When the perm-meter was operated to run the test, the degree of the permeability of
the sand molasses mold mixtures were indicated on the dial-gauge of the machine and the results
were recorded in accordance to IS:1049-1983 [5], and tabulated as shown in Table 2.0.
Shatter Index Test.
A standard green sand mold test specimen (5cm diameter x 5 cm height) was ejected from the
specimen tube. The standard specimen was allowed to fall through a height of 6ft (1.83m) onto a
mesh of 13.2 mm British Standard to BS 410:86 test sieve [6]. The shatter index was calculated as a
percentage of the weight of the fractured sand specimen that remains on the test sieve to the total
weight of the test sample.
Flowability Test.
The flowability of the molding mixtures were determined using the standard sand sample 5cm
diameter x 5cm height. After the normal three blow required for the standard sample preparation,
two more blows were made, that is, 4th and 5th blows. The differences in height of the cylinder
after the 4th and 5th blows were recorded. These differences were used to calculate the flowability
in percentages [7].
 Applied Mechanics and Materials Vol. 660 303

Compactibility Test.
The test was performed by filling the standard specimen tube with the molding sand mixture until it
struck-level with the top of the tube. The sand in the tube was then rammed with the standard three
blows using the standard rammer. The distance from the top of the tube to the level of the rammed
sand was measured and calculated as percentage compactibility by dividing the decrease in height
by the initial height [8].

Results and Discussion

From Table 1 below, the grain fineness number can be determined by dividing sum product by
8544.64 = 78.32 AFS
cumulative weight of the sand retained, that is GFN = 109.1 . This result is

similar to the value obtained by Tijjani et al., [4]. Similarly, on the AFS scale, the sand is
re-established to be fine. Also, Tijjani et al., [9] have established the Chalawa sand as high purity and
of moderate refractoriness.
In the research titled suitability of molasses as a core binder used in non-ferrous sand casting of
Aluminium-silicon alloy (Tijjani et al., [4]), the authors established the optimum amount of binder as
2% molasses based on the highest and optimum green strength, green permeability, baked
compressive strength, and baked shear strength. Considering Table 2.0, Fig. 1.0, and 2.0, 2%
molasses-sand mixture reported the highest green compressive strength (GCS) and permeability of
20.981 KN/m2 and 275 mmWs respectively. This further supported the previous research. The dry
compressive strength (DCS) and dry shear strength (DSS) for the optimum % molasses (2%) are
484.190 KN/m2 and 174.140 KN/m2 respectively which are significantly low. Although, 2%
molasses-sand mixture has excellent Flowability (96.4%), the low value of Green Shatter Index
(31.3%) and Compactibility (25%) qualifies the mixture as poor candidate for sand mold.

Table 1, Particle size distribution of Chalawa Sand

SIEVE BSS NO. WEIGTH PRODUCT
APERTURE RETAINED
1.44 [mm] 10 0.18 -
1.00 [mm] 16 6.12 61.20
0.71 [mm] 22 10.01 160.16
0.50 [mm] 30 11.52 253.44
0.355 [mm] 44 13.93 417.90
0.250 [mm] 60 15.01 660.44
0.180 [mm] 100 9.90 594.00
0.125 [mm] 150 16.01 1601.00
0.090 [mm] 200 15.35 2302.50
0.063 [mm] 300 8.27 1654.00
-0.063 [mm] 350 2.80 840.00
109.10 8544.64

Table 2, Molding Properties @ 110oC drying temperature for 30 minutes holding time
S/No Molasses[%] 1 2 3 4 5
3 2
1 GCS x 10 [N/m ] 10.646 20.981 15.469 18.914 14.091
2 GSS x 103[N/m2] - - - - -
3 DCS x 103[N/m2] 84.570 484.190 2406.500 2613.200 >3221.075
3 2
4 DSS x 10 [N/m ] 29.450 174.140 243.040 394.620 684.000
5 Permeability[mmWs] 265 275 210 215 235
304 Advances in Mechanical, Materials and Manufacturing Engineering

Practical Application
When the liquid metal of Aluminium-silicon alloy was poured into the prepared mold of Chalawa
sand-molasses mixture, the liquid metal gushed out. This could be due to the low hot strength
properties of the mixture (low dry compressive/shear strengths reported) as well as low shatter index
and compactibility. Therefore, there is no any successful cast obtained for Chalawa sand-molasses
mold mixture.

Conclusions
Although, Chalawa sand-molasses (harden with soybean oil) core mixture was successfully used as a
core binder for casting aluminium-silicon alloy, Chalawa sand-molasses as mold mixture could not be
used for sand mold. There is need to augment the hot strength with hardener or cure it with heat which
is not economically feasible.

References
[1] Beeley P.R., Foundry Technology, Camelot Press Ltd, Southampton, 1972.
[2] Beeley, P., Foundry Technology 2nded. Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford, 2001.
[3] “Sand Casting”. (2014). In Wikipedia. Retrieved June 17, 2014, from Wikipedia Online:
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.mht
 Applied Mechanics and Materials Vol. 660 305

[4] Tijjani, Y., Onyekpe, B., Rafukka, I.A.,: Suitability of Molasses as a Core Binder used in
Non-Ferrous Sand Casting, Submitted to the Journal of Applied Mechanics and Materials Vol. 315
(2013) pp 15-19
[5] Jain P.L., Principles of Foundry Technology, 4th Ed. Pp.64 & 66:, Tata McGraw-Hill Publishing
Company Ltd, New Delhi, 2006.
[6] British Cast Iron Research Association, (1971).
[7] Heine, R.W., Loper, C.R. and Rosenthal, P.C., Principles of Metal Casting 2nded .Tata
McGraw-Hill, New Delhi, 2005.
[8] Ridsdale Dietert, Foundry Sand Equipment, Catalogue No.441, Ridsdale & Co. Ltd, England.
[9] Tijjani, Y., Onyekpe, B., Rafukka, I.A.,: Characterization of Chalawa River Sand for Foundry
Application, Submitted to the Journal of Applied Mechanics and Materials Vol. 315 (2013) pp
724-727
Advances in Mechanical, Materials and Manufacturing Engineering
10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.660

Application of Molasses as a Binder in Sand Mold Operation

10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.660.301