The core production with low-emission binding ag­ents plays an important role in improving the overall situ­

ation of foun­dries (Photos: Hüttenes Albertus)

Authors: Peter-Michael Gröning and David Strunk, Hüttenes-Albertus Chemische Werke GmbH, Düsseldorf

The cold box process – a bridging

technology
By combining the advantages of the cold box process and the inorganic method the new cold box
system from Hüttenes-Albertus is a bridging technology towards inorganic core production

In foundries, the requirements placed
on castings production have risen sig-
nificantly over the past few years. The
components are becoming ever more
complex while the wall thickness is
reduced and core intensity as well as
the demands on the core binder sys-
tems used are rising. Further trends
in recent years have been the ever
increasing level of automation and
introduction of new alloys. On the
­other hand, the foundry environ-
ment has become increasingly diffi-
cult. Environmental laws and regula-
tions have been and will be further
tightened up. These processes are pur-
sued at national, but also at European
­level. Compliance with emission
limit values is becoming increasingly
difficult. In addition, many foundries
suffer from a lack of acceptance on
the part of the local residents who
often lodge complaints in relation to
air and noise pollution. Against the
backdrop of having to reduce green-
house gas emissions and take part in
trading CO2 emission allowances, the
foundry industry is also invited to
reduce the overall emissions of CO2.
This is why the foundry industry
and their supplier industries have re-
newed their efforts to use low-carbon
products wherever possible. Working
in this area of seemingly conflicting
priorities, the foundry industry must
prove its worth. State-of-the-art, low-
emission binding agents play an im-
portant role in improving the overall
situation.

14   Casting Plant & Technology 1/2011

 The task set for foundry chem-
istry
To meet these requirements, the goal
of both foundry chemistry and the
foundries is to reduce the use of orga­
nic materials. As a matter of principle,
for reasons of ecology and economy
the lowest possible dosage of binder
should be used. In order to avoid and/
or minimize cost intensive secondary
measures such as exhaust gas purifi-
ers or thermal afterburning, there are
principally two primary measures that
can be taken to reach the improve-
ment goals set by the foundries:
» use of inorganic binder systems;
» use of organic binding agents with
inorganic constituents.
Inorganic binder systems
The foundry industry has been ­using
Bild 1.indd 1
inorganic binder systems for a long
time. Back in 1947, the Czech re­
searcher L. Petrzela filed a patent for
theHC_01_06_B2_E.pdf
waterglass-CO process. Besides
2 14:07:33 Uhr
28.02.2011
various other inorganic methods (e.g.
on the basis of salts and phosphates),
especially waterglass-based binder sys-
tems have established over the past
Cordis - binder
modified silicate solution
Cold box resin
C
phenolic resin in solvents
M
Y
CM
MY P
CY
CMY
hot air gassing
100 – 200 °C
Amin gassing
80 - 100°C
Figure 2: Diagram comparing inorganic methods and cold box process
Inorganic binder system
• multi-component system composed of:
• Cordis binder g modfied silicate solution
• Anorgit additives g synthetic and natural inorganic additives
+
sand grain +
Na Na
O
– –
O Si O
– +
O Na
+
sand grain
Na
Figure 1: Inorganic binder system – Cordis
few years. Modern inorganic binder already demonstrated its benefits in
­systems are mainly two-component
many applications (Figure 1). 23.02.2011 12:02:38 Uhr
systems, consisting of a modified Due to the technological and eco-
silicate solution and a mineral addi- nomic prerequisites the changeover to
tive. So many problems that a foun- inorganic binder systems cannot yet
dry ­fa­ces, like the reduction of fumes, be implemented on a large scale. The
odour, pollutants and condensates, cold box process is still the dominating
can certainly be countered by using coremaking technique due to its many
inorganic binder systems. The entirely different applications, its efficiency
inorganic Cordis binder system has and its technological advancements.
mineral Anorgit – additive
synthetic, inorganic additive
mixing (powder)
Cold box activator
phenolic resin in solvents
heated core box
130 -180 °C
unheated core box
Casting Plant & Technology 1/2011   15
 K  COREMAKING/BINDERS

Cold box process versus inor- » short production cycles process-related  be­ne­fits, such as rarely
ganic methods – a comparison » good reclaimability occurring condensation and all its po­
The diagram (Figure 2) shows the tech- » good collapsibility sitive aspects in production, a property
nological differences between the cold » robust method especially appreciated in gravity die
box process and the inorganic produc- casting. On the other hand, the cold
tion method. Weaknesses: box process offers several technologi-
» emissions (noxious substances, fu­ cal advan­tages, including the use of
Inorganic method – Cordis mes, odour) cold core boxes or the very good sand
1 10:23:19 Uhr
Strengths: » high level of condensates reclaimability. In the futu­re, each
» prevention of odour emission » gas formation foun­dry will have to follow a decision-
» low emission of fumes during the » disposal of used sand (phenol index) ­­making process to determine which
pouring process pro­cess is most suitable for indivi­du­al
» no emission of noxious matter The Cordis process shows its ma- application. To put it in a nutshell: The
» low level of condensates in the die jor strengths in the field of en­viron­ strenghts of one process are the weak-
» reduced gas behaviour mentally related properties. There are nesses in the other, and vice versa.
» good collapsibility

Weaknesses:
» hot core boxes (high energy costs)
» die costs

2
» long hardening times for bulky core resin molecule TEOS
geometries
» shorter shelf life than cold box cores
» reclaimability (work in progress)

Organic method – Cold box process

Strengths:
Diagram: Cold Box gas resin based on TEOS, previous technology
» cold core boxes
» variable core box material

C2H5 siliceous component

O
embedded in resin matrix

C2H5 O Si O C2H5 resin molecule TEOS

O
C2H5 Diagram: Cold Box gas resin based on TEOS, new technology

Figure 3: Chemical formula TEOS

HC_01_06_B5a_E.pdf 17.02.2011 10:09:21 Uhr
Figure 4 : Schematic representation of the new cold box technology
HC_01_06_B5b_E.pdf 24.02.2011 13:53:25 Uhr

(tetraethyl orthosilicate)

Bild 4.indd 1 17.02.2011 13:07:56 Uhr

C -c o n t e n t C -c o n t e n t / S i O 2 -c o n t e n t
80% 80%
-5% -5%
70% 70%
- 16 % - 16 %
C
60% - 23% C
60% - 23%

50% 50%
M
M

Y
Y

40%
CM

40%
CM

MY
MY

CY
CY

CMY

K
30% CMY

K
30%
20% 20% 12,4%
10% 5,7%
10%
0% 0%
a r o m a ti c a l i p h a ti c siliceous new Si modified a r o m a ti c a l i p h a ti c siliceous new Si modified
system system system system system system system system

3 4

Figure 5: Reduction of C-content and increase in silicon oxide in the cold box binder

16   Casting Plant & Technology 1/2011

 K  COREMAKING/BINDERS

The cold box process – a bridg- on the basis of tetraethyl silicate. reduced despite the higher molecular
ing technology In this new generation (i.e., the Si- weight. As a result, significantly less sol-
As an innovative foundry supplier, modified system) the Si units are not vent is required than with the cold box
Hüttenes-Albertus Chemische Werke only contained in the solvent but are binding agents used previously.
(HA), Düsseldorf, Germany, soon start- also integrated in the resin molecule Due to the high percentage of inor-
ed to develop cold box binder systems (Figure 4). HA’s new, patented solution ganic constituents, this new develop-
with improved properties. In 1999, the is a milestone in the development of ment can be described as a bridging
first cold box systems with silica-based novel cold box systems because, for the technology towards inorganic core
solvents (TEOS) were used in foundries. first time, it combines the advantages production. Compared to aromatic
Compared to the aliphatic and aro- of both the cold box process and the in- cold box systems, the carbon content
matic solvents that had be used in the organic method. The integration of in- was reduced by 23 %. Through a con-
cold box process until then, the use of organic silicon dioxide units is achieved sistent use of siliceous components the
tetraethyl orthosilicate (Figure 3) was through a substitution reaction during latest binder generation has already
the first step towards an inorganic cold which the hydroxyl groups of the resin reached the significant proportion of
box system. molecules are made to react with ethyl silicon dioxide of 12.4 % (Figure 5).
Now the research objective was silicates. In the process, the size of the The new generation of cold box
to gradually increase the fraction of resin molecules increases, so that the binding agents leads to further im-
these inorganic components in the amount of activator can be reduced in provements in regard to environmen-
cold box system. To this end, a new relation to the resin content. Surpri­s­ tal compatibility and reduction in pol-
generation of binders was developed ingly, the viscosity of the basic resin is lution (Figure 6).
There has also been significant
total BTX progress regarding the reduction of
condensate production and gas pres-
sure. Condensates are a particularly
important issue for gravity die foun-
dries. Since the introduction of the
cold box process, this aspect has been
an important criterion for the develop-
benzene, toluene, xylene
ment of binding agents. Condensates
are generated in the pouring process
by the release of core gases and/or de-
composition products of the binding
agents. The released volatile compo-
nents condense in the colder zones of
the die (gravity die) and core. The level
of condensate (Figure 7) has an impact
HC_01_06_B7_E.pdf 17.02.2011
aromatic system
10:17:02 Uhr
TES system SI-mod. system
on the cleaning time, die life, die tem-
6
perature and, finally, productivity and
Figure 6: Reduction of pollution (BTX); comparison of CB systems cost effectiveness in production.
The reduced level of condensate can
Bild 6.indd 1 24.02.2011 13:56:43 Uhr be put down to the fact that no volatile
Condensate level g/kg products are formed during the com-
5
- 16 % bustion of silicon. An SiO2 network is
4,5
formed instead that contributes to ther-
4
mal stability. After combustion, this net-
3,5 - 49 % work shows a high degree of brittleness,
C

3
Y

CM
which again promotes collapsibility.
2,5 aromatic system
MY

The benefits of this new binder genera-

2 TES system
CY

CMY

tion were confirmed in various practical

K

1,5 Si-mod.system
applications. Some foundries from the
1
non-ferrous metals sector (aluminium)
0,5
as well as the ferrous metal field have
0
already used this new binder generation
aromatic TES system Si-mod.system
system successfully in serial production.

5
www.huettenes-albertus.com
Figure 7: Condensate levels (cogas) of various cold box systems

18   Casting Plant & Technology 1/2011