Hybrid Bentonite Green Sand Mould

Aim – As green sand moulding is the cheapest, fastest, and most commonly used method for metal casting process, this research aims to optimize the hybrid bentonite for the mechanical properties of green sand mould which leads to better quality casting and reduction in rework. Materials – For the experiments, green sand was prepared by mixing reclaimed sand, garcolap powder, hybrid bentonite and water. Hybrid bentonite is a mixture of bentonite (pure sodium bentonite containing more than 75% montmorillonite) and clay (bentonite clay having 40-55% montmorillonite). Experiments/Methodology/Approach – Experimental results were optimized using Minitab software version 21 to determine the values of bentonite, garcolap powder and water to be kept constant for experiments to optimize hybrid bentonite. In this research work, mechanical properties of green sand like compactibility, permeability, mould hardness (MH), green compressive strength (GCS) and moisture content were measured for the experiments performed on specimens prepared from green sand in accordance with IS: 1918-1966. Findings – Experiments performed to optimize hybrid bentonite suggest the best combined values of process parameters for hybrid bentonite with an 85/15 ratio. Research limitations/Implications – Hybrid bentonite composition affects mechanical and physical properties.