Effect of a biodegradable addition as a binary binder component for cast moulding and core sands on the properties of the binder and the sands

The increasing requirements concerning the emission of hazardous substances force the casting industry to search for new, more environment-friendly solutions. Such solutions may include technologies of developing moulding and core sands with the use of organic biodegradable materials as binders. We should, however, remember that the new technologies must ensure high technological properties of the moulding and core sands. This article presents the results of investigations of new binary moulding binders, where part of the phenol-furfuryl resin commonly applied in casting, was replaced by a biodegradable material in the form of polycaprolactone (PCL).
The article discusses the investigations of the effect of the biodegradable material as a component of a new binary binder on the thermal degradation of the binder, its viscosity as well as the selected technological properties of the examined moulding sands, including their thermal deformation and elasticity at ambient temperature. The performed examinations showed that replacing a part of the phenol-furfuryl resin in the binder with the PCL biodegradable material does not affect the thermal degradation of the new binder, while increasing its viscosity. The moulding mixtures with the applied binary binder are characterized by similar technological properties to the moulding sands with the phenol-furfuryl resin only.

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