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HA Specialty Sands

The term “Specialty Sand” covers all industrial minerals (except quartz sand) commonly used in foundries as a molding material for the manufacture of cores and molds.

Specialty sands include natural mineral sands, sintering, and melting products produced in granular form or turned into granular form by breaking, grinding, and grading processes, or inorganic mineral sands produced by other physical-chemical methods.

Specialty sands differ from quartz sand, particularly as regards their significantly lower thermal expansion behavior within the temperature range of 20 – 600°C, their heat conductivity, refractoriness, and other physical characteristics.

Specialty sands are used instead of quartz sand for core making and mold making because they are characterized by better physical-chemical properties. The main difference between HA-International’s Specialty sands and silica sand is the significantly lower coefficient of linear expansion and significantly lower thermal expansion behavior during the casting process.

Many years of experience have shown that the use of Specialty sands depends on the complexity of the respective casting, the metal used for the casting, the susceptibility to veining, the casting temperature, and the binder system.

Strengths of HA Specialty Sands

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In consideration of the casting properties to be achieved, the individual advantages of Specialty Sand can be used to:

  • Avoid sand expansion defects, especially finning/veining
  • Avoid the addition of gas-forming ingredients
  • Avoid metal penetration
  • Increase the flowability of the sand
  • Avoid a mold-metal interface reaction
  • Control the formation of microstructure
  • Produce thin-walled castings

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CastTherm® CR Chromite

CastTherm CR Chromite provides excellent chill properties for castings with heavy metal sections as well as castings with intricate details.

Features:

  • 3 grades – 45, 60, and 80 GFN available to meet the demands of iron and steel foundries
  • Packaged at the manufacturer to reduce dust during transport improving turbidity and tendency for segregation, improving overall quality
  • Highest chilling properties as a result of high Cr2O3 percentage and less than 1% SiO2 content
  • Low turbidity
  • High melting point

Benefits:

  • Lower cost in use versus zircon
  • Highest chilling properties of any molding media for thicker solidified skin
  • Excellent thermal conductivity for castings with heavy sections for better surface finish
  • Reduced cleaning time and improved surface finish in comparison to other sand, additives, and coating applications

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CastTherm® CE Ceramic

CastTherm CE H Series ceramic media is produced with a unique combination of chemical, physical, and thermal properties that provide performance advantages. CastTherm CE H Series is engineered for high pouring temperatures and long-term heat duration, making very large steel and iron castings while minimizing defects.

Features:

  • High refractoriness
  • Low linear thermal expansion
  • Tough, durable in performance – Uniform and spherical in size and shape
  • Chemically inert and non-hazardous, it contains no crystalline silica

Benefits:

  • Maximize tensile with less resin
  • Withstands high temperature pours of various metal castings
  • Increases dimensional precision and ability to pour complex parts
  • Reduces expansion-related defects
  • Reduces casting cleaning times
  • Increases production, reduces particle breakdown, and supports recycling use
  • High permeability, lower resin - reduces gas-related defects and associated costs
  • Improved quality, health, safety, and sustainability

To learn more, view our CastTherm CE H Series Technical Data Sheets.

CastTherm® CE S Series ceramic casting media provides a unique combination of chemical, physical, and thermal properties that provide performance advantages in non-ferrous and iron applications. CastTherm CE S Series is engineered for higher precision in casting, reduced scrap, and cleaning time with durability for reuse and sustainability.

Features:

  • High refractoriness
  • Low linear thermal expansion
  • Tough, durable in performance – Uniform and spherical in size and shape
  • Chemically inert and non-hazardous, it contains no crystalline silica

Benefits:

  • Withstands high temperature pours of various metal castings
  • Increases dimensional precision and ability to pour complex parts
  • Maximize tensile with less resin
  • High permeability, low resin - reduces gas-related defects and associated costs
  • Generally, no coatings or additives are required
  • Reduced scrap and less time cleaning
  • Increases production, reduced particle breakdown, and supports recycling use
  • Improved quality, health, safety, and sustainability

To learn more, view our CastTherm CE S Series Technical Data Sheets.

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CastTherm® Korplete Engineered Additives

Sand alone is a low-cost molding and core media, but it has limitations subject to shape and thermal properties. Binder systems add complexity with the addition of an organic component. Engineered additives used to prevent casting defects have a net benefit to the mix. A small addition can remedy several common defects, such as surface-based defects and gas reduction, as well as reduce time in the cleaning room. Engineered additives can also be used to modify the sand mix to eliminate the need for coatings or the need for more expensive specialty sand.

Considered benefits through the use of CastTherm Korplete additives:

CastTherm Korplete Organic Additives

  • Effective at low addition rates
  • General lower temperature applications
  • Lower cost
  • Improves flowability of sand

CastTherm Korplete Inorganic Additives

  • Effective at low addition rates
  • No VOCs, gas, smoke, or odor
  • High hot strength properties
  • Compatible with all binder systems
  • Improved flowability of sand

CastTherm Korplete Engineered Additives

  • Effective at low addition rates
  • Low VOCs, gas, smoke, or odor
  • High-temperature applications
  • Consideration of applications without coating usage
  • Improved flowability of sand


For additional product information, contact Product Manager Brodie Biersneer at brodie.biersner@ha-group.com