
A study of thickness effects on cooling rate and hardness of gray cast iron in metal and sand molds
Zhuge Liang , School of Energy and Power Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100083, ChinaAbstract
This study investigates the influence of mold thickness on the cooling rate and hardness of gray cast iron in two distinct mold types: metal and sand molds. The experiment is conducted by casting gray cast iron in molds of varying thickness and measuring the cooling rate and hardness at different intervals during solidification. The results indicate that both mold type and thickness significantly affect the cooling rate and the hardness properties of the cast iron. Metal molds lead to faster cooling and higher hardness, while sand molds show slower cooling rates and lower hardness. This study provides insight into how mold design and thickness can optimize casting quality and material properties for industrial applications.
Keywords
Gray Cast Iron, Cooling Rate, Hardness
References
Liao, Z.; Huang, X.; Zhang, F.; Li, Z.; Chen, S.; Shan, Q. Effect of WC mass fraction on the microstructure and frictional wear properties of WC/Fe matrix composites. Int. J. Refract. Met. Hard Mater. 2023, 114, 106265. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
Yu, W.; Wang, Y.; Li, Y.; Qian, X.; Wang, H.; Zhou, C.; Wang, Z.; Xu, G. Texture evolution, segregation behavior, and mechanical properties of 2060 Al-Li (aluminium-lithium) composites reinforced by TiC (titanium carbide) nanoparticles. Compos. Part B Eng. 2023, 255, 110611. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
Zhong, H.; Lin, Z.; Han, Q.; Song, J.; Chen, M.; Chen, X.; Li, L.; Zhai, Q. Hot tearing behavior of AZ91D magnesium alloy. J. Magnes. Alloys 2023, 12, 3431–3440. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
Anil, K.C.; Kumaraswamy, J.; Akash; Sanman, S. Experimental arrangement for estimation of metal-mold boundary heat flux during gravity chill casting. Mater. Today Proc. 2023, 72, 2013–2020. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
Abdellah, M.Y.; Fadhl, B.M.; Abu El-Ainin, H.M.; Hassan, M.K.; Backar, A.H.; Mohamed, A.F. Experimental Evaluation of Mechanical and Tribological Properties of Segregated Al-Mg-Si Alloy Filled with Alumina and Silicon Carbide through Different Types of Casting Molds. Metals 2023, 13, 316. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
Zhang, B.; Hungund, A.P.; Alla, D.R.; Neelakandan, D.P.; Roman, M.; O’Malley, R.J.; Bartlett, L.; Gerald, R.E.; Huang, J. Advancing Aluminum Casting Optimization With Real-Time Temperature and Gap Measurements Using Optical Fiber Sensors at the Metal-Mold Interface. IEEE Trans. Instrum. Meas. 2023, 72, 7008412. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
Available online: https://www.astm.org/a0048_a0048m-22.html (accessed on 10 July 2024).
Available online: https://www.astm.org/e0003-11r17.html (accessed on 10 July 2024).
Available online: https://www.astm.org/e0092-17.html (accessed on 10 July 2024).
Amarulloh, A.; Haikal, H.; Atmoko, N.T.; Utomo, B.R.; Setiadhi, D.; Marchant, D.; Zhu, X.; Riyadi, T.W.B. Effect of power and diameter on temperature and frequency in induction heating process of AISI 4140 steel. Mech. Eng. Soc. Ind. 2022, 2, 26–34. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
Wang, J.; Zhang, L.; Zhang, Y.; Cheng, G.; Wang, Y.; Ren, Y.; Yang, W. Prediction of spatial composition distribution of inclusions in the continuous casting bloom of a bearing steel under unsteady casting. ISIJ Int. 2021, 61, 824–833. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
Zhong, H.; Wang, R.; Han, Q.; Fang, M.; Yuan, H.; Song, L.; Xie, X.; Zhai, Q. Solidification structure and central segregation of 6Cr13Mo stainless steel under simulated continuous casting conditions. J. Mater. Res. Technol. 2022, 20, 3408–3419. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
Wang, F.; Yin, D.; Lv, J.; Zhang, S.; Ma, M.; Zhang, X.; Liu, R. Effect of cooling rate on fluidity and glass-forming ability of Zr-based amorphous alloys using different molds. J. Mater. Process. Technol. 2021, 292, 117051. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
Article Statistics
Copyright License
Copyright (c) 2025 Zhuge Liang

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors retain the copyright of their manuscripts, and all Open Access articles are disseminated under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 (CC-BY), which licenses unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided that the original work is appropriately cited. The use of general descriptive names, trade names, trademarks, and so forth in this publication, even if not specifically identified, does not imply that these names are not protected by the relevant laws and regulations.