A die casting apparatus for manufacturing metal parts for automotive vehicle applications is provided. The die casting apparatus includes upper and lower dies presenting forming surfaces and a mold cavity therebetween. A replaceable insert and sub-inserts provide portions of the forming surfaces of the dies in areas most prone to wear and erosion. The replaceable inserts and sub-inserts can be removed and replaced during high volume production, without having to replace the entire die. A wear and/or heat resistant coating can be applied to the inserts and sub-inserts to further increase service life. A plurality of cooling channels can also be formed in the inserts and sub-inserts to improve cycle time and quality of the parts.

A die casting apparatus for manufacturing metal parts for automotive vehicle applications is provided. The die casting apparatus includes upper and lower dies presenting forming surfaces and a mold cavity therebetween. A replaceable insert and sub-inserts provide portions of the forming surfaces of the dies in areas most prone to wear and erosion. The replaceable inserts and sub-inserts can be removed and replaced during high volume production, without having to replace the entire die. A wear and/or heat resistant coating can be applied to the inserts and sub-inserts to further increase service life. A plurality of cooling channels can also be formed in the inserts and sub-inserts to improve cycle time and quality of the parts.

Disclosed are a method of casting heterogeneous materials and a casting produced manufactured by the same. The method may include disposing a lost foam on a cavity of a mold as the cavity being formed in a shape corresponding to a shape of a casting product; injecting a first molten metal through a low-pressure molten metal ingate formed in the mold to form a low-pressure casting portion of the casting product; and injecting a second molten metal through a gravity molten metal ingate formed in the mold to form a gravity casting portion of the casting product.

Disclosed are a method of casting heterogeneous materials and a casting produced manufactured by the same. The method may include disposing a lost foam on a cavity of a mold as the cavity being formed in a shape corresponding to a shape of a casting product; injecting a first molten metal through a low-pressure molten metal ingate formed in the mold to form a low-pressure casting portion of the casting product; and injecting a second molten metal through a gravity molten metal ingate formed in the mold to form a gravity casting portion of the casting product.

A mold wash is used in a casting method using a lost foam to make a casting having a hole with a diameter of 12 mm or less. The casting method includes determining a thermal decomposition amount C(,t) [wt %] of a resin binder when the mold wash is exposed at a temperature [ C.] for a time t [sec], and determining a room temperature transverse rupture strength .sub.b(,t) [MPa] of the mold wash after receiving thermal loads, and performing casting with the mold wash having the room temperature transverse rupture strength .sub.b(,t) after receiving thermal loads being equal to or larger than a threshold value .sub.cr [MPa].

A method of method of making an airfoil includes making a refractory metal core that defines an interior of the airfoil by a tomo-lithographic process, making a mold that defines an exterior of the airfoil, inserting the refractory metal core into the mold, and pouring an airfoil material between the refractory metal core and the mold to cast the airfoil.

A method of method of making an airfoil includes making a refractory metal core that defines an interior of the airfoil by a tomo-lithographic process, making a mold that defines an exterior of the airfoil, inserting the refractory metal core into the mold, and pouring an airfoil material between the refractory metal core and the mold to cast the airfoil.

A molding material mixture contains cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) and at least one base material selected from the group consisting of a resin and fibers. A hydrophobic polymer is chemically bonded to at least some of the OH groups of the cellulose nanofibers. The base material and the cellulose nanofibers are ground or pelletized. A method for producing the molding material mixture includes the following: a pre-irradiation step of applying an aqueous dispersion of CNFs to a base material sheet or immersing a base material sheet in the CNF aqueous dispersion, irradiating the base material sheet with an electron beam, and bringing the base material sheet into contact with an aqueous solution or an aqueous dispersion containing a hydrophobic monomer so that the hydrophobic monomer is graft-polymerized onto the CNFs, or a simultaneous irradiation step of mixing an aqueous dispersion of CNFs with a hydrophobic monomer to form a solution, applying the mixed solution to a base material sheet or immersing a base material sheet in the mixed solution, and irradiating the base material sheet with an electron beam so that the hydrophobic monomer is graft-polymerized onto the CNFs; a drying step; and a grinding or pelletizing step. The present invention provides a molding material mixture that contains cellulose nanofibers and at least one base material selected from the group consisting of a resin and fibers, and that can be handled as a ground product or pellets, and also provides a method for producing the molding material mixture.

A molding material mixture contains cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) and at least one base material selected from the group consisting of a resin and fibers. A hydrophobic polymer is chemically bonded to at least some of the OH groups of the cellulose nanofibers. The base material and the cellulose nanofibers are ground or pelletized. A method for producing the molding material mixture includes the following: a pre-irradiation step of applying an aqueous dispersion of CNFs to a base material sheet or immersing a base material sheet in the CNF aqueous dispersion, irradiating the base material sheet with an electron beam, and bringing the base material sheet into contact with an aqueous solution or an aqueous dispersion containing a hydrophobic monomer so that the hydrophobic monomer is graft-polymerized onto the CNFs, or a simultaneous irradiation step of mixing an aqueous dispersion of CNFs with a hydrophobic monomer to form a solution, applying the mixed solution to a base material sheet or immersing a base material sheet in the mixed solution, and irradiating the base material sheet with an electron beam so that the hydrophobic monomer is graft-polymerized onto the CNFs; a drying step; and a grinding or pelletizing step. The present invention provides a molding material mixture that contains cellulose nanofibers and at least one base material selected from the group consisting of a resin and fibers, and that can be handled as a ground product or pellets, and also provides a method for producing the molding material mixture.

The present invention relates to a release agent and methods of using a release agent. In particular, the present invention relates to a release agent comprising boron nitride and a fumed metal oxide, which may find use, for example, in metal processing applications.