Provided are: a coated sand having improved fluidity and being capable of improving a filling rate of a casting mold to be obtained; and a coated sand for advantageously manufacturing a casting mold having excellent strength, which coated sand provides a casting mold with good mold-releasability and collapsibility, gives cast products a favorable casting surface, and effectively improves sand adhesion on cast products. The coated sand is formed as a dry granular material having fluidity at room temperature, in which the surface of a refractory aggregate is coated with a solid layer of a water-soluble inorganic binder, and spherical particles of silicone resin having binder-repellency exist on the surface of the binder layer, or form a layer on the surface of the binder layer, a part of the spherical particles being not covered with the water-soluble inorganic binder and being exposed.

Provided are: a mold material having improved fluidity and being capable of improving a filling rate of a forming mold during formation of a casting mold; and a mold material that gives cast products a favorable casting surface, effectively improves sand adhesion on cast products, and advantageously provides a casting mold having excellent strength. The mold material is formed as a coated sand in a wet state with spherical particles of silicone resin having binder repellency existing on its surface, by at least mixing a water-soluble inorganic binder in the liquid state having a viscosity of not more than 1000 cP, and the spherical particles of silicone resin, with a refractory aggregate.

Provided are: a mold material having improved fluidity and being capable of improving a filling rate of a forming mold during formation of a casting mold; and a mold material that gives cast products a favorable casting surface, effectively improves sand adhesion on cast products, and advantageously provides a casting mold having excellent strength. The mold material is formed as a coated sand in a wet state with spherical particles of silicone resin having binder repellency existing on its surface, by at least mixing a water-soluble inorganic binder in the liquid state having a viscosity of not more than 1000 cP, and the spherical particles of silicone resin, with a refractory aggregate.

A method of fabricating a casting is provided. The method includes creating a mixture of ceramic powder and a binder, pouring the mixture around sacrificial patterns, executing a first thermal treatment to set the mixture into a solid mold without damaging the sacrificial patterns, executing a second thermal treatment to remove the sacrificial patterns without removing any of the binder from the solid mold, executing at least one of a third thermal treatment and a chemical treatment to remove a quantity of the binder to transform the solid mold into a solid breakaway mold and pouring molten metallic material into the solid breakaway mold.

A method of fabricating a casting is provided. The method includes creating a mixture of ceramic powder and a binder, pouring the mixture around sacrificial patterns, executing a first thermal treatment to set the mixture into a solid mold without damaging the sacrificial patterns, executing a second thermal treatment to remove the sacrificial patterns without removing any of the binder from the solid mold, executing at least one of a third thermal treatment and a chemical treatment to remove a quantity of the binder to transform the solid mold into a solid breakaway mold and pouring molten metallic material into the solid breakaway mold.

A method for inorganic binder casting, comprising: selecting a Shape-Forming Material based on pre-determined manufacturing and shape characteristics, selecting a casting shape based on pre-determined design characteristics, and forming the Shape-Forming Material into a mold. The mold is coated with an inorganic binder solution at a pre-defined weight ratio and is dehydrated the Shape-Forming Material. The method further comprises pouring a hot liquid metal into the mold and allowing said hot liquid metal to cool to form a molded part. The Shape-Forming Material may be washed from said molded part with a solvent, the inorganic material and Shape-Forming Material reclaimed, reused, and the Shape-Forming Material reformed to a mold. The method further comprises recreating a liquid inorganic binder solution using the reclaimed inorganic material and recoating the Shape-Forming Material with the reclaimed inorganic binder solution.

A method for inorganic binder casting, comprising: selecting a Shape-Forming Material based on pre-determined manufacturing and shape characteristics, selecting a casting shape based on pre-determined design characteristics, and forming the Shape-Forming Material into a mold. The mold is coated with an inorganic binder solution at a pre-defined weight ratio and is dehydrated the Shape-Forming Material. The method further comprises pouring a hot liquid metal into the mold and allowing said hot liquid metal to cool to form a molded part. The Shape-Forming Material may be washed from said molded part with a solvent, the inorganic material and Shape-Forming Material reclaimed, reused, and the Shape-Forming Material reformed to a mold. The method further comprises recreating a liquid inorganic binder solution using the reclaimed inorganic material and recoating the Shape-Forming Material with the reclaimed inorganic binder solution.

The invention relates to a method for more quickly producing molds (2) or cores (2) for foundry purposes by adapting the specific electrical resistance in the selection of the core box to the mixture (9) of a molding material and of a water-containing binder, which binder, when dissolved, forms an electrolyte and has a sufficient electrical conductivity. It is essential to the invention that an electrically conductive material (7) for holding the mixture (9) is introduced into an electrically non-conductive housing (3), wherein the specific electrical conductivity of the material (7) at operating temperature (7) at least approximately corresponds to the specific electrical conductivity of the mixture (9) at temperatures between 100 C. and 130 C., and that electrical energy and thus heat are supplied to the material (7) via electrodes (10) arranged in/on the housing (3) (resistance heating principle), leading to curing of the mixture (9). Depending on the sand core, up to 30% shorter cycle times can be achieved.

The invention relates to a method for more quickly producing molds (2) or cores (2) for foundry purposes by adapting the specific electrical resistance in the selection of the core box to the mixture (9) of a molding material and of a water-containing binder, which binder, when dissolved, forms an electrolyte and has a sufficient electrical conductivity. It is essential to the invention that an electrically conductive material (7) for holding the mixture (9) is introduced into an electrically non-conductive housing (3), wherein the specific electrical conductivity of the material (7) at operating temperature (7) at least approximately corresponds to the specific electrical conductivity of the mixture (9) at temperatures between 100 C. and 130 C., and that electrical energy and thus heat are supplied to the material (7) via electrodes (10) arranged in/on the housing (3) (resistance heating principle), leading to curing of the mixture (9). Depending on the sand core, up to 30% shorter cycle times can be achieved.

To provide a binder composition for molding, by which a mold made of aggregate has an excellent resistance to moisture. The binder composition for molding contains a water-soluble binder and at least one kind of lithium salt that is selected from a group of lithium silicate, lithium oxide, lithium hydroxide, lithium carbonate, lithium bromide, lithium chloride, lithium nitrate, and lithium nitrite.