The permanent mold casting process has several advantages such as near-net shape, better surface finish and energy efficiency. This process also eliminates the problem of disposal of lead contaminated sand in copper alloy foundries. Casting of copper alloys using this process is very common in Europe and is gradually gaining momentum in North America. The design engineers should be aware of the advantages of the permanent mold cast copper alloys to increase their market share. It is also necessary to establish the process and design parameters for various permanent mold cast copper base alloys for their wider acceptance as engineering alloys. To this end, two research programs, one on design parameters and the other on process parameters were initiated at the Materials Technology Lab of CANMET in partnership with the American Foundry Society (AFS) and the US Department of Energy (DOE). The project on design parameters investigated tensile properties, fatigue, fracture and impact toughness, wear and corrosion behaviour of different copper base alloys that can be cast in permanent molds. This project also investigated the pattern-makers shrinkage and taper allowance. In the case of the second project on process parameters, attention was focused on mold materials, gating design, mold coating, casting fluidity and alloy development. This paper discusses some important findings from these two projects.
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