Characterization of Gbara Sand for Foundry Application

Abstract

Assessment of moulding properties of Gbara sand deposit for casting purposes was carried out. Sand sample was collected along the river Gbara bank and characterized to ascertain its suitability for use for casting purposes. Standard foundry testing equipment were used to carry out the tests and the results obtained were compared with American Foundry Men Society (AFS) Standard. The samples were tested for the physical properties and chemical analysis of the sand. Casting was carried out using Gbara sand and Zungeru sand used in SEDI Minna foundry. The properties of the castings such as Tensile, Hardness, Impact and Microstructure were tested. The results of the tests were compared to American Foundry Men Society (AFS) Standard and it was found to be suitable for casting of non-ferrous alloy metals. The results of chemical and mechanical properties showed that Gbara river bank sand is alumina silicate with 93.2% of silicate and 1.3% of alumina which has physio-chemical properties that are suitable for non-ferrous alloy casting.