The Effect of Gas Venting on the Mechanical Properties of C95800 Aluminum Bronze Castings
Received: 17 March 2025 | Revised: 23 May 2025 | Accepted: 6 June 2025 | Online: 2 August 2025
Corresponding author: Sombun Chareonvilisiri
Abstract
C95800 aluminum bronze alloy is a high-strength, corrosion-resistant, and long-lasting material, widely used in engineering applications requiring high durability. Components made from this alloy are often produced by casting, due to the ease of forming complex shapes and their cost-effectiveness. However, a major challenge in casting is that of porosity, which directly affects the mechanical properties of the finished product. Porosity, caused by gas entrapment or shrinkage during cooling, leads to structural discontinuities, ultimately reducing strength. Therefore, efforts have been made to minimize gas-related defects in C95800 aluminum bronze castings for higher quality. In this study, patterns and molds were prepared according to JIS-H 5120. Six CO2 sand molds were used to support the molten metal during casting. A gas venting technique was applied to these molds, and a degassing agent was subsequently introduced to the molten metal, which was melted in an induction furnace with a silicon carbide crucible at approximately 1,200-1,250°C under an oxidizing atmosphere. The degassed molten metal was then rapidly poured into the sand molds and cooled during solidification. This research aims to investigate the effect of the degassing technique, in conjunction with gas venting, on the mechanical properties of C95800 aluminum bronze castings. The tensile strength, impact strength, and hardness were compared between castings produced with and without degassing to evaluate the effectiveness of these techniques in improving the casting quality. The results indicate that the combined application of gas venting and degassing significantly enhances the quality and mechanical performance of the castings.
Keywords:
C95800 aluminum-bronze alloy castings, porosity, gas venting, degassingDownloads
References
E. G. West, Copper and its alloys. Chichester, United Kingdom: Halsted Press, 1982.
Rowley, Casting Copper-Base Alloys, 1st ed. Schaumburg, Illinois: American Foundrymen’s Society, 1984.
I. Richardson and O. Gouriou, "Nickel- bronze: A reconsideration for valve manufacture," Valve World, pp. 1–4, Oct. 2017.
J. Callister and D. William, Fundamentals of materials science and engineering: an integrated approach, 2nd ed. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, 2005.
H. J. Meigh, Cast and Wrought Aluminium Bronzes: Properties, Processes and Structure, 2nd ed. London, United Kingdom: IOM Communications, 2008.
J. R. Davis, ASM handbook 2: Properties and selection: Nonferrous Alloys and Special-Purpose Materials, 10th ed. Materials Park, Ohio: ASM International, 1991.
Standard Specification for Aluminum-Bronze Sand Castings, ASTM B148-97, ASTM International, West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, Apr. 2003.
Standard Specification for Aluminum Bronze Sand Casting, ASTM B148-18, ASTM International, West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, 2018.
J. R. Brown, Foseco Non-Ferrous Foundryman’s Handbook, 11th ed. Oxford, United Kingdom: Butterworth-Heinemann, 1999.
JIS Handbook: Non-Ferrous Metals & Metallurgy. Tokyo, Japan: Japanese Standards Association, 2011.
Copper and Copper Alloy Casting, Tokyo, Japan: Japanese Standards Association, 2009.
ASM handbook. 15: Casting, 9th ed., vol. 15. Materials Park, Ohio: ASM International, 1988.
D. E. Tyler, D. W. Dickinson, and E. J. Dore, "Method of Melting Copper Alloys with a Flux," U.S. Patent 4,038,068, Jul. 1977.
Kavinjr, M. M. Rashidi, and A. H. Ahmad, "Investigation of nickel aluminium bronze castings properties by degassing agent technique," IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, vol. 469, Jan. 2019, Art. no. 012037. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899X/469/1/012037
P. Wenschot, "Defects caused by precipitation of in liquid copper–nickel–aluminium–bronze alloys dissolved carbon and removal by treatment of melt," International Journal of Cast Metals Research, vol. 27, no. 2, pp. 65–72, Jan. 2014. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1179/1743133613Y.0000000080
P. Idodo, "Reducing Casting Defects in Pure Copper Castings," B.S. thesis, Jönköping School of Engineering, Jönköping, Sweden, 2022.
W. Walkington, Gas Porosity – A Guide to Correcting the Problems, Rosemont, Illinois: North American Die Casting Association, 2018.
M. Lagiewka and C. Kolmasiak, "The porosity of Tin bronze castings," Metalurgija, vol. 62, no. 1, pp. 155–157, 2023.
L. Ezra, Kolzin venting: A lost art. Schaumburg, Illinois: Modern Casting, 1998.
P. Berner, G. Metevelis, and S. Scheil, Mold Venting: A Return to the Basics. Schaumburg, Illinois: Modern Casting, 1997.
P. King, D. Martinez, and G. P. Manogharan, "Novel Sprue Designs to Reduce Casting Defects in Nickel-Aluminum Bronze: A Computational Study," in Additive Manufacturing; Advanced Materials Manufacturing; Biomanufacturing; Life Cycle Engineering; Manufacturing Equipment and Automation, Sep. 2020, Art. no. V001T01A054. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1115/MSEC2020-8486
J. F. Meredith, "Solidification and feeding of copper-base castings," Metal Casting Technologies, vol. 52, no. 4, pp. 44–46, 2006.
J. Campbell, Complete casting handbook: metal casting processes, techniques and design, 2nd ed. Amsterdam, Netherlands: Elsevier, 2015. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-444-63509-9.00016-9
J. F. Meredith, "Casting of copper-base casting," Metal Casting Technologies, vol. 53, no. 4, pp. 58–60, 2007.
B. Friedrich, C. Kräutlein, and K. Krone, "Melt Treatment of Copper and Aluminium – The Complex Step Before Casting," in Continuous Casting, H. R. Müller, Ed., 1st ed., Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, 2005, pp. 1–22. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/9783527607969.ch1
A. Sami and N. Ahmed, "Study on Improvement of Casting Conditions for Some Aluminum Bronze Alloys," Engineering and Technology Journal, vol. 25, no. 6, pp. 711–727, Jun. 2007. DOI: https://doi.org/10.30684/etj.25.6.3
S. Alam, R. I. Marshall, and S. Sasaki, "Metallurgical and tribological investigations of aluminium bronze bushes made by a novel centrifugal casting technique," Tribology International, vol. 29, no. 6, pp. 487–492, Sep. 1996. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/0301-679X(95)00108-G
F. Hasan, J. Iqbal, and N. Ridley, "Microstructure of as-cast aluminium bronze containing iron," Materials Science and Technology, vol. 1, no. 4, pp. 312–315, Apr. 1985. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1179/mst.1985.1.4.312
K. S. Abdei-Wahab, E. M. E. Banna, A. A. Hussein, and M. Waly, "Effect of chromium and silicon additions on the microstructure and mechanical properties of complex aluminum bronze," International Journal of Metallurgical & Materials Science and Engineering, pp. 18–27, 2015.
E. C. Chia, "Investigation of Gas Equilibria in Copper," M.S. thesis, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, United States, 1967.
E. F. Brush, S. P. Midson, W. G. Walkington, D. T. Peters, and J. G. Cowie, Porosity Control in Copper Rotor Die Castings. Geumcheon-gu, Seoul, Korea: Castman, 2010.
M. Sahoo and S. Sahu, Principles of Metal Casting, Third Edition, 3rd edition. New York, New York State: McGraw-Hill Education, 2014.
G. Adeyemi, B. S. Oluwadare, and K. O. Olanipekun, "Investigation on the effect of addition of magnesium on the microstructure and mechanical properties of aluminum bronze," International Journal of Engineering Science Invention, vol. 2, no. 11, pp. 1–13, Nov. 2013.
A. A. Imah, S. C. Ekenyem, C. C. Ogbu, G. O. Ewa, and E. E. Nnuka, "Effects of Nickel on the Structure and Mechanical Properties of Aluminum Bronze (Cu-10wt%Al)," International Journal of Engineering Inventions, vol. 9, no. 1, pp. 41–51.
C.N. Nwambu, I.M. Anyaeche, G.C. Onwubiko, and E.E. Nnuka, "Modification of the structure and mechanical properties of aluminum bronze (Cu-10%Al) alloy with zirconium and titanium," International Journal of Scientific Engineering and Research, vol. 8, no. 1, pp. 1048–1057, 2017.
M. Moradlon, N. Arab, R. Emadi, and M.M. Meratian, "Effect of magnesium and nickel on the wear and mechanical properties of casting bronzes," Journal of American Science, vol. 7, no. 7, pp. 717–722, 2011.
S. M. Orzolek, J. K. Semple, and C. R. Fisher, "Influence of processing on the microstructure of nickel aluminum bronze (NAB)," Additive Manufacturing, vol. 56, Aug. 2022, Art. no. 102859. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addma.2022.102859
D. R. Askeland, P. P. Fulay, and P. P. Fulay, The science and engineering of materials, 4th ed. Pacific Grove, California.: Brooks/Cole-Thomson Learning, 2003.
A. Pineau and T. Pardoen, "Failure of Metals," in Comprehensive Structural Integrity, Amsterdam, Netherlands: Elsevier, 2007, pp. 684–797. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/B0-08-043749-4/02109-1
A. Pineau, A. A. Benzerga, and T. Pardoen, "Failure of metals I: Brittle and ductile fracture," Acta Materialia, vol. 107, pp. 424–483, Apr. 2016. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2015.12.034
A. K. Zurek, "Brittle cracks in intrinsically ductile copper," Scripta Metallurgica, vol. 21, no. 12, pp. 1619–1622, Dec. 1987. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/0036-9748(87)90145-1
D. François, A. Pineau, and A. Zaoui, Mechanical Behaviour of Materials: Volume II: Fracture Mechanics and Damage, 2nd ed. Dordrecht, Netherlands: Springer, 2013. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-4930-6
C. Thongyothee and S. Chareonvilisiri, "A Study on the Influence of Silicon Content on Wear and Mechanical Properties of Cast Nickel-Aluminum Bronze," Engineering, Technology & Applied Science Research, vol. 14, no. 6, pp. 18316–18323, Dec. 2024. DOI: https://doi.org/10.48084/etasr.8817
O. Bildik and M. Yaşar, "Manufacturing of Wear Resistant Iron-Steel: A Theoretical and Experimental Research on Wear Behavior," Engineering, Technology & Applied Science Research, vol. 11, no. 3, pp. 7251–7256, Jun. 2021. DOI: https://doi.org/10.48084/etasr.4092
Downloads
How to Cite
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Chawanan Thongyothee, Sombun Chareonvilisiri
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain the copyright and grant the journal the right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) after its publication in ETASR with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
