Effect of mould heating temperature on cooling rate of the melt upon bronze crystallization

The article presents the cooling curves of the tin-leaded bronze melt (consists of 10% of lead, 10% of tin, and 80% of copper) being poured in the moulds of various thermal conductivities: massive cast iron chill mould (with the 1:8 cast mass to mould mass ratio) and graphite mould. The curves were plotted for the moulds previously heated to the temperatures of 20; 200; 400; 600; 800 °С. Plotting of the curves was performed with the use of the device Thermograph designed at Tomsk Polytechnic University. The device records thermal electromotive force values of the chromel-alumel thermocouple and converts them into temperature values. The cooling curves are used to determine melt cooling rates within the temperature range involving the crystallization range. It is shown that under similar conditions the cooling rate when casting in cast iron mould is 30-40% higher than in the case of casting in graphite mould. The data given in the paper indicate that preheating of the mould enables us to considerably reduce the cast cooling rate and prolong the period of the melt being in liquid state. It is worth mentioning that cooling rate values of the preheated and non-heated casting moulds are most vividly observed at the initial moments after the melt pouring. When decreasing the casts’ cooling to 300-400 °С the cooling rates tend to be identical. In the article, the numerical data of cooling rates for various mould heating temperatures are presented.