µ-Kern: Microstructure based calculation method for the technological properties of inorganically bound sand cores.

• Applicants: Privatdozent Dr. Heiko Andrä; Professor Dr.-Ing. Wolfram Volk
• Subject Area: Primary Shaping and Reshaping Technology, Additive Manufacturing
• Term: from 2016 to 2019
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 280815704

Motivated by environmental protection laws and the global goal of an eco-friendly production, inorganically bonded sand cores are being used more and more often by light metal foundries around the world. These cores consists of natural quartz sand, which is bonded by silicate binders. Their technological properties mechanical strength, permeability, thermal conductivity and heat capacity are critical for the casting quality. The effect of sand and binder characteristics on these technological properties have merely been described by heuristic methods until now. The aim of this project is to develop and validate a computational method, which determines the technological properties of inorganically bonded sand cores based on the constituents' properties. The numerical method is based on a three-dimensional model of the material's microstructure.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants