TECHNOLOGY OF PRODUCTION OF MOLD FILLING MATERIAL FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES IN THE FIELD OF METALLIC FOAM CASTING

This paper describes the technology for the production of precursors (space holder material) used to form the complex internal structure of cast metal foam. The precursor material must exhibit sufficient refractoriness, resist contact with liquid metal and at the same time should exhibit good collapsibility after casting. With regard to the greening of foundry production, the focus of this paper was on materials that could exhibit the above properties and at the same time do not have a negative impact on the environment. In this paper, the technology for the production of spherical precursors from a self-hardening mixture with a geopolymer-based binder system is described and verified. The motivation for the choice of material and all the sub-steps of the process – molding into the core box, tumbling, including the necessary accompanying tests of the mechanical properties of the core mixture being verified – are described.