Raw Materials for Investment Casting

Alumina, zircon, silica, and different aluminosilicates are some of the common ceramics used to make molds for investment casting. Quartz is sometimes used as well because it is a low-cost material. Common aluminosilicate mixtures contain 42-72% alumina and the rest silica. This mixture is often called mullite, where the alumina content is 72%. Zircon-based ceramics are often used for primers because zirconium does not react with liquid metal. Ethyl silicate, colloidal silica, sodium silicate, or a mixture is used as a binder to hold the ceramic in place.

Materials for Investment Casting

The investment casting technique is suitable for casting ferrous and nonferrous alloys with precise dimensions and little or no machining. Listed below are the different types of ferrous and nonferrous alloys used for investment casting.

Ferrous Alloys: Martensitic Stainless Steel, Austenitic Stainless Steel, Duplex Stainless Steel, Carbon Steel, Low Alloy Steel, Ductile Iron, Gray Cast Iron.

Nonferrous Alloys: Nickel-Based, Cobalt-Based Superalloys, Refractory Alloys, Aluminum Alloys, Titanium Alloys, Bronze.