Investigation of the Suitability of Iyoloko Clay as a Binding Material for Foundry Application

Abstract

Clay is useful in foundry application. It is one of the principal moulding materials used for all type of casting whether ferrous or non-ferrous. The objective of this work is to investigate the suitability of Iyoloko clay as a binding material for foundry application. This was done by investigating the physio- chemical properties of the clay. The physio-chemical properties of the clay were determined by physical and chemical analysis. XRay Fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy technique was used to determine the chemical composition of the clay. Physical analysis covers visual examination, determination of moisture content, relative plasticity, modulus of rupture, shrinkage, water of porosity and density, refractoriness, Loss on Ignition(LOI).From the physical analysis, the total shrinkage of the clay is 4%,the apparent porosity is 19.60%, The value of apparent density and bulk density for the clay are 2.24g/cm3 and 1.80g/cm3 respectively. The value of the water of absorption of the clay is 10.86%.The modulus of rupture of the clay is 2.38MN/m2. The modulus of plasticity for the clay is 1.29 MN/m2. The moisture content of the clay is 13.43%.The refractoriness of the clay is above 1600oC. The value of loss on ignition of the clay is 2.43%. The Grain Finest Number (GFN) of the clay is 64.75. The chemical analysis of clay showed that the value of Alumina Al2O3 is 30.07 wt% and that of silica is 43.20 wt%. The result obtained from the overall experimental analysis showed that if Iyoloko clay is properly processed, it will have appreciable and reasonable physio-chemical properties that will make it suitable for used as a binding material for foundry application.