Research of Casting and Solidification of Steel Ingots by Application of Low-Melting Materials

The article describes the simulation of the casting of the low-melting material stearin into a mold, which serves as a real simulation basis for monitoring the displacement during the solidification of steel ingots. The physical properties and occurrence of shrinkage are comparable for both liquid stearin and molten steel. In this way, it is possible to easily monitor the solidification of ingots after casting, while the entire simulation takes place at low temperatures, which is experimentally simpler and more practical than trial casting steel at high temperatures. The process is convenient, simple, fast and cheap. The essence is therefore the application of a new perspective on the mentioned process and its transfer into foundry practice. The temperature drop in the entire volume of the sample was monitored from filling the mold to cooling to ambient temperature and the formation of shrinkage, which was monitored and evaluated in the internal body of the ingot. The tests confirmed the suitability of selected material for this method of experimental work because they were able to capture the real behavior of the cast steel in the mold. The method proves to be suitable for industrial applications where similar multidimensional castings are produced.