Abstract

<p>Characterization of green properties of Use Offot sand deposit for foundry purpose and application has been carried out. Sand samples for the characterization were obtained from Use Offot sand deposit, and the sand samples were dried in the oven at a temperature of 120OC. Some samples were removed for clay content determination, particle size distribution analysis, and grain fineness number calculation. Measured quantities of the sand were also mixed with 4% bentonite, and various percentages of water to prepare different molding mixtures for green shear strength, green compression strength, and green permeability tests. The result of the analysis shows that at constant bentonite content of 4% the green strengths were affected by the increase in moisture content of the moulding mixtures. The green strengths increase to maximum at 6% moisture, after which further increase in moisture leads to decrease in the green strengths of the moulding mixture. The study showed that the 6% moisture content was a threshold value that affected all the green properties of the sand, even the green permeability dropped drastically at 6% moisture content. The result also confirmed that the sand is a synthetic sand with 1.8% clay content. It has a grain fineness number of 94.3 AFS making it suitable for foundry application and it is also a three-sieve sand with good strength and other properties commonly associated with three-sieve sands. During casting because of the sand’s high grain fineness number of 94.3 it will provide good surface finish for the castings</p>