# US 9,038,708 B1 · Foundry mixture and related methods for casting and cleaning cast metal parts > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,038,708 B1 - Document ID: US9038708B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 14/511,432 - Filed: 2014-10-10 - Granted: 2015-05-26 - Earliest claimed: 2014-06-18 - Assignees: Newton Engine Corporation - Applicants: Newton Engine Corporation - Inventors: John E. Hoffman, Jr.; Richard A. Hoffman, Sr. - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9038708B1 ## CPC - B22C 1/02: characterised by additives for special purposes, e.g. indicators, breakdown additives - B22C 1/16: characterised by the use of binding agents; Mixtures of binding agents - B22C 1/22: of resins or rosins - B22D 29/002: {by leaching, washing or dissolving} - B22D 29/04: Handling or stripping castings or ingots (grippers in general, see the relevant subclasses, e.g. B66C) - C25F 1/00: Electrolytic cleaning, degreasing, pickling or descaling - B22C: FOUNDRY MOULDING (moulding refractory materials in general B28B) - B22D: CASTING OF METALS; CASTING OF OTHER SUBSTANCES BY THE SAME PROCESSES OR DEVICES (shaping of plastics or substances in a plastic state B29C; metallurgical processing, selection of substances to be added to metal C21, C22) - C25F: PROCESSES FOR THE ELECTROLYTIC REMOVAL OF MATERIALS FROM OBJECTS; APPARATUS THEREFOR ## Abstract A foundry mixture for making molds used for molding cast metal parts includes foundry sand, a non-aqueous binder, and a cleaning agent that includes calcium oxide. Residual foundry mixture remaining on the cast part after removal from the mold is removed by electrolytic cleaning of the cast part. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A foundry mixture capable of forming a rigid mold for molding a cast metal part without adding water to the mixture, the foundry mixture consisting of: a granular refractory material consisting of sand, a resin binder material, and a cleaning agent, the cleaning agent consisting of calcium oxide; and the resin binder material being curable without using water to form a rigid non-aqueous binder matrix rigidifying the mold, the resin binder material being of the type that does not react with the calcium oxide during curing so that the calcium oxide remains as calcium oxide after curing of the resin binder material. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The foundry mixture of claim 1 wherein the resin binder material is a heat-curable resin. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The foundry mixture of claim 1 wherein the resin binder material is reactable with a suspension agent to form a cured resin binder. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The foundry mixture of claim 1 wherein the resin binder material is a self-curing resin. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The foundry mixture of claim 1 wherein the resin binder material coats the refractory material. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The foundry mixture of claim 1 wherein the calcium oxide is between about ½% (on half percent) and about 5% (five percent) by weight or by volume of the refractory material. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The foundry mixture of claim 1 wherein the calcium oxide is finely ground or powdered calcium oxide having a fineness of between about 100 mesh to about 500 mesh. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The foundry mixture of claim 1 wherein the resin binder has been cured and is binding the refractory material and the cleaning agent in a rigid non-aqueous binder matrix, the calcium oxide in the binder matrix. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The foundry mixture of claim 8 having a cold tensile strength not less than 420 pounds per square inch and/or having a Loss on Ignition not greater than two and ninety hundredths percent (2.9%). ### Claim 10 A foundry mixture capable of forming a rigid mold for molding a cast metal part without adding water to the mixture, the foundry mixture consisting of: a granular refractory material consisting of sand, a resin binder material, an additive, and a cleaning agent, the cleaning agent consisting of calcium oxide; the additive selected from one or more of the following groups (a), (b), (c), and (d): (a) a reducing agent consisting of at least one of the following: coal powder, pitch, creosote, and fuel oil; and (b) a cushioning material consisting of at least one of the following: wood flour, saw dust, powdered husks, peat, and straw; (c) a dry strength agent consisting of at least one of the following: dextrin, starch, sulphite lye, and molasses; (d) a refractoriness agent consisting of at least one of the following: iron oxide powder, silica flour, and zircon flour; the resin binder material being curable without using water to form a rigid non-aqueous binder matrix rigidifying the mold, the resin binder material being of the type that does not react with the calcium oxide during curing so that the calcium oxide remains as calcium oxide after curing of the resin binder material. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The foundry mixture of claim 10 wherein the binder material is a resin reactable with a suspension agent to form a cured resin binder. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The foundry mixture of claim 10 wherein the binder material is one of (a) and (b): (a) a self-curing resin, and (b) a heat-curable resin. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The foundry mixture of claim 10 wherein the binder material coats the refractory material. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The foundry mixture of claim 10 wherein the calcium oxide is between about ½ (one-half percent) and about 5% (five percent) by weight or by volume of the refractory material. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The foundry mixture of claim 10 wherein the calcium oxide is finely ground or powdered calcium oxide having a fineness of between about 100 mesh to about 500 mesh.