CASTING PROCEDURE

AND CASTING DEFECTS

DR. MEENAKSHI CHOUDHARY

 CONTENTS

 Introduction
 History
 Steps in casting procedure
 Sprue formers
 Crucible formers
 Casting rings and ring liners
Investing procedure
Wax burnout
Casting of alloys into mould
Cleaning of casting
Casting defects
 INTRODUCTION
O Is defined as something that has been cast in a
mold, an object formed by the solidification of
a fluid that has been poured or injected into a
mold (GPT)
 HISTORY :
O Casting - produce jewellery and ornaments.

O 3500 B.C. – Egyptians first manufactured refractories

which is the form of glass vessels around a refractory
core of mud, sand, and animal dung.

O 11th Century -Theophilus : Described lost wax

technique, which was a common practice in jewellery

O 1907 – William. H .Taggart : lost wax technique in

dentistry
STEPS INVOLVED IN THE
CASTING
 TOOTH PREPARATION

IMPRESSION

DIE PREPARATION

WAX PATTERN FABRICATION

ATTACHMENT OF SPRUE FORMER

RING LINER PLACEMENT

ASSEMBLY OF CASTING RING

INVESTING

BURNOUT /WAX ELIMINATION

CASTING

SANDBLASTING

FINISHING AND POLISHING

 SPRUING
O SPRUE FORMER :A wax, plastic or metal used to form
the channel or channels which allows molten metal to flow
into a mould to make casting

O PURPOSE :
-Create channel for elimination of wax during Burnout
-To provide a channel through which molten alloy can
reach the mould in an invested ring after the wax has been
eliminated
TYPES OF SPRUE
 Sprue former diameter
O The diameter and length of the sprue former depends on: -

 The type and size of the pattern

 The type of casting machine to be used
 The dimensions of the casting rings in which casting is
made

O → Molar and metal ceramic restoration - 10-gauge

(2.5mm)
O → Premolars and partial coverage restoration - 12-gauge
(2.0mm)
 Sprue former length

 The length of the sprue former - it keeps the wax pattern

6mm or ¼ inch from the end of the ring
 EFFECT OF DIMENSION CHANGE
 Large diameter sprue:
this improves the flow of molten metal into the mould.

 Less diameter sprue:

causes localized shrinkage porosity

 Very short sprue : porosity in casting at the junction of sprue and

pattern

 Very long sprue : sprue solidifies first leading to casting shrinkage

and incomplete casting
SPRUE FORMER POSITION :
 RESERVOIR
O Small amount of additional wax added to the
Sprue former 1mm below the wax pattern

O It prevents localized shrinkage porosity as the

alloy in this part solidifies last after the
solidification of metal in mould
 CRUCIBLE FORMER
O The sprue is attached to crucible former which constitutes
the base of casting in relation with casting ring during
investing

O It also helps by holding sprue in desired ring

O They are available as---

Rubber crucible former
Metallic Crucible former
Plastic crucible former
 CASTING RING
• Used to confine the fluid investment around the wax
pattern while the investment sets

• Allows the hardened investment to be safely handled

during burnout and casting

• They are available as:

1) Shapes - Round
- Oval
2) Complete rings I) - Rigid - Metal (stainless steel)
-Plastic
II) Flexible - Rubber
3) Split rings I) Metal II) Plastic
 CASTING RING LINER
O Placed inside the casting ring

O Used to produce expansion of mould

O Various materials used as ring liners -

1.Asbestos liner (discontinued due to health hazards from
breathing its dust)
2.Cellulose (blotting paper) liner
3.Ceramic ring liner
4.Combination of ceramic and cellulose ring liner
 FUNCTION:

1.Allow uniform setting expansion of investment by

decreasing the confinement of rigid casting ring

2. In case of wet liner technique ---The absorbed water help

in hygroscopic expansion

3.Thickness of the liner should be < 1mm

4.The amount of expansion depends on the number of

liners used. The expansion seen with 2 liners is greater
than one liner
 INVESTING
O Apply wetting agent on wax pattern to reduce air bubbles

O Seat casting ring into crucible former

O Mix investment in vacuum mixer and Vibrate

O Apply investment with brush on wax pattern to reduce

trapping of air bubbles

O Fill assembly with investment mix and allow it to set for

1 hr
 INVESTMENT MATERIALS
O Gypsum Bonded investments :Gold alloys

O Phosphate Bonded investments :metal ceramic

and cobalt chromium alloys

O Silica Bonded investments: Base metal alloys

 METHODS OF INVESTMENT

MANUAL INVESTING
VACUUM INVESTING
 MANUAL INVESTING :

O Water and Powder - incorporated in adequate ratio

O Applied to pattern with small sable brush

O Investment allowed to set partially

O Assembly filled with investment

 VACUUM INVESTING :

O Investment mixed and pattern invested under

vacuum

O Possibility of bubble formation is reduced

O Preferred as casting will be smooth and free of

nodules
 BURN OUT/WAX
ELIMINATION PROCEDURE
O Once the investment has set for an appropriate period, it is
ready for burnout

O A crucible former is then carefully removed

O It is advisable to begin the burnout procedure while the

mould is still wet, because water trapped in the pores of
investment reduces the absorption of wax & as water
vaporizes, it flushes wax from mould

O Heating should be gradual, rapid heating causes walls to

flake
TWO STAGE BURNOUT AND EXPANSION
TECHNIQUE

Ring placed in burnout furnance

Heated gradually to 400ºC in 20 mins

(Maintain it for 30 mins)

Over next 30 mins,raise temp to 700ºC and

maintain for further 30 mins
 SINGLE STAGE BURNOUT
AND EXPANSION
(RAPID TECHNIQUE)

Place mould into Pre heated oven (700-850ºC)

Hold for 30-40 mins

Cast
 CASTING PROCEDURE
It is the Process by which molten alloy is forced into
heated investment mould

CASTING MACHINES:

1 . CENTRIFUGAL FORCE TYPE

2 . AIR PRESSURE TYPE

 AIR PRESSURE CASTING MACHINE
O Alloy - melted in the hallow left in crucible former
O Air Pressure - piston
O Compressed air or gases like carbon dioxide or nitrogen
can be used to force molten metal into mould
 CENTRIFUGAL CASTING MACHINES
O Centrifugal machines may be spring driven or motor
driven

O Advantage :simplicity of design and operation, with the

opportunity to cast both large and small castings on the
same machine
O Casting machines can also be grouped based
on heating system employed

1. Torch melted
2. Induction melted
3. Arc melted
Torch melted
Induction melting. White hot molten alloy in crucible surrounded by
the induction coil.
Direct current is passed between two electrodes—a tungsten
electrode and the alloy. Arc melting produces very high
temperatures and is used to melt high fusion metals like
Titanium
 CRUCIBLES
O Heat resistant container in which the alloy is
melted prior to casting

O Four types - clay, carbon, quartz and ceramic

O In dentistry, -quartz or ceramic crucibles are

commonly preferred as some alloys may be
sensitive to carbon contamination.
CASTING ALLOY :
 CASTING
Alloy - melted with suitable heat source

Flux powder - sprinkled over the molten metal

(reduce oxides and increase fluidity for casting)

When the alloy is molten it has a mirror-like

appearance and shifts like a ball of mercury

Hot casting ring - shifted from the burnout

furnace to the casting machine
 Crucible is placed against the ring to avoid spilling of
molten metal

Arm is released and allowed to rotate

This creates a centrifugal force which forces the liquid metal

into the mould cavity

Arm is allowed to rotate till it comes to rest

The ring is allowed to cool for 10 minutes till the glow of the
metal disappears
 QUENCHING
O The ring is then immersed into water

O This leaves the cast metal in an annealed

(softened) condition and also helps to fragment
the investment

O Metal-ceramic alloys and base metal alloys are

not quenched
RECOVERY OF CASTING
O The investment is removed and the casting
recovered

O A pneumatic (compressed air driven) chisel may

be used to remove the investment

O Final bits of investment is removed by

sandblasting
 SANDBLASTING

• Sandblasting is the process by which particles of

an abrasive (usually aluminium oxide) is projected
at high velocity using compressed air in a
continuous stream.

• The casting is held in a sandblasting machine to

clean the remaining investment from its surface
 PICKLING
• Surface oxides (e.g. black castings) from the casting
are removed by pickling in 50% hydrochloric acid

• HCl is heated but not boiled with the casting in it

(done for gold alloys)

• Pickling is not a routine procedure and is performed

only when indicated

• Care should be exercised when handling strong acids

 TRIMMING
O The Sprue is sectioned off with a cutting disc

O The casting is trimmed, shaped and smoothed with

suitable burs or stones
 POLISHING
O Minimum polishing is required if all the
procedures from the wax pattern to
casting are followed meticulously
CASTING DEFECTS
O A casting defect is an irregularity in the metal casting
process that is very undesired
O Errors in the procedure often results in defective
castings

O Casting defects may be described as follows

(Coomb’s classification)
1. Distortion
2. Surface roughness
3. Porosity
4. Incomplete casting
5. Contaminated casting
 DISTORTION

O Distortion of the casting is usually due to distortion

of wax pattern

O Some distortion of wax occurs when the investment

hardens or due to hygroscopic and setting expansion

O It does not cause serious problems

O Some distortion occurs during manipulation due
to the release of stresses

O Wax distortion is minimized by manipulation of

wax at high temperature

O Investing pattern within one hour after finishing

O Store in refrigerator- if necessary

 SURFACE ROUGHNESS
O Surface irregularities can range from surface
roughness to larger nodules and fins

O Causes of surface roughness

• Type of investment -Phosphate bonded investments
tend to have greater surface roughness when
compared to gypsum bonded investments
• Composition of the investment- Proportion of the
quartz and binder influences the surface texture of
casting. Coarse silica produces coarse castings.

• Particle size of investment -Larger particle size of

investment produces coarse castings.

• Improper W-P ratio A higher W-P ratio gives

rougher casting. – Minimized by using correct W/P
ratio and investment of correct particle size.
• Prolonged heating causes disintegration of the
mould cavity. – Minimized by complete the casting
as soon as the ring is heated and ready

• Overheating of gold alloy has the same effect. It

disintegrates the investment

• Too high or too low casting pressure. – Minimized

by using 15 lbs/sq inch of air pressure or three to
four turns of centrifugal casting machine

• Foreign body inclusion shows sharp, well-defined

deficiencies. Inclusion of flux shows as bright
concavities.
 SURFACE NODULES

O Nodules on the inner surface of a casting can affect the

fit of the restoration. They are usually caused by air or
gas bubbles trapped on the wax pattern
O Minimized by:
- Proper mixing of investment
- Vibration of mix
- Vacuum investing
-Painting of a think layer of investment on the
pattern
- Application of wetting agent
 FIN
O Fins are narrow raised areas on a casting
usually corresponding to a crack in the
investment
 Minimized by:
O Proper water powder ratio for improved strength of
investment
O Avoid prolonged and rapid heating of the mould.
Heat the ring gradually to 700 °C (in at least 1 hour)
O Proper spruing so as to prevent direct impact of the
molten metal at an angle of 90º
O Allow the investment adequate time to set properly.
Avoid premature use
O Careful handling of the mould to prevent it from
dropping or impacting
 POROSITY

O Porosity may be internal or external

O External :discoloration of the casting

O Internal :weakens the restoration

 Types of porosities

1. Those caused by solidification shrinkage

– Localized shrinkage porosity
– Suck back porosity (Irregular in shape)
– Microporosities

2. Those caused by gas

– Pin hole porosity
– Gas inclusions (Usually spherical in shape)
– Subsurface porosity

3. Those caused by air trapped in the mould (back

pressure porosity)
 Avoid by:

O Using Sprue of correct thickness

O Attach Sprue to thickest portion of wax pattern

O Flaring the Sprue at the point of attachment or

placing a reservoir close to the wax pattern
 Suck back porosity
O Variation of the shrink spot porosity. This is an external void
usually seen in the inside of a crown opposite the sprue.

O A hot spot is created by the hot metal impinging on the mould

wall near the sprue which causes this region to freeze last.
Since the sprue has already solidified, no more molten material
is available and the resulting shrinkage causes a type of
shrinkage called suck back porosity

O Avoided by reducing the temperature difference between the

mould and the molten alloy
 Microporosity:

O These are fine irregular voids within the casting

O It is seen when the casting cools too rapidly

O Rapid solidification occurs when the mould or

casting temperature is too low
 Pin hole porosity :

O Many metals dissolve gases when molten

O Upon solidification the dissolved gases are

expelled causing tiny voids, e.g. platinum and
palladium absorb hydrogen

O Copper and silver dissolve oxygen

 Gas inclusion porosities :
O Spherical voids > pin hole type

O Gases carried in or trapped by the molten metal

O Poorly adjusted blow torch - occlude gases

 Back pressure porosity

O Inadequate venting of the mould

O Air - trapped and unable - escape

O Sprue pattern length - adjusted so that there is not

more than 1/4” thickness of the investment between
the bottom of the casting ring and the wax pattern
O When the molten metal enters the mould, the air
inside is pushed out through the porous investment at
the bottom.

O If the bulk of the investment is too great, the escape

of air becomes difficult causing increased pressure in
the mould.

O The gold will then solidify before the mould is

completely filled resulting in a porous casting with
rounded short margins.
 Avoided by:

 Using adequate casting force

 Use investment of adequate porosity

 Place pattern not more than 6 to 8 mm away

from the end of the ring

 Providing vents in large castings

 INCOMPLETE CASTING
O An incomplete casting may result when
1. Insufficient alloy used.
2. Alloy not sufficiently molten or fluid.
3. Alloy not able to enter thinner areas of mould.
4. Mould is not heated to proper temperature.
5. Premature solidification of alloy.
6. Sprue blocked with foreign bodies.
7. Back pressure due to gases in mould cavity.
8. Low casting pressure.
 CONTAMINATION
O A casting can be contaminated due to

o Oxidation, caused by
– Overheating the alloy
– Use of oxidizing zone of flame
– Failure to use flux

o Sulphur compounds, formed by the breakdown of

the investment when the ring is overheated
Avoid by

– Not overheating alloy

– Use reducing zone of the flame

– Use flux
 Black casting
O Can be due to two reasons:

1. Overheating the investment above 700 °C causes it to

decompose liberating sulphur or sulphur compounds.

They readily combine with the metals in gold alloy

forming a sulfide film.

This gives a dark casting which cannot be cleaned by

pickling.
2. A black casting can be also due to incomplete
elimination of the wax pattern, as a result of heating
the mould at too low temperature.

A carbonized wax remains which sticks to the surface

of the casting.

It can be removed by heating over a flame.

THANK YOU