CA1104754A - Foundry compositions containing propylene glycol monoacetate - Google Patents

Foundry compositions containing propylene glycol monoacetate

Info

Publication number
CA1104754A
CA1104754A CA315,086A CA315086A CA1104754A CA 1104754 A CA1104754 A CA 1104754A CA 315086 A CA315086 A CA 315086A CA 1104754 A CA1104754 A CA 1104754A
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
silicate
propylene glycol
glycol monoacetate
composition according
ester
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired
Application number
CA315,086A
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
George C.W. Randall
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
BP Chemicals Ltd
Original Assignee
BP Chemicals Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by BP Chemicals Ltd filed Critical BP Chemicals Ltd
Priority to CA315,086A priority Critical patent/CA1104754A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA1104754A publication Critical patent/CA1104754A/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

Links

Abstract

Case 4480 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
The present invention relates to foundry compositions containing propylene glycol monoacetate, a silica base and a silicate, The use of propylene glycol monoacetate as ester hardeners imparts greater compressive strength to foundry cores and the strength is built up more rapidly than with conventional ester hardeners. This is believed to be due at least in part to the total miscibility of this ester with water and to the purity of the ester product.

Description

llQ4754 FOUNDRY COMPOSITIONS CO~TAINING PROPYLENE GLYCOL MONOACETATE

The present invention relates to the use of propylene glycol monoacetate as an organic ester hardener, especially for cold silicates used for bonding sands in the production of foundry cores.
- Various hardeners may be used for hardening such silicates, the choice of a hardener being dependent upon a number of factors, These include water solubility, type of metal to be cast, type of sand used in casting, type of silicate solution, the degree of oontrol obtainable by altering the composition and quantity of the hardener usrd and the toxicity and fire hazards of the hardeners used The most commonly used hardeners may be placed in three categories, These are:
(1) Powder hardeners such as dicalcium silicate and ferrosilicon,
(2) Carbon-dioxide,
(3) Ester hardeners - 15 Because of the difficulties of adding po~Jder hardeners to sodiumsilicate, and also of obtaining good through hardening with carbon dioxide, ester hardeners have been gaining in popularity, Ester hardeners in general have the advantages of a high rate of growth of strength and easy handling in continuous mixers By using blends of esters it is possible to control the bench life of a formulation and obtain good through hardening. Ester hardeners are thought to operate by a combination of hydrolysls to produce hydrogen ions and dehydration of the silicate solution during this hydrolysis.
However, even amongst organic esters, their degree of water solubility is important because total miscibility not only enables efficient and uniform distribution of the ester but also makes maximum use of , : ' ', ' - ~ : . ' .. . . . ... . . .

~3!47~4 the ester employed. In this respect conventionally used esters such as triacetin, ethylene glycol diacetate and diacetin are somewhat deficient, Triacetin is soluble in water at 20& to an extent of 6.7g/lOOg of water, the solubility of ethylene glycol diacetate being 16.6g/lOOg of water. Diacetin as usually produced is a mixture of mono, di and tri acetate esters of glycerol and can contain as little as 50~ of the desired diacetin. The water solubility of diacetin therefore varies with the method of production and hence with the actual diacetin oontent of the product. Further variability is possible with diacetin depending on which two o~ the three hydroxyl groups of the glyoerol are esterified.
It has now been found that these disadvantages may be minimised - by using a composition containing a specific ester hardener.
Accordingly, tlle present invention is a foundry composition comprising a silica base, a silicate and propylene glycol monoacetate.
The silica base for use in such compositions is preferably sand.
The desirable purity of sand would depend upon the end use of the mould produced. For example, for high quality iron and steel castings sand of very high chemical purity and hlgh packaging density is required.
The silicate in the compositions of the present invention is suitably an alkali metal or an aIkaline earth metal silicate.
Sodium silicate is preferred. Of these silicates the types which have a high SiO2/Na20 molecular ratio are preferred. Thus the silicates suitably have a SiO2/Na20 molecular ratio of between 2:1 and 3:1, most preferably between 2,5:1 and 2.8:1. The silicates are preferably used as their aqueous solution.
The bonding reaction of sand/silicate mixtures is believed to be due to the gelation of the soluble and colloidal silica present which forms a glutinous but strongly cohesive film around the sand grains. The speed with which the gelation effect is achieved can be controlled by controlling the SiO2/Na20 ratio, the type o~ sand, the water to solids ratio in the composition and the quanti-ty of propylene glycol monoacetate used.
~5 Propylene glycol monoacetate is totally miscible with water and :

" ' '' ' .
.` ''' ., :,: ' ~ ',,.;' :` "

hence is an extremely efficient hardening agent for silicate foundry cores, The propylene glycol monoacetate may be used as such or as a mixture thereof with other conventional hardeners such as for instance a hardener selected from diacetin, triacetin, ethylene glycol diacetate and die-thylene glycol diacetate. Whether used alone or in admixture with conventional hardeners it is preferable that the ester hardening mixture contains at least 50% by weight of propylene glycol monoacetate.
Apart from the solubility aspects, propylene glycol monoacetate is superior to conventional hardeners in respect of the compressive strength imparted to the moulding and the faster rate at which such compressive strength is built up. For example, for identical concentrations, propylene glycol monoacetate imparts on an average at least twice the compressive strength to the mould when compared with diacetin.
The amount of propylene glycol monoacetate added to the silicate is suitably between 1 and 20~ by weight of the silicate preferably between 5 and 15~ by weight of the silicate.
The propylene glycol monoacetate used in the co~positions of the present invention may be produced by conventional techniques eg by reacting in the liquid phase propylene oxide and acetic acid at an el`evated temperaturein the presence of a catalyst, It is normal to use a catalyst for the reaction and many different possible catalysts would be apparent to those skilled in the art. Different catalysts produce propylene glycol monoacetate of different degrees of purity and material ranging from 59% to over 90~ propylene glycol monoacetate have been prepared. However all these products are totally miscible with water and all produce higher compressive strengths and a faster rate of build up of compressive strength than diacetin. The gel time is found to vary with the propylene glycol monoacetate content, the higher the content of propylene glycol monoacetate the shorter the gel time.
In general the higher propylene glycol monoacetate content material is preferred and the preferred catalyst to produce such material from propylene oxide and acetic acid is a chromium salt of saturated -. :
.~
.

or unsaturated aliphatic carboxylic acid containing between 1 and l0 carbon atoms. The carboxylic acid used in preparing the chromium salt catalyst is suitably selected from formic, acetic, butyric, pentanoic, hexanoic, octanoic, 2-ethylhexanoic and decanoic acids and mixtures thereof. Whichever salt is used, i-t should preferably be soluble in the reaction medium. Chromium octanoate is a particularly preferred example of such a catalyst.
The chromium salt may be prepared in situ, by heating chromium hydroxide with the carboxylic acid for a short time in order to effect solution. The reaction is then continued in the usuàl manner.
The amount of chromium salt employed in the reaction may vary between 0.1 and 5% by weight of the reactant acid employed.
Aslight molar excess of propylene oxide is preferred in the reaction mixture. Thus, for example the molar ratio of propylene oxide to the reactant carboxylic acid in the reaction mixture is preferably between 1.05 and 1.2.
The reaction of the present invention may be carried out at a temperature between 40 and 120C. The reaction pressure is preferably above atmospheric, for example between 20-40 psig. The process of the present invention may be operated batch-wise or continuously. The course of the reaction may be followed by measuring the acidity of the reaction mixture from time to time and hence determining the content of unreacted acid, Ester hardeners including propylene glycol monoacetate need to have low levels of residual acidity eg less than 0.1% as acetic acid. Such low levels of acidity can be obtained at the reaction stage using chromium salt catalysts whilst maintaining the propylene ~ycol monoacetate content at around 90%, The product may be separated from the catalyst by distillation which may be carried out at reduced pressure.
When using other catalysts the reaction needs to be stopped when the acidity is at a significant level, typically around 5%, in order to maximise the content of propylene glycol monoacetate. The product then needs to be separated from the catalyst and residual acidity by fractional distillation whichmay becarriedoutunderreduced pressure.

.
-~ 47S~ :

One of the significant features of this invention is thatpropylene glycol monoacetate thus produced has a purity of around 90% and it is this quality of the pure product which makes propylene glycol monoacetate a particularly suitable ester for use 5 as a hardener.
The invention is further illustrated with reference to the following examples, l~AMPIES
___ The gel time at room temperature was determined on the following 10 silicate/hardener solutions. All quantities referred to are parts by weight, Comparative ¦ E~camples Ingredients Test ¦ 1_ 2 3 Sodium silicate solution 100 100 100 100 (wt per ml 1,5g) Diacetin 10 - - -PGMA Sample 1 - 10 PGMA Sample 2 - - 10 P~.qA Sample 3 - - - 10 20 Test results are given in Table 1, The compressive strength was assessed by monitoring the strength build-up at room temperature of silicate/sand composites, All quantities referred to are parts by weight, The following mixes were prepared:
Comparative t Examples Composition Test ~ 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 New Windsor Rose ) 100100 100 100 100 100 100 100 Sod um sllicate 3,53,5 3~5 3~5 3'5 ~ 5 3 30 Diacetin 0,35 _ _ _ 0175 -PGM~ Sample 1 - 0,35 - - _ 0175 -PGMA Sample 2 _ _ o,~5 _ _ _ 0,175 PGI~A Sample ~5 _ _ _ 0 53 ~ 0,175 2 inch diameter sand brique-ttes were prepared by hand ramming 35 150 gms of sand/silicate mix, The briquettes were allowed to harden . , ., . ~

47~i4 at room temperature. The compressive strength, after various timesJ
was determined using a Xowden test machine operation with a cross head speed of 1.5 inches/minute.
Test results are given in Tables 2 and ~.
In the data above and in the following Tables the expression ~'PGMAI' refers to propylene glycol monoacetate. The references to "Samples 1, 2 and 3" indicate that samples of PGMA produced in three different batches by reacting in the liquid phase propylene oxide and acetic acid in the presence of an anion exchange resin catalyst (which was vinyl pyridine copolymerised into a cross-linked polystyrene backbone) at a temperature be-tween 95 and 105 C
and a maximum pressure of 50 psig. The PGMA was separated from the crude product by fractional distilla-tion, In addition the expression "EGDA" below represents ethylene glycol diacetate.

, ' , , ' ' '' ",; ':
' " ;' .' : , '.. . ' . ` ~

' ' ,,' ` ~ : : ' 110475~

.. ~ ., e ~ ~ ~

~ = ~ u ~ ~a c ~ ~, ~ ~D .
fD rD ID n . ~, . , _. ~ 3 1~ 53i~ 1:
..- .
3 3 a. ~ ~8 8 o ~- o ..~
D~
n n n ~- . .
1.- _ _ ~
!-,, ;-. .,-. ~ .
. . .
.~.. .

8 ~475 . . _ : - , . .__ ...~_ n a~ ~ ~ . ~: ~
'8 ~D
~s . .. ..... . .. .. .
O~ ~n ~ tn ~o u~ ~ ~
~--'3 0 N 3 G) S Sb .~ ~' ~ ~ ~ ~ .' _ _--r--~ ~ ~
a ~ a 1 ~ C
W
. . . . . . . . . . . .

~ ~ a ~D~ ~ ~`~ a ~D~ ~ ~n 3 O ~ ~ ~0 ~ ~ ~ ~0 ~, ~ ~
.. .. . ~ .
. ~ r 1~ t~ ~ 1~) ~D
w,-- a- --~ s~ ~ ~ ~ ~1 _t ~ ~ C~ ~ ~ W `D w ~ ~n ~ ~ O~
o ~ o w a o w CD _l ~ O
o~
:
-- - - - - ---- l :

9 ~475~

Ir~ ~n~ . _ . ,._ '~ ~
8 ~3 ,~,Q ,~Q ~ ~' . i.

" '~CD ~ ' ~ ~ ~ :~0 .''.1 ~O _ ~ ~~ . ~ _ O

O ~ ~ ~.P `D ~ ) ~a~ ~h 3 t!~ U~ W Ul 'J ~D ~ ~ ~I . Ul ~ > ~ ~'S tD
_ . -1~ Vl ~ ~ ~n~ ~ a-~, ~ ~ ~D
~ 1~ ~n ~ O ~ 1 O 0~ 0 ~

,- ~ ,~ w'' a ~t~ 1~ _~'' s~ ;~: ~ ~3 .
~ 0~ ,0 ~D O~ ~ ~ ~W ~O~D ~, ~ ~
a) 01 -~ Ct~ ~ ~P a- 'D w O a~ O ~ r5 Or 3 _ _ ,P P~ ~: ~ .
~ ~' ~ W W ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ `D ~ ~ ~ ~a ae O ~ ~ O ~1 0~ O ~ ~ '1~ ~ n~ s:: r ~ ~a~ . ool~ ~n w~ .~ 0~ rs~ X ~
. _ ~n O ~ .
W~ 1~ ~D ~ ~ `J 0 5~ ~: .
o- v- I~) co ~ I~) ct~ t~ a~ a~ ~ ~ ~ Is 3 _ _ cr ~
P~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ cnco C~
~1 ~w ~ 0~ ~n 0~ O ~n S~S .
- . - - - -` ~ :

The results set out in Tables 1 and 2 show that in sandcomposites a higher ultimate compressive strength was obtained with all the experimental hardeners. At both 5% and 10% additions PGMA Sample No 1 had the fastest strength build up with the biggest ultimate strength.
Example 10 Preparation of PGMA
To a suitable stirred, heated autoclave were charged 360 pt by weight of acetic acid and 5.4 pt by weight of chromium octanoate.-The vessel was sealed and evacuated and purged with nitrogen severaltimes to ensure removal of air. The vacuum was finally broken with nitrogen to atmospheric pressure. The vessel contents were heated to 90 C and at this temperature the addition of 418 pt by weight (20% excess) of propylene oxide was commenced at a rate of approxim-ately 15 pt by ~eight per minute. The temperature was maintainedat 90-100C and the maximum pressure recorded was 28 psig. After 1 hours reaction the acidity was less than 0.5%, the reactor and con-tents were cooled to 50& and vacuum applied for 30 min to remove excess propylene oxide. The crude product was distilled to give a 91% yield of a product containing 9~ propylene glycol monoacetate and an acidity of 0.02% as acetic acid, Example 11 Comparative Gel Times and Compressive Strengths The gel times and compressive strengths of diacetin/~GDA mixtures were compared with a relatively inexpensive PGMA~ GDA mixture. The results are shown below.
(1) Gel times at 24 &
60 parts Diacetin ~ ~
40 parts E~IDA ~ 10 minutes 70 parts PGMA
~ 0 parts EGDA ~ 9 minutes 40 seconds (2) Stren~ths - using 10~ catalyst on silicate. The figures are kgs load to crush a 2" diameter cylindrical specimen.

60/40 Diacetin/EGDA
After 1 hour 185 147 After 3 hours 238 299 A~ter 6 hours 316 287 5These figures indicate that the 70/30 PGMA/EGDA blend is very similar to the d~acetin/EGDA blend in rate of strength build-up, .. . ,:, :
. . :. :', ~ ' : -.:
....,;
~, : , .. :

.... ' :' ~ ~ ' ~ :: ~; .

Claims (10)

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property;
or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
1. A foundry composition comprising a silica base, a silicate and propylene glycol monoacetate.
2. A composition according to claim 1 wherein the silica base is sand.
3. A composition according to claims 1 wherein the silicate is an alkali metal silicate or an alkaline earth metal silicate.
. A composition according to claim 3 wherein the silicate is sodium silicate.
5. A composition according to claim 4 wherein the silicate has a high silica to sodium oxide molecular ratio.
6. A silicate according to claim 5 wherein the silicate has a silica to sodium oxide molecular ratio between 2:1 and 3:1.
7. A composition according to claim 6 wherein the silicate has a silica to sodium oxide molecular ratio of between 2.5:1 and 2.8:1.
8. A composition according to claim 1 wherein propylene glycol monoacetate is used as a mixture thereof with a hardener selected from diacetin, triacetin, ethylene glycol diacetate and diethylene glycol diacetate.
9 A composition according to claim 8 wherein the mixture contains at least 50% by weight of propylene glycol monoacetate.
10. A composition according to claim 1 wherein the amount of propylene glycol monoacetate added to the silicate is between 1 and 20% by weight of the silicate.
CA315,086A 1978-10-31 1978-10-31 Foundry compositions containing propylene glycol monoacetate Expired CA1104754A (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA315,086A CA1104754A (en) 1978-10-31 1978-10-31 Foundry compositions containing propylene glycol monoacetate

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA315,086A CA1104754A (en) 1978-10-31 1978-10-31 Foundry compositions containing propylene glycol monoacetate

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA1104754A true CA1104754A (en) 1981-07-14

Family

ID=4112794

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA315,086A Expired CA1104754A (en) 1978-10-31 1978-10-31 Foundry compositions containing propylene glycol monoacetate

Country Status (1)

Country Link
CA (1) CA1104754A (en)

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
CA1209319A (en) Process for the manufacture of a foundry core or mould
US4199365A (en) Foundry compositions containing propylene glycol monoacetate
JPS5838234A (en) Carbonylation of formaldehyde-acetal
US4105672A (en) Process for the production of cyclic diesters of dodecanedioic acid
US4213785A (en) Hardening catalysts and alkali metal silicate compositions containing same
CA1104754A (en) Foundry compositions containing propylene glycol monoacetate
US4281194A (en) Process for ammoximation of cyclohexanone
EP0401388B1 (en) Modified silicate composition and production of sand mold therefrom
EP0949239B1 (en) Process for the preparation of linalyl acetate
JPH072260B2 (en) Mold molding composition
US5059247A (en) Method for the preparation of foundry sand compositions
US4678817A (en) Novel desensitized ketone peroxide compositions and their use in the manufacture of foundry cores or moulds
US4157330A (en) Process for the production of cyclic diesters of dodecanedioic acid
JPH07145104A (en) Production of polyglycerol fatty acid esters
US3978099A (en) Solid acetyltartaric acid esters of high fluidity in powder form, and process for the preparation thereof
EP0239089B1 (en) Partitioned reduction process for preparing ferromagnetic chromium dioxide
US5462906A (en) Esterification catalyst for the production of high boiling esters and process of making the high boiling esters
US4083823A (en) No-bake foundry binder system
JPS61260086A (en) Production of magnesium dialkoxide
RU1788921C (en) Method of producing curing agent for water-glass base self-curing foundry sand and its composition
JPH03126719A (en) Production of polyester polyol composition
US2826557A (en) Molding compositions comprising dextran or derivative and method of molding
JPS6120582B2 (en)
JP3189933B2 (en) Curing agent composition for mold molding and method for producing mold
Furuyama et al. Synthesis of (4-Pyridyl)-1, 2-ethanediol and α-Acetoxy-4-vinylpyridine

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
MKEX Expiry