Mechanical Properties and Micro-Mechanisms of Chromite Sand Frozen Sand Molds Prepared by Ultrasonic Vibration Assistance

Zhuang, Bailiang; Yang, Haoqin; Shan, Zhongde; Zhu, Zhuozhi; Ding, Di

doi:10.3390/ma19122635

This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.

Open AccessArticle

Mechanical Properties and Micro-Mechanisms of Chromite Sand Frozen Sand Molds Prepared by Ultrasonic Vibration Assistance

by

Bailiang Zhuang

¹,

Haoqin Yang

^2,*,

Zhongde Shan

³,

Zhuozhi Zhu

¹ and

Di Ding

¹

Jiangsu Branch of China Academy of Machinery Science and Technology Group Co., Ltd., Changzhou 213000, China

²

College of Materials Science and Technology, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016, China

³

China Academy of Machinery Science and Technology Group, Beijing 100044, China

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Materials 2026, 19(12), 2635; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19122635

Submission received: 11 May 2026 / Revised: 9 June 2026 / Accepted: 16 June 2026 / Published: 18 June 2026

(This article belongs to the Section Construction and Building Materials)

Download Versions Notes

Abstract

Frozen sand molds are the key material in digital frozen sand mold green casting technology, and their mechanical properties directly affect casting quality. Currently, these molds are primarily prepared by mechanical stirring, mixing, and compaction, which tend to cause imbalanced moisture adsorption and localized wet–dry differences, ultimately impairing the performance and quality of the castings. In this study, an ultrasonic vibration-assisted platform was established to prepare chromite sand frozen sand molds. By introducing ultrasonic vibration into the preparation process, a superior “sand grain–ice crystal” microstructure was constructed, leading to significantly enhanced mechanical properties. The tensile and compressive strengths were increased by approximately 10%, and the optimal process window for achieving the best mechanical performance of chromite sand was obtained.

Keywords: frozen sand molds; ultrasonic assisted; microstructure; freeze casting; sand performance; solidification mechanism

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Zhuang, B.; Yang, H.; Shan, Z.; Zhu, Z.; Ding, D. Mechanical Properties and Micro-Mechanisms of Chromite Sand Frozen Sand Molds Prepared by Ultrasonic Vibration Assistance. Materials 2026, 19, 2635. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19122635

AMA Style

Zhuang B, Yang H, Shan Z, Zhu Z, Ding D. Mechanical Properties and Micro-Mechanisms of Chromite Sand Frozen Sand Molds Prepared by Ultrasonic Vibration Assistance. Materials. 2026; 19(12):2635. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19122635

Chicago/Turabian Style

Zhuang, Bailiang, Haoqin Yang, Zhongde Shan, Zhuozhi Zhu, and Di Ding. 2026. "Mechanical Properties and Micro-Mechanisms of Chromite Sand Frozen Sand Molds Prepared by Ultrasonic Vibration Assistance" Materials 19, no. 12: 2635. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19122635

APA Style

Zhuang, B., Yang, H., Shan, Z., Zhu, Z., & Ding, D. (2026). Mechanical Properties and Micro-Mechanisms of Chromite Sand Frozen Sand Molds Prepared by Ultrasonic Vibration Assistance. Materials, 19(12), 2635. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19122635

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

Article Menu

Mechanical Properties and Micro-Mechanisms of Chromite Sand Frozen Sand Molds Prepared by Ultrasonic Vibration Assistance

Abstract

Share and Cite

Article Metrics

Article Access Statistics

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI