Design of Centrifugal Casting Experimental Setup for Fabrication of Alumina Tube

Abstract

Centrifugal casting is one of the advanced casting techniques widely used in metallurgical industries. It has been reported that centrifugal technique is very useful for production of functionally graded porous membranes for gas permeable applications. Studies on different centrifugal casting machine design suggest that the centrifugal casting machine consists of a high speed motor (capable of rotating at high speed greater than 12000 rpm) equipped with a suitable sample holder capable of rotation around the same axis of the motor. Laboratory centrifuge motor has speed in the same range as that required for a centrifugal casting machine. Thus has a potential to be used in design of centrifugal casting experimental set up. In the present work, an attempt has been made to design an experimental set up for centrifugal casting of ceramic slurry using the motor of a laboratory centrifuge. However it make it feasible one need to design and fabricate a suitable rotor head capable to hold tightly the casting mould while rotating in the same axis of the motor. Thus, the present study aims to design and fabricate a suitable rotor head in order to make the centrifugal casting technique viable. The rotor head has been designed and fabricated in such ways that it can tightly fitted with motor shaft and hold the mould during rotation without any appreciable vibration. An attempt has also been made to cast alumina tube using the experimental set up thus designed. In order to fabricate the alumina tube, aqueous alumina slurry has been prepared with the addition of suitable electrolyte and binder. Microstructure of sintered body has also been studied.