2010 The Role of Process Parameters in Platinum Casting

The Role of Process Parameters In
Platinum Casting
By Dr. Ulrich E. Klotz & Tiziana Drago, Research Institute
Precious Metals & Metals Chemistry (FEM)
2011
800.545.6566
riogrande.com
The Bell Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
The Role of Process Parameters

in Platinum Casting
Dr. Ulrich E. Klotz

Tiziana Drago
Research Institute Precious Metals & Metals Chemistry (FEM)
Schwbisch Gmnd, Germany
1. Introduction
Casting is a process with many variables that cant be controlled at will, and
therefore has a somewhat chaotic nature.15 This requires many casting trials and
a statistical analysis of the results obtained. It also appears very difficult to make
simple recommendations about a specific set of working parameters.
The findings on platinum investment casting described in this paper are the result
of a research project commissioned by the Platinum Guild International, USA
(PGI) in cooperation with several industrial partners. In the following sections
the properties of platinum alloys will be described as a basis for discussion of the
observed casting behavior. Then experimental details will be described, followed
by the casting results obtained with centrifugal and tilting casting. The paper will
close with a summary of results and an outlook recommending topics for further
research on platinum jewelry alloys.
May 2010
287
Klotz
In recent years several articles on casting properties of platinum have been

published.1, 2 Different aspects such as suitable alloys for casting,3-6 tree design7-10
and investment reactions11,12 have been treated. Articles from South African
authors describe the effect of centrifugal casting parameters for different alloys
and investments.12-14 95Pt5Co was identified as a very versatile casting alloy
showing excellent form filling of filigree parts even for flask temperatures as low
as 100C (212F). 95Pt5Ru, on the other hand, showed poor form filling of filigree
parts for flask temperatures below 800C (1472F).12 Besides casting properties,
functional alloy properties such as color, hardness, ductility and magnetic
properties have to be taken into account for jewelry purposes. In this regard
95Pt5Ru is more versatile compared to 95Pt5Co or 95Pt5Cu and can be used
for all jewelry purposes. 95Pt5Ru also offers higher hardness and finer grain
size compared to 95Pt5Cu, which results in easier polishing and higher scratch
resistance. In the present project the focus has been on 95Pt5Ru and 95Pt5Co as
the most common alloys for jewelry purposes.
2. Properties of Platinum Alloys

2.1 Phase Diagrams
Phase diagrams describe the stability of the different phases (for instance, liquid
and solid phase) as a function of temperature and composition. Phase diagrams
of the Pt-Ru and Pt-Co systems are given in Reference 16. From the phase
diagram the basic alloy properties given in Table 1 can be determined. However,
the phase diagram describes the conditions in thermal equilibrium, which are
most often not reached in technical processes such as investment casting. In
order to describe real cooling conditions, the Scheil-Gulliver method was applied.
During solidification, segregation takes place where certain elements are enriched
to melt and solid phases, respectively. In the case of Pt alloys, Ru and Co are
segregating to the solid phase and melt, respectively. Comparable data and the
amount of segregation are described in Reference 17. Such segregation, especially
of impurities such as Si, strongly affects the behavior of the melting (melting
range!) and investment reactions. The melting range under practical conditions
increases remarkably by a factor of 2 (Pt-Ru) or 4 (Pt-Co) as given in Table 1 (i.e.,
the solidus temperature under real casting conditions is considerably lower than
the value given in the phase diagram).
Klotz
Table 1 Basic alloy properties of 95Pt5Ru and 95Pt5Co

95Pt5Ru
95Pt5Co
950Pt - 50Ru
950Pt - 50Co
Liquidus temperature [C/F]
1815/3299
1672/3042
Solidus temperature [C/F]
1797/3267
1654/3009
Melting range [C/F]
18/64
18/64
Melting range (Scheil) [C/F]
39/102
78/172
Alloy composition [mass%]
During melting and casting in silica-containing crucibles and investment,

contamination of the melt with Si can occur. This can heavily affect the melting
range of an alloy. Silicon is known to form a deep melting eutectic with platinum
at 830C (1526F) and 4.2 mass percent.16 The effect of Si content on the melting
range of silicon-contaminated Pt-Ru and Pt-Co alloys was assessed using
thermodynamic calculations with the ThermoCalc software package and a
database dedicated to precious metals (SNOB1). Results of Scheil-Gulliver
calculations for two different silicon contents in the melt, 0.05 mass% Si and 0.2
mass% Si, are presented in Figure 1 and Figure 2. Even traces of silicon (0.05
mass%) lower the solidus temperature by about 50C (90F) compared to the
binary alloys. Higher amounts (0.2 mass%) result in a reduction of 150C (270F)
and 250C (450F) for Pt-Co and Pt-Ru, respectively. The extension of the melting
range is caused by the strong segregation of Si to the melt by a factor of about
20.
288
The Role of Process Parameters in Platinum Casting
Figure 1 Scheil calculation with ThermoCalc software;

influence of silicon contamination on solidus temperature
Klotz
Figure 2 Scheil calculation with ThermoCalc software;

segregation of silicon to the melt
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289
2.2 Thermophysical Properties

The thermophysical properties of platinum and its alloys are the key for
understanding the challenge in casting compared to other precious metals.
Some important data, namely density, viscosity, surface tension and thermal
conductivity, were compared to other precious metals. As far as available, data
were taken from the Degussa Precious Metals Handbook.18 It remains mandatory to
determine further data for jewelry alloys in order to obtain better understanding
of casting properties and to allow casting simulation in the future.
Klotz
The normalized density for gold and platinum and some of their alloys is
plotted in Figure 3. The pure metals show a very large density reduction during
freezing, resulting in high sensitivity to shrinkage porosity. For gold alloys this
density reduction is much lower than for the pure metal, while platinum alloys
show shrinkage comparable to pure Pt. Furthermore, the slope of the densitytemperature curve is a factor of two higher compared to gold (i.e., overheating
required during melting further increases the proneness to shrinkage porosity of
platinum alloys).
Figure 3 Density of precious metals and their alloys in the liquid and solid state
Platinum alloys have a high viscosity compared to gold or silver (Figure 4a).
Alloying with Co and Cu reduces viscosity, but alloying contents typical for
jewelry alloys are too low, allowing values comparable to gold alloys (Figure 4b).
Surface tension of platinum is about a factor of 1.5 higher compared to gold.18
Thermal conductivity of Pt is about one-third of Au and a factor of six lower
than Ag. These three propertiessurface tension, viscosity and thermal
conductivityare important factors influencing the filling of filigree items during
casting. High surface tension and viscosity make it more difficult for the melt to
flow smoothly into small cavities of the flask. Low thermal conductivity results
290
in inhomogeneous temperature of the melt and premature freezing of filigree

parts, especially if the temperature difference of melt and flask is high as in the
case of platinum. In practice, centrifugal casting is used to apply extra force and
to enhance form filling. Experiments with centrifugal and static (tilting) casting
machines were made during the project to highlight the role of casting
conditions.
Klotz
a)
b)
Figure 4 Viscosity of precious metal melts and alloys
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291
3. Experimental Setup
3.1 Casting Machine and Machine Parameters
Klotz
Most of the casting experiments were made using a TopCast TCE10 casting
machine with induction heating (Figure 5). For melting it was operated with full
power of 10kW. Metal temperature during heating and melting was registered
by a computer-controlled quotient pyrometer (Maurer, model QKTR1085) with
100Hz acquisition rate. A typical heating curve is shown in Figure 6. At the
melting point the heating curve reaches a plateau until the complete amount of
alloy is liquid. Alloy weight used in the casting trials was 100 180g. Complete
melting was observed by the caster and the melt was then overheated for 5(1)
seconds before casting. During this time temperature increases linearly with
time. As the temperature increases very quickly, precise control of overheating is
important. From the slope of the time-temperature curve the variation of casting
temperature can be estimated to be 40K during the one-second reaction time of
the caster. Complete heating time until casting was only 30-40 seconds, depending
on amount and type of alloy. Cooling time was measured by pointing the
pyrometer on the metal button in the flask. In vacuum, cooling time of the melt
button is by a factor of 2 longer compared with gas atmosphere (air/argon),
explaining the occurrence of gas porosity in vacuum casting.
Figure 5 (a) Topcast TCE10 centrifugal casting machine with pyrometer and
temperature data acquisition system; (b) detail of centrifugal arm,
heating coil and orientation of tree in casting machine
292
Figure 6 Metal temperature during heating for two casting experiments.

Drop of melt temperature in case of vacuum casting is due to manual operation.
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Klotz
The TopCast TCE10 machine allows rotation speeds up to 450rpm with

adjustable accelerations up to 1000rpm/second (rpm/s). Before starting actual
casting experiments with platinum alloys, experiments with fine gold were made
in order to determine optimum parameters to avoid material losses by crucible
leftovers. A minimum speed is required to force the material to climb up the steep
crucible wall and to leave the crucible through the nozzle. Results for different
machine parameters are given in Figure 7. The crucible could be emptied with
different centrifugal combinations. However, acceleration and speed have to meet
a certain ratio; otherwise, the material might spill over the crucible wall. For the
present machine two combinations, namely 300rpm300rpm/s and 440rpm
600rpm/s, were chosen.
Klotz
Figure 7 Effect of centrifugal speed and acceleration for TopCast TCE10

casting machine; results for fine gold (density 19.3 g/cm)
Selected experiments were made using an Indutherm MC15 tilting casting
machine. The machine contains a vacuum chamber with integrated
induction- heated crucible (power 3.5kW) and flask holder. Crucible and flask
are oriented to each other under 90 angle. Melting is done with the crucible
in vertical position. For casting, the complete vacuum chamber is titled by 90.
Form filling is assisted by argon over pressure immediately after casting. Metal
temperature is controlled by internal thermocouples.
3.2 Tree Design

The tree design was selected with the following considerations: main sprue and
button should be lightweight in order to save material; heavy and lightweight
filigree pieces should be included to study reactions with investment and form
filling, respectively; standard samples such as ball rings were put on every ring in
identical positions for comparison of different castings. Several tree designs were
tested during the project. Most trees used a Diabolo-type setup.10 Typical trees
containing some standard items (ball rings and grid) together with jewelry pieces
are shown in Figure 8. For special purposes other tree designs were used and are
mentioned later.
294
Figure 8 Example of two typical tree designs; tree #3AG

(left) and tree #4AG (right) with Diabolo setup.
3.3 Investment
Four different investments from different suppliers were tested during the
project. Table 2 gives an overview on the properties of the investment and briefly
describes the experience in working with them.
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Klotz
During centrifugal casting three forces act on the material. First, inertia of the melt
acts during the acceleration of the flask and results in increased form filling of the
parts on the trailing side of the flask. Second, centrifugal force is constant for all
positions on the tree depending on distance from the center. Third, gravity assists
filling of bottom parts of the flask. Therefore, tree design plays an important
role for optimization of casting results. All items were characterized by their
position on the tree relative to the centrifugal direction as given in Figure 8.
During placement of the flask in the casting machine, the flask is tilted upside
down. Therefore, position 90 is on the top of the flask during casting. Best form
filling is expected for positions 0 and 90 because of the combined action of
inertia and gravity.
No. 1
Investment
3-part
3-part
Type
Rubber base
Paper base
and liner
Paper base
and liner
Base and liner
20-25
30
Mixing
time [min]
5-7
5-7
10-12
10-12
Working
time [min]
10.0
11.5
12.0
12.0
Burnout
time [h]
900/1652
900/1652
870/1598
871/1600
Burnout
temp.
[C/F]
Cold water required to reach upper working

time limit; high viscosity, risk of bending of
filigree parts, especially plastic parts
Cold water required to reach upper working

time limit; high viscosity
Curing does not start at room temperature;

extended working time possible
Curing does not start at room temperature;

extended working time possible
Klotz
No. 2
2-part/
fiber
Rubber base
Table 2 Investment properties
No. 3
2-part/
fiber
Remarks
No. 4
296
Investments No. 1 and No. 2 are three-part investments. They do not cure at room
temperature and therefore have sufficient working time. However, they require
a paper base and liner to absorb excessive water during burnout. The paper
base requires wax sealing and careful handling of the flask. Prior to casting, ash
residues have to be removed from the hot flask.
Investments No. 3 and No. 4 are two-part and quickly cure at room temperature
during the investing process. No. 4 is fiber reinforced; therefore, working time can
be very short and viscosity increases during working. In some cases this caused
filigree parts to bend during the investing process or caused gas bubbles to stick
on the surface of the wax parts. Mixing with cold water allowed slight extension
of working time. These two investments can be handled with rubber bases and
cure sufficiently before actual burnout.
The burnout cycles of the investments are compared in Figure 9. No. 1 and No.
2 require several steps before reaching final burnout temperature. A first step
at around 100C (212F) is required to evaporate the water from the flask; wax
melting takes place at around 200C (392F); and final burnout and curing of the
investment during heating to and holding at around 900C (1652F). No. 4 and No.
3 become solid already at room temperature. Therefore, only one step at 200C to
melt the wax is required before reaching the burnout temperature of 900C. All
investments require burnout times of 10-12 hours (i.e., overnight burnout).
Klotz
Figure 9 Investment burnout cycles according to manufacturers recommendation
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4. Casting Trials with Centrifugal Casting Machine

4.1 Experimental Conditions
A large number of casting experiments was carried out to analyze the influence
of casting parameters (melt temperature, flask temperature, casting atmosphere,
casting machine type, alloy, and investment material) by using standard sample
geometries such as ball rings and grids. The ball ring represents heavy section
pieces. With the large ball acting as hotspot, it will provoke investment reactions
and is prone to shrinkage porosity. The grid represents filigree items and will
show form-filling ability under certain process parameters. The as-cast samples
were evaluated in terms of surface quality and by metallographic investigation. A
complete list of all casting trials is given in Table 3.
Table 3 List of centrifugal casting experiments with Topcast TCE10 machine
Trial
Klotz
no.
Alloy
Tree
Investment
Casting
Flask
temp.
temp.
[C]
[C]
Acceleration
Atmosphere
Speed
[rpm/s]
[rpm]
GPt001
95Pt5Ru
4A
No. 1
850
Air
300
300
GPt002
95Pt5Ru
1A
No. 1
850
Air
300
300
GPt003
95Pt5Ru
2A
No. 1
850
Air
300
300
GPt004
95Pt5Ru
3A
No. 1
850
Air
300
300
GPt005
95Pt5Ru
2A
No. 1
850
Air
300
600
GPt006
95Pt5Ru
2A
No. 1
850
Air
440
600
GPt007
95Pt5Ru
1A
No. 1
850
Air
440
600
GPt008
95Pt5Ru
1A
No. 1
850
Air
300
600
GPt009
95Pt5Ru
No. 1
850
Air
300
300
GPt010
95Pt5Ru
No. 1
850
Air
440
600
GPt011
95Pt5Ru
1A
No. 1
950
Air
440
600
GPt012
95Pt5Ru
No. 1
950
Air
440
600
GPt013
95Pt5Ru
2A
No. 1
950
Air
440
600
GPt014
95Pt5Ru
No. 1
950
Air
440
600
GPt015
95Pt5Ru
No. 1
950
Air
440
600
GPt016
95Pt5Ru
No. 1
950
Air
440
600
GPt017
95Pt5Ru
No. 1
950
Air
440
600
GPt018
95Pt5Ru
No. 1
950
Air
440
600
GPt019
95Pt5Ru
No. 1
950
Air
440
600
GPt021
95Pt5Ru
4AG
No. 1
950
Vacum
440
600
GPt022
95Pt5Ru
3AG
No. 1
950
Vacum
440
600
GPt023
95Pt5Ru
3AG
No. 1
950
Air
440
600
GPt024
95Pt5Ru
3AG
No. 1
950
Vacuum
440
600
GPt025
95Pt5Ru
4AG
No. 1
550
Vacum
440
600
GPt026
95Pt5Ru
4AT
No. 1
850
Vacum
440
600
298
GPt027
Pt--5Co
4AG
No. 1
850
Air
440
600
GPt028
95Pt5Co
4AG
No. 1
850
Vacum
440
600
GPt029
95Pt5Co
4AS
No. 1
850
Vacum
440
600
GPt030
95Pt5Co
4AS
No. 1
850
Air
440
600
GPt031
95Pt5Co
4ATS
No. 1
950
Air
440
600
GPt032
95Pt5Co
4ATS
No. 1
950
Vacum
440
600
GPt033
95Pt5Ru
4ATS
No. 1
950
Air
440
600
GPt034
95Pt5Ru
4ATS
No. 1
950
Vacum
440
600
GPt041
95Pt5Co
13
No. 4
1947
850
Air
440
600
GPt042
95Pt5Ru
13
No. 4
2016
850
Air
440
600
GPt043
95Pt5Co
13
No. 4
1980
950
Air
440
600
GPt044
95Pt5Ru
13
No. 4
2059
950
Air
440
600
GPt045
95Pt5Co
13
No. 2
1989
850
Air
440
600
GPt046
95Pt5Ru
13
No. 2
2019
850
Air
440
600
GPt047
95Pt5Co
13
No. 2
1983
950
Air
440
600
GPt048
95Pt5Ru
13
No. 2
2065
950
Air
440
600
GPt049
95Pt5Co
13
No. 2
2180
950
Air
440
600
GPt050
95Pt5Ru
13
No. 2
2252
950
Air
440
600
GPt051
95Pt5Co
13
No. 2
1994
1050
Air
440
600
GPt052
95Pt5Ru
13
No. 2
2045
1050
Air
440
600
Klotz
4.2 Platinum-Ruthenium Alloy

4.2.1 Filigree Items
In previous studies 95Pt5Ru showed higher hardness but worse form filling than
95Pt5Co. A set of experiments proving the form-filling ability of 95Pt5Ru was
made using trees containing standard grids (5 x 12 mesh) with a ligament of 0.8
x 1.0mm. In these tests (GPt014 GPt019), investment No.1 was used at constant
flask temperature of 950C (1742F) with casting parameters of 440rpm-600rpm/s.
Three different tree setups were used (Figure 10). On Tree #5 all grids are oriented
perpendicular to centrifugal direction while they are parallel to it on Tree #6. Tree
#7 used a short main sprue holding all grids in radial direction. The form filling
was evaluated for each grid and was found to depend strongly on the type of
tree and the grid position. The Diabolo-type trees #5 and #6 showed much better
form filling than Tree #7 with a main sprue where maximum values reached only
about 80% fill (Figure 11). On all trees best form filling was achieved for
positions 0 - 90 where for both Tree #5 and Tree #6, nearly 100% fill was
achieved. At positions 135 - 315 grid fill falls to 70-80% and 80-90% for Tree
#5 and Tree #6, respectively. Tree #7 shows 50-70% grid fill and is therefore not
suitable for filigree items. As a result of these tests, filigree parts should be
mounted on a Diabolo-type tree with the long axis of the part parallel to
centrifugal direction. It is expected that positions 0-90 result in best form
filling.
May 2010
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Klotz
Figure 10 Different tree setups (a = Tree #5, GPt014/016; b = Tree #6,

GPt015/017; and c = Tree#7, GPt018/019) using standard grids to evaluate
the influence of position on tree. Centrifugal direction is to the right.
300
Figure 11 Grid filling in casting trials GPt014 019 with 95Pt5Ru as a function of tree
setup and grid position on tree; averaged values of two casting trials per tree setup
Flask temperature (Figure 12) has a strong effect on form filling. Higher
form filling is obtained for 950C (1742F); in most cases grid fill of >60% is
reached. For 850C (1562F) the maximum value is below 60%.
Centrifugal speed (Figure 13) has a strong effect and promotes form filling.
Casting atmosphere (Figure 14) has a moderate effect on form filling. Form
filling is usually better in vacuum than in air casting. However, perfect fill
can also be obtained with air casting and in most cases grid fill was above
60%.
Casting temperature (Figure 15) has a weak effect on form filling. Higher
flask temperature tends to promote form filling. Casting temperature is
difficult to measure and can only be controlled by the melting time and
visual control of complete melting, which depends on the appraisal of the
caster.
Perfect form filling was always achieved for 95Pt5Co independent of casting
conditions. Therefore, this alloy is superior to 95Pt5Ru in terms of form
filling ability.
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Klotz
For the numerous tests, grid filling was evaluated for 95Pt5Ru as a function of
casting parameters as given in Figure 12 Figure 15. The averaged values for all
grids per tree were chosen for evaluation, and results for 95Pt5Co are given for
comparison. The 45 position was present on all trees, while on some trees positions
135, 225 and 315 were also used. In general, like in previous investigations,14
large scatter is observed for grid fill because not all casting parameters can be
fully controlled.15 However, some clear tendencies can be determined from the
grid filling results:
Klotz
Figure 12 Grid filling as function of flask temperature for air casting

(except value for 550C); averaged values of all grids per tree
Figure 13 Grid filling as function of centrifugal speed for air casting;

averaged values of all grids per tree
302
Figure 14 Grid filling as function of casting atmosphere for centrifugal

speed of 440rpm; averaged values of all grids per tree
Klotz
Figure 15 Grid filling as function of casting temperature and atmosphere

for centrifugal speed of 440rpm; averaged values of all grids per tree
4.2.2
Heavy Items (Ball Ring)
A ball ring with ring shank diameter of 3.6mm, ball diameter of 9.5mm and total
diameter of 24.5mm was used as the standard object in all casting trials. The ball
ring was sprued either on the ball or on the ring shank opposite to the ball in order
May 2010
303
to test for form filling, surface appearance and shrinkage porosity under different
casting conditions.
Form filling of the heavy ball ring was no problem under most casting conditions.
Even at a very low flask temperature of 550C/1022F (Trial #GPt025), complete
filling of the ball ring was achieved. At a flask temperature of 1050C/1922F
(Trial #GPt051 and 052 with No. 2), the investment breaks down and form filling
is incomplete. Maximum flask temperature for this type of investment should
therefore not exceed 950C 1000C (1742F 1832F).
The surface of the ball ring is characterized by areas with glossy and matte
surface. Table 4 gives a relative appraisal of surface quality, with the best surface
quality indicated by +++, while the worst was indicated by +.
Klotz
Table 4 Relative comparison of investment performance in terms of surface

quality for air casting: +++ (best), ++ (medium), + (worst). Investment
No. 3 was only used for casting trials with Indutherm MC15 tilting machine.
Surface quality of 95Pt5Co
@ Tflask
Surface quality of 95Pt5Ru

@ Tflask
850C
950C
1050C
850C
950C
1050C
++
++
n.a.
+++
+++
n.a.
+++
++
++
++(+)
++(+)
No. 4
++
n.a.
n.a.
No. 3
+++
+++
n.a.
(cracks)
(cracks)
Investment
Devesting
No. 1
No. 2
n.a.
The investment material has strong influence on surface quality. The three-part
investments No. l and No. 2 show much better performance than the two-part
investments No. 3 and No. 4. Of the three-part investments No. 1 appears slightly
better with lower tendency to show fins. However, the difference between No. 1
and No. 2 is very small. For No. 1 and No. 2 there is no obvious influence of flask
temperature or casting atmosphere. The ball always has a matte surface, while
the ring shank is partially glossy. No. 4 shows a rougher surface for a flask
temperature of 950C (1742F) compared to 850C (1562F).
SEM investigations of the ball and the ring shank showed the topology of the
surface. For No. 2 and No. 1 the surface is fully dendritic (Figure 16). Almost no
residues of investment were found. On the matte part of the surface, the dendrites
did not reach the surface of the ring cavity in the flask. This can be explained by
premature freezing of the ring shank close to the sprue, preventing directional
solidification and therefore complete form filling. In some cases the dendritic
surface was restricted to one side of the sample, which was on the trailing sample
side relative to centrifugal direction. In this case the liquid metal is forced to one
side of the flask cavity by centrifugation, resulting in a glossy surface on this side
and a matte, dendritic surface on the other side. In the glossy part of the surface
304
dendrites are still visible (Figure 16b), but the surface appears relatively smooth
(i.e., the melt was in direct contact with the flask cavity during solidification). No
signs were found that the matte surface was caused by investment reactions.
a)
b)
Figure 16 SEM investigation of as-cast surface of trial 95Pt5Ru/No. 2/950C/air.

a) matte surface of the ball; b) glossy surface of the ring shank
May 2010
305
Klotz
With investment No. 4 the surface of the ball rings strongly depends on flask
temperature. At 850C (1562F) the surface is similar to investment No. 2
or investment No. 1 (Figure 17). However, micro shrinkage and residues of
investment material are frequently found in the matte areas. Even in the glossy
parts the surface shows micro shrinkage and is less smooth compared to the other
investments. At a flask temperature of 950C/1742F (Figure 18), the surface
appears very rough (please note that Figure 18a was taken with the same
magnification as the other pictures). Larger shrinkage pores and investment
residues are sticking to the surface. In the glossy parts the surface is comparable to
850C (1562F), especially for samples with thinner cross section. These findings
indicate that at 950C (1742F), investment No. 4 might be beyond its working
temperature for heavy parts such as the ball ring, where the ball acts as a hotspot,
strongly heating up the investment and promoting investment breakdown. For
filigree parts the surface is smoother at both flask temperatures and comparable
to investment No. 1 and investment No. 2.
a)
b)
Klotz
Figure 17 SEM investigation of as-cast surface of trial 95Pt5Ru/No. 4/850C/ air.

a) surface of the ball; b) surface of the ring shank close to sprue
a)
b)
Figure 18 SEM investigation of as-cast surface of trial 95Pt5Ru/ No. 4/950C/air.

a) surface of the ball with dark inclusions of investment material;
b) surface of the ring shank close to sprue
The liquid metal can erode the investment during form filling, resulting in hard
investment particles embedded in the cast sample (Figure 19). EDX measurement
showed that such particles consist of SiO2, which is the main component of the
investment. The particles were found at an inner shrinkage pore surface and were
in intimate contact with the melt. However, no signs of reactions like rounding off
of edges were observed for 95Pt5Ru. Nevertheless, eroded investment particles,
which were observed for all investments, will act as hard spots during jewelry
finishing.
306
Klotz
a)
b)
Figure 19 a) Hard investment particles (SiO2) embedded in
95Pt5Ru casting (Investment No. 1/850C/vacuum); b) EDX
spectrum at position 4 showing Si and O signal
May 2010
307
A second type of very small, non-metallic inclusions with spherical shape was
found more frequently independent from casting conditions or investment. The
rounded edges indicate reaction with the alloy. The inclusions contained Si, O, Al,
and Mg from the investment or crucible material. Because of their small size and
low quantity, such particles are probably not critical in jewelry applications.
Klotz
The porosity was assessed by metallographic sections of as-cast rings. The section
was cut through the complete ring from sprue to ball. An overview of typical
examples of these sections is shown in Figure 20 for 850C (1562F) and 950C
(1742F), respectively. Porosity was evaluated qualitatively in terms of low
(acceptable, with either no porosity visible in the shanks or small pores in the
heavy parts) or high (with large pores or accumulated fine pores in the heaviest
part of the casting) or very high (unacceptable, with large pores near the surface
of the casting in its heaviest section) (Table 5). In the case of 95Pt5Ru, a strongly
dendritic solidification with large, intersecting dendrites was observed. The
chaotic formation of a three-dimensional dendritic network by the growing
crystals prevents the flow of the liquid metal. Typically, this results in numerous
small pores distributed in the ball or ring shank. As shown later, 95Pt5Co showed
a different freezing behavior, resulting in few but larger pores.
a)
b)
c)
d)
Figure 20 Metallography of 95Pt5Ru ball rings. a) No. 1/950C(1742F)/air; b)

No. 4/950C (1742F)/air; c) No. 2/950C (3749F)/air/melt temperature 2065C
(1742F); d) No. 2/950C (1742F)/air/melt temperature 2252C (4086F)
308
Table 5 Relative comparison of porosity in metallographic sections of 95Pt5Ru

casting trials depending on investment: +++ (low = best) ++ (high = medium) + (very
high = worst)
95Pt5Ru
No. 1
No. 4
No. 2
850C/air
n.a.
+++
++
950C/air
++
+++
++
850C/vacuum
n.a.
n.a.
950C/vacuum
++
n.a.
n.a.
May 2010
309
Klotz
The most common defect was shrinkage porosity in the ball and/or in the ring
shank. Generally, porosity was low in the shank sections, while it was worse
in the heaviest part of the casting (ball and sprue sections). This is caused by
premature freezing of the ring shank. Under the casting parameters investigated
it was not possible to achieve complete directional solidification, not even if the
ring was sprued on the ball. The centrifugation forces the liquid metal to flow to
one side of the ring. As a consequence, the shrinkage porosity is concentrated on
the opposite side. This is illustrated in Figure 21, where the large shrinkage pore
in the ball is asymmetric to the ball center. On the lower side the ball surface is
rough and dendritic, while the opposite side is smooth because the liquid metal
is forced to the upper side by centrifugation, and the frozen ring shank prevented
directional solidification. This was the typical behavior observed for investments
No. 1 and No. 2. The same principle is valid for No. 4, but this investment showed
the best casting results for the ball ring in terms of porosity. Shrinkage pores did
not accumulate to one big shrinkage hole but instead were scattered throughout
the complete ring.
Klotz
a)
b)
c)
d)
Figure 21 Effect of melt temperature on porosity, 95Pt5Ru/No. 2/950C/air;

a), b) Melt temperature 2252C; c), d) Melt temperature 2065C
Casting conditions have a small influence on shrinkage porosity. No influence
was observed for centrifugal speed and acceleration in their investigated range
(330-400 and 440-600rpm/s). Casting atmosphere also had no clear influence
on porosity. The process is controlled by the geometry of the sample and the
thermal conditions. Therefore, higher flask temperature should result in
directional solidification and reduced porosity as shown in previous work on
silver casting.19 However, it was not possible to increase flask temperature above
950C 1000C (1742F 1832F) without the risk of investment breakdown.
Besides sprue geometry optimization, only an increase of melt temperature might
change solidification behavior and reduce shrinkage porosity. In casting trial #
GPt050, melt temperature was increased by 200C (360F) compared to trial #
GPt048 (2065C/3749F). Figure 22 shows the comparison of the casting results.
In both cases comparable shrinkage porosity was found in the ball, whereas
porosity in the ring shank was lower at higher casting temperature. However,
such extreme melt temperatures will result in high crucible erosion under
practical casting conditions.
310
a)
b)
Figure 22 Casting trial GPt012: 95Pt5Ru/No. 1/950C/air.

a) Position 90, ball sprue; b) Position 180, ring sprue
The 95Pt5Ru casting results for heavy items can be summarized as follows:
The casting defects observed were caused by non-directional solidification
and premature freezing of the ring shank or sprue.
Shrinkage pores accumulated by centrifugation were located in the ball (in
the case of shank sprue) or at the transition from ball to sprue (ball sprue).
Defect-free casting of ball rings could not be obtained with the chosen casting
parameters. Lowest shrinkage porosity was observed for investment No. 4 at
850C (1562F) flask temperature.
High flask and melt temperature tend to reduce shrinkage porosity, but
chosen values are already close to investment breakdown temperature.
Gas porosity was merely observed for all investment materials even under
extreme casting conditions.
May 2010
311
Klotz
Gas porosity was merely observed under the chosen casting conditions and
for the investment materials used. Figure 20 shows a comparison of the three
investments for a flask temperature of 950C (1742F) at air casting. Melt
temperature was about 2060C (3740F) except for Figure 20d, where the melt was
overheated by 200C (360F). Scattered gas pores were found in all castings with
a tendency for increased gas porosity with increasing flask temperature and for
vacuum casting compared to air casting. Even in the case of an overheated melt,
no significant gas porosity was found for the No. 2 investment. No. 4 investment
showed numerous pores after casting. However, high magnification reveals that
these pores are, according to their shape, scattered shrinkage pores rather than gas
pores. Therefore, gas porosity was no major issue for 95Pt5Ru even under extreme
casting conditions.
4.3 Platinum-Cobalt Alloy

4.3.1 Filigree Items
95Pt5Co was recommended in earlier studies for filigree items because of its much
better form filling.12, 14 As shown in Figures 12-15, grid fill was always 95-100%
independent of casting conditions. Therefore, just considering form filling ability,
95Pt5Co is the alloy of choice for filigree items.
Klotz
4.3.2 Heavy Items (Ball Ring)

As expected from the results with 95Pt5Ru, form filling of heavy items such as
the ball ring was no problem with 95Pt5Co as well. 95Pt5Co always showed some
reaction with investment materials. This is obvious from the dark blue color of
the investment in contact with the alloy (Figure 23). The investment material in
contact with the alloy shows a deep blue color, while the fresh fracture surface of
the investment appears white. The reaction is clearly visible around the 95Pt5Co
particle embedded in the investment. Local composition measurement in the
scanning electron microscope (SEM) found a composition close to the mineral
Co2SiO4, which is known for its blue color. The surface reaction is promoted by
the segregation of Co during solidification17 and depends on casting parameters.
The metallographic cross section of the reaction products shows SiO2 particles
from the investment sticking to the alloy surface (Figure 23c, position 10). The
EDX measurement of these particles shows only Si and O (i.e., the quartz particles
from the investment). The EDX spectrum at position 11 also contains P and traces
of Al and Mg together with Co, indicating the formation of Co silicate with the
binder phase of the investment. The blue color is much more pronounced for air
casting and on heavy parts. With increasing melt and flask temperature, the
reaction increases (i.e., oxidation of Co during melting and casting promotes the
reaction with the investment material).
Figure 23a
312
Figure 23b
Klotz
Figure 23c
May 2010
313
Figure 23d
Klotz
Figure 23 a) Reaction between 95Pt5Co alloy and investment material indicated by the
dark blue color of investment in contact with the alloy; b) EDX measurement showing
Co from the alloy and Si, O, Mg, Ca, and P from the investment; c) metallographic cross
section through reaction products; d) EDX spectrum at position 11
The surface of 95Pt5Co ball rings usually appears rougher compared to 95Pt5Ru.
No glossy parts can be found on the ring shank or sprue but the surface appears
matte all over the ring. Table 4 gives a relative comparison of surface quality of
as-cast parts, showing that results with 95Pt5Co were slightly worse than with
95Pt5Ru. Investment No. 2 showed the smoothed surface similar to No. 1, while
parts cast in No. 4 had the roughest surface. On filigree parts, such as the grid,
it was very difficult to remove the investment completely, while it fell off heavy
parts.
SEM investigations of ball and ring shank showed a dendritic structure in most
parts of the surface. Results for investment No. 2 are given in Figure 24 showing
the transition from ring shank with dendritic structure to the sprue connection
where the surface is smooth. The dendritic surface is attributed to non-directional
solidification. A smooth surface only appeared directly at the sprue. The surface
is partially covered with black-appearing reaction products of the alloy and No.
2 investment. For the No. 4 investment these black residues were found to a
much larger extent between the dendrites (Figure 25). Practically the complete
interdendritic space shows a film-like layer of reaction product. EDX
measurements (Position 3) showed high concentration of Co from the alloy
and O, Si, P and Mg from the investment. The EDX spectrum is similar to the
measurement on the blue layer of the investment material (Figure 23). A thin layer
of a second reaction product of the 95Pt5Co alloy was found on the dendrite tips
(Position 2 in Figure 25). EDX measurements showed high concentrations of Co
and O, while the Pt signal is coming from the alloy matrix. Co forms several black
oxides, among which cobalt(II) oxide (CoO) forms a low melting eutectic with
cobalt at 1451C (2644F). The formation of CoO is promoted by the segregation of
314
Co to the interdendritic areas. A thin layer of CoO probably forms on the surface
during casting, and this reacts with the investment to form the blue Co silicate
layer. For investment No. 4 this reaction is much more pronounced compared to
No. 2 or No. 1. Additives of the investment may play an important role in these
reactions. Casting in vacuum or protective atmosphere prevents Co oxidation and
investment reaction.
a)
b)
May 2010
315
Klotz
Figure 24 SEM investigation of as-cast surface of trial GPt049 (905C/air/95Pt5Co).

a) Transition from sprue to ring shank. b) Backscattered image at higher magnification.
b)
Klotz
a)
c)
d)
Figure 25 SEM investigation of as-cast surface of trial GPt041
(No. 4/850C/air/ 95Pt5Co); a) Surface of the ball with
interdendritic residues of investment; b) Backscattered electron image;
c), d) EDX point measurements at Positions 2 and 3, respectively.
316
Figure 26 provides an overview of the metallographic cross sections of 95Pt5Co

castings depending on casting parameters and investment. Table 6 shows
the evaluation of porosity depending on investment. Usually there is one big
shrinkage hole formed close to the trailing side of the ball relative to centrifugal
direction. No major porosity was found on the ring shank or sprue, which is
different from 95Pt5Ru, where scattered shrinkage pores were usually found in
the whole ring. The different morphology of the shrinkage pores is controlled by
the thermophysical properties of the alloy.
b)
c)
d)
Klotz
a)
Figure 26 Metallographic investigation for gas porosity in 95Pt5Co alloys;

a) No. 1/850C/air; b) No. 1/950C/air; c) No. 1/950C/vacuum; d) No. 4/950C/air
Table 6 Relative comparison of porosity in metallographic
sections of 95Pt5Co casting trials depending on investment:
+++ (low = best) ++ (high = medium) + (very high = worst).
95Pt5Co
No. 1
No. 4
No. 2
850C/air
950C/air
850C/vacuum
n.a.
n.a.
950C/ vacuum
n.a.
n.a.
May 2010
317
As observed above, 95Pt5Co shows some reaction with investment, manifested

by Co silicate formation. It was investigated whether such reaction causes gas
porosity close to the ring surface. Metallographic results are given in Figure 26.
The ball ring is an object susceptible to gas porosity because of its high mass
and the strong heating of the investment. The most critical position where the
investment heats up most during solidification is the transition from ball to sprue
on the inner side of the ring. All three investments were found to show practically
no gas porosity at 850C (1562F)/air. At the higher flask temperature of 950C
(1742F)/air, there was very slight increase, while the situation was worst for
950C/vacuum. However, gas porosity was a secondary issue for the heavy
section ball ring in these casting trials. Compared to 95Pt5Ru, gas porosity was
less for 95Pt5Co, probably because of the lower alloy temperature.
Klotz
The 95Pt5Co casting results for heavy items can be summarized as follows:
95Pt5Co shows investment reactions manifested by a blue layer of Co
silicate. Such reactions increase with increasing flask temperature and
are stronger in air casting.
Shrinkage porosity is caused by non-directional solidification and
premature freezing of the ring shank or sprue. Flask and melt
temperature had no remarkable influence on shrinkage porosity.
Defect-free casting of ball rings could not be obtained with the chosen
casting parameters. The investment material showed little influence on
shrinkage porosity.
Gas porosity was merely observed for the chosen casting parameters and
investment materials.
5. Casting Trials with Tilt Casting Machine

The Indutherm MC15 casting is an induction-heated machine with a maximum
power of 3.5kW. It consists of a vacuum chamber where crucible and flask are
mounted in a 90 orientation. For casting the vacuum chamber is tilted and the
liquid metal is poured into the flask. Immediately after casting argon pressure
is applied to improve form filling. Experiments with this machine were made
for comparison of static casting vs. centrifugal casting. The investment used in
these tests was No. 3, which is a two-part investment similar to No. 4. All casting
tests were made under vacuum in order to have improved form filling at flask
temperatures of 850C (1562F) and 950C (1742F). Alloys used were 95Pt5Co
and 95Pt5Ru with details given in Table 7. For reasons of flask size and machine
power, the tree was much smaller compared to the centrifugal casting trial,
containing only two ball rings and some industrial samples.
318
Table 7 List of tilting casting experiments with Indutherm MC15 machine

Trial no.
Alloy
Tree
Investment
Casting
temp. [C]
Flask
temp. [C]
Atmosphere
GPt035
95Pt5Ru
MC15
No. 3
1850
950
Vacuum
GPt036
95Pt5Ru
MC15
No. 3
1962
850
Vacuum
GPt037
95Pt5Ru
MC15
No. 3
1935
950
Vacuum
GPt038
95Pt5Co
MC15
No. 3
1928
950
Vacuum
GPt039
95Pt5Co
MC15
No. 3
1886
950
Vacuum
GPt040
95Pt5Co
MC15
No. 3
1954
850
Vacuum
5.1 Surface of cast parts
a)
b)
Figure 27 Tilting casting machine results; a) surface detail of

95Pt5Ru/950C/vacuum; b) 95Pt5Co/950C/vacuum
May 2010
319
Klotz
Figure 27 shows the surface of as-cast parts for both alloys and flask temperatures.
The surfaces are smooth for both alloys and usually smoother than the
centrifugal cast parts. With 95Pt5Ru a non-metallic, glassy surface layer formed
around the ball, which shows large dendrites on the surface. The glassy layer
seems to stem from melting of the investment materials around the ball. The
95Pt5Co ball ring has a smooth, clean surface without dendritic structure.
SEM investigation of the surface showed smooth, slightly dendritic surface for
both alloys (Figure 28). In the case of 95Pt5Ru, surface cracks along the grain
boundaries are present, which formed during spontaneous cracking of the ring
at room temperature. The 95Pt5Co ring shows no cracks but some residues of
investment.
a)
b)
Figure 28 SEM investigation of as-cast surface (tilting casting machine);

a) 95Pt5Ru/950C/vacuum; b) 95Pt5Co/950C/vacuum
5.2 Metallographic Investigation
Klotz
Metallographic cross sections along the rings plane are shown in Figure 29 for
both alloys and flask temperatures. 95Pt5Ru shows similar form filling compared
to centrifugal casting experiments, with scattered shrinkage holes in the ball and
the sprue. No remarkable difference in porosity between 850C (1562F) and
950C (1742F) flask temperature was observed.
95Pt5Ru
95Pt5Co
a)
b)
c)
d)
850C/
Vacuum
950C/
Vacuum
Figure 29 Metallography of as-cast part from tilting casting machine
320
At 950C (1742F) the 95Pt5Ru shows several grain boundary cracks

perpendicular to the ring shank (Figure 30), which are partially filled with Si-rich
inclusions. This is a typical situation of hot tearing due to dissolution of Si from
the investment and formation of a low melting eutectic16 at the grain boundary.
Cracking was induced by thermal stresses, occurring during devesting of the
sample when the sample was already at room temperature. The fracture surface
shows fully interdendritic, brittle fracture.
a)
b)
With 95Pt5Co a large shrinkage hole was present close to the center of the ball
at 850C (1562F) flask temperature. Compared to centrifugal casting the pore is
spherical and closer to the center because no centrifugal force was acting. Very
good casting results were obtained with a flask temperature of 950C (1742F).
The ball ring is filled completely without any shrinkage pores. Cracks were not
observed in any of the 95Pt5Co castings.
5.3 Summary
Casting results with a tilt casting machine were strongly dependent on alloy.
95Pt5Ru showed similar form filling compared to centrifugal casting but hot
tearing due to long and intensive investment reactions because of longer process
times and high metal temperature. 95Pt5Co showed perfect form filling and
smooth surfaces for a flask temperature of 950C. Form filling was better than
with centrifugal casting. Whether the good form filling can be attributed to the
different tree design or the applied overpressure remains open for discussion.
May 2010
321
Klotz
Figure 30 Metallographic section through cracked 95Pt5Ru ball ring (950C/vacuum);

a) grain boundary crack; b) silicon-rich inclusion at grain boundary
6. Summary and Conclusions

Platinum alloys are a challenge for defect-free investment casting because of their
inherent thermophysical properties, which are high melting point, high viscosity
of the melt, high shrinkage during solidification, and low thermal conductivity
compared to other precious metals alloys. In this experimental casting project
numerous casting trials were conducted with a variation of:
Klotz
Casting parameters (melt and flask temperature, atmosphere, investment)

Tree setup (position on tree, light- and heavyweight pattern)
Casting machine (centrifugal and tilting machine)
Platinum alloy (95Pt5Ru and 95Pt5Co)
The performance of alloys and investments was assessed qualitatively as shown
in Tables 4, 5 and 6. The main results of the project are summarized as follows:
Shrinkage porosity was the main issue for bulk, heavy patterns as well as
for filigree, lightweight patterns, if directional solidification is not possible.
The effect of casting parameters and the position on tree are relatively low.
95Pt5Co shows few but large pores while 95Pt5Ru often shows scattered
pores built by intersecting dendrites. Investment material influences
shrinkage porosity. For instance, lowest levels of shrinkage porosity were
achieved for No. 4. This is probably an effect of thermal conductivity of the
investment, which is assumed to be lower for two-part investments than for
three-part investments.
Form filling is a critical issue for filigree items. 95Pt5Co has superior
form-filling ability over 95Pt5Ru. Form filling increases considerably with
increasing centrifugal speed and flask temperature, which should be 950C
(1742F) for filigree items. Investment No. 4 showed best form filling for
comparable casting parameters, probably because of the higher gas
permeability of the investment. Vacuum casting and, in the case of 95Pt5Ru,
overheating of the melt allowed complete filling of filigree items with threepart investments, while at the same time promoting investment reactions.
The investments used require different working conditions. The two-part
investments can be handled with a rubber base and cure quickly at room
temperature, resulting in very short working time. In the case of centrifugal
casting, No. 4 resulted in rougher surface of the as-cast parts. The three-part
investments have sufficient working time but require furnace curing and
therefore paper base and liner. Complete form filling was difficult with these
investments unless working under vacuum or with overheated melt. The
surface quality was usually superior over No. 4.
Investment reactions were observed for 95Pt5Co independent of casting
atmosphere and resulted in a blue layer of Co silicate. 95Pt5Ru did not show
any investment reactions despite its considerably higher casting temperature.
Alloy properties differ in dendrite morphology, segregation, and melting
temperature, which is about 150C (270F) higher for 95Pt5Ru. The phase
diagrams give the same melting range of 18C (32.4F) for both alloys,
but due to segregation the melting range of 95Pt5Co is about twice that of
95Pt5Ru, which is probably the reason for the better form filling ability of
322
95Pt5Co. Co segregates to the melt, promoting oxidation of Co and

investment reactions, even for vacuum casting.
A comparison of two types of casting machines, a centrifugal and a tilting
machine, showed that form filling of filigree items was superior with
centrifugal casting. Both machines provided comparable results for heavy
items cast in 95Pt5Co alloy. Defect-free castings of the ball ring were
obtained at 950C (1742F)/vacuum, which was not possible by centrifugal
casting under comparable conditions. 95Pt5Ru was difficult to cast in the
tilting casting machine because of the low heating rate in the specific model
used, which resulted in hot tearing of the parts. Machines with higher power
and sufficiently short melting time may enable the successful casting of
95Pt5Ru also.
6.1 Recommendations for further work

In order to solve the main problem of shrinkage porosity, sprue design and tree
setup are most important. Directional solidification has to be assured. Typical
measures such as increase of flask temperature are limited by the thermal stability
of the investment materials. However, optimization of casting behavior solely by
experimental means remains challenging.
Detailed knowledge of the thermophysical properties of alloys and investment

is required and, as such data are scarce, they have to be determined in suitable
experiments. Benchmark experiments with sophisticated thermal recording
during the centrifugal casting process have to be performed to calibrate the
casting simulation results. Investment materials were found to play an important
role in form filling and shrinkage porosity. It is assumed that properties such
as gas permeability and thermal conductivity are responsible for that behavior.
Therefore, the influence of water:powder ratio, burnout cycle, flask temperature
and casting atmosphere requires further investigation to understand how the
physical properties of the investments can be tailored.
May 2010
323
Klotz
In recent years casting simulation proved to be a valuable tool for gold and silver
casting.19-23 Sophisticated software packages are available on the market to
determine form filling and shrinkage porosity depending on alloy, tree setup,
and melt and flask temperature, allowing optimization by computer simulation.
In case of platinum this would pay off even more, because of high material price
and extreme casting and flask temperatures.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors are grateful for financial support by Platinum Guild International,
with special thanks to Jurgen Maerz. C. Hafner GmbH, Germany enabled the
project by providing platinum alloys, which is kindly acknowledged. The
companies Ransom&Randolph, Lane Industries and Specialist Refractory Services
(SRS) are acknowledged for allocation of investment materials and Indutherm
GmbH, Germany for casting experiments with their MC15 casting machine.
Special thanks to Dieter Ott for fruitful discussions of the project results and to
the staff members of the metallurgy department at FEM, especially to Franz Held
and Ulrike Schindler for casting trials and metallography.
REFERENCES
1. N. Swan, Improvements in Platinum Casting, Jewellery in Britain 19

(December 2004): 5-16.
2. N. Swan, Casting Platinum Jewellery A Challenging Process, Platinum

Metals Review 51, no. 2 (2007): 102.
Klotz
3. G. Ainsley, A.A. Bourne and R.W.E. Rushforth, Platinum Investment Casting

Alloys, Platinum Metals Review 22, no. 3 (1978): 78-87.
4. J. Huckle, The Development of Platinum Alloys to Overcome Production

Problems, The Santa Fe Symposium on Jewelry Manufacturing Technology 1996,

ed. Dave Schneller (Lafayette, CO: Met-Chem Research, 1996): 301-326.
5. J. Maerz, Platinum Alloy Applications for Jewelry, The Santa Fe Symposium

on Jewelry Manufacturing Technology 1999, ed. Dave Schneller (Lafayette, CO:

Met-Chem Research, 1999): 55-72.
6. J. Maerz, Platinum Alloys: Features and Benefits, The Santa Fe Symposium

on Jewelry Manufacturing Technology 2005, ed. Eddie Bell (Albuquerque:

7. J. Maerz, Casting Tree Design and Investing Technique for Induction

Platinum Casting, The Santa Fe Symposium on Jewelry Manufacturing Technology

2002, ed. Eddie Bell (Albuquerque: Met-Chem Research, 2002): 335-352.
8. A. Nooten-Boom II, Controlled Flow = Controlled Solidification, The

Santa Fe Symposium on Jewelry Manufacturing Technology 2004, ed. Eddie Bell

(Albuquerque: Met-Chem Research, 2004): 315-344.
9. A. Nooten-Boom II, Dynamics of the Restricted Feed Tree, The Santa Fe

Symposium on Jewelry Manufacturing Technology 2006, ed. Eddie Bell

10. J. Maerz, Platinum Casting Tree Design, The Santa Fe Symposium on Jewelry

Manufacturing Technology 2007, ed. Eddie Bell (Albuquerque: Met-Chem

Research, 2007): 305-322.
324
11. H. Frye, M. Yasrebi and D.H. Sturgis, Basic Ceramic Considerations for the

Lost Wax Processing of High Melting Alloys, The Santa Fe Symposium on

Jewelry Manufacturing Technology 2000, ed. Eddie Bell (Albuquerque:

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and Flask Temperatures on the Casting of Pt Alloys The Santa Fe Symposium

on Jewelry Manufacturing Technology 2002, ed. Eddie Bell (Albuquerque:

13. D. Miller, T. Keraan, P. Park-Ross, V. Husemeyer and C. Lang, Casting

Platinum Jewellery Alloys. The Effects of Composition on Microstructure,

Platinum Metals Review 49, no. 3 (2005): 110-117.
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Platinum Jewellery Alloys. Part II: The Effects of Casting Variables on Fill and

Porosity, Platinum Metals Review 49, no. 3 (2005): 174-182.
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31 (1997): 13-19.
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American Society of Metals, 1986).
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Edelmetalltaschenbuch 2nd ed. (Hthig-Verlag Heidelberg, Germany: 1995).
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Can We Expect? The Santa Fe Symposium on Jewelry Manufacturing Technology

2006, ed. Eddie Bell (Albuquerque: Met-Chem Research, 2006): 193-216.
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21

J. Fischer-Bhner, Advances in the Prevention of Investment Casting

Defects Assisted by Computer Simulation, The Santa Fe Symposium on Jewelry
Manufacturing Technology 2007, ed. Eddie Bell (Albuquerque: Met-Chem
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22. M. Actis Grande, L. Porta and D. Tiberto, Computer Simulation of the

Investment Casting Process: Widening of the Filling Step, The Santa Fe


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- Jewellery Technology Forum 2006 (Vicenza, Italy: 2006): 122-145.
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Alloys, The Santa Fe Symposium on Jewelry Manufacturing Technology 2006, ed.

Eddie Bell (Albuquerque: Met-Chem Research, 2006): 363-376.

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2010 The Role of Process Parameters in Platinum Casting

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The Role of Process Parameters In

The Bell Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Role of Process Parameters

Dr. Ulrich E. Klotz

In recent years several articles on casting properties of platinum have been

2. Properties of Platinum Alloys

Table 1 Basic alloy properties of 95Pt5Ru and 95Pt5Co

Liquidus temperature [C/F]

Solidus temperature [C/F]

Melting range [C/F]

Melting range (Scheil) [C/F]

Alloy composition [mass%]

During melting and casting in silica-containing crucibles and investment,

The Role of Process Parameters in Platinum Casting

Figure 1 Scheil calculation with ThermoCalc software;

Figure 2 Scheil calculation with ThermoCalc software;

2.2 Thermophysical Properties

The Role of Process Parameters in Platinum Casting

in inhomogeneous temperature of the melt and premature freezing of filigree

The Role of Process Parameters in Platinum Casting

Figure 6 Metal temperature during heating for two casting experiments.

The TopCast TCE10 machine allows rotation speeds up to 450rpm with

Figure 7 Effect of centrifugal speed and acceleration for TopCast TCE10

3.2 Tree Design

The Role of Process Parameters in Platinum Casting

Figure 8 Example of two typical tree designs; tree #3AG

Base and liner

Cold water required to reach upper working

Cold water required to reach upper working

Curing does not start at room temperature;

Curing does not start at room temperature;

Table 2 Investment properties

The Role of Process Parameters in Platinum Casting

Figure 9 Investment burnout cycles according to manufacturers recommendation

4. Casting Trials with Centrifugal Casting Machine

The Role of Process Parameters in Platinum Casting

4.2 Platinum-Ruthenium Alloy

Figure 10 Different tree setups (a = Tree #5, GPt014/016; b = Tree #6,

The Role of Process Parameters in Platinum Casting

Figure 12 Grid filling as function of flask temperature for air casting

Figure 13 Grid filling as function of centrifugal speed for air casting;

The Role of Process Parameters in Platinum Casting

Figure 14 Grid filling as function of casting atmosphere for centrifugal

Figure 15 Grid filling as function of casting temperature and atmosphere

Heavy Items (Ball Ring)

Table 4 Relative comparison of investment performance in terms of surface

Surface quality of 95Pt5Ru

The Role of Process Parameters in Platinum Casting

Figure 16 SEM investigation of as-cast surface of trial 95Pt5Ru/No. 2/950C/air.

Figure 17 SEM investigation of as-cast surface of trial 95Pt5Ru/No. 4/850C/ air.

Figure 18 SEM investigation of as-cast surface of trial 95Pt5Ru/ No. 4/950C/air.

The Role of Process Parameters in Platinum Casting

Figure 20 Metallography of 95Pt5Ru ball rings. a) No. 1/950C(1742F)/air; b)

The Role of Process Parameters in Platinum Casting

Table 5 Relative comparison of porosity in metallographic sections of 95Pt5Ru

Figure 21 Effect of melt temperature on porosity, 95Pt5Ru/No. 2/950C/air;

The Role of Process Parameters in Platinum Casting

Figure 22 Casting trial GPt012: 95Pt5Ru/No. 1/950C/air.

4.3 Platinum-Cobalt Alloy

4.3.2 Heavy Items (Ball Ring)

The Role of Process Parameters in Platinum Casting

The Role of Process Parameters in Platinum Casting

Figure 24 SEM investigation of as-cast surface of trial GPt049 (905C/air/95Pt5Co).