The paper refers to previous publications of the author, focused on criteria of casting feeding, including the thermal criterion proposed by
Niyama. On the basis of this criterion, present in the post-processing of practically all the simulation codes, danger of casting compactness
(in the sense of soundness) in form of a microporosity, caused by the shrinkage phenomena, is predicted. The vast majority of publications
in this field concerns shrinkage and feeding phenomena in the cast steel castings – these are the alloys, in which parallel expansion
phenomenon does not occur as in the cast irons (graphite crystallization). The paper, basing on the simulation-experimental studies,
presents problems of usability of a classic, definition-based approach to the Niyama criterion for the cast iron castings, especially of
greater massiveness, for prediction of presence of zones of dispersed porosity, with relation to predictions of the shrinkage type defects.
The graphite expansion and its influence on shrinkage compensation during solidification of eutectic is also discussed.
The validation of each simulation code used in foundry domain requires individual approach due to its specificity. This validation can by
elaborated on the basis of experimental results or in particular cases by comparison the simulation results from different codes. The article
concerns the influence of grey cast iron density curve and different forms of solid fraction curve Fs=f(T) on the formation of shrinkage
discontinuities. Solid fraction curves applying Newtonian Thermal Analysis (NTA) were estimated. The experimental and numerical
simulation tests were performed on the castings, which were made with Derivative Thermal Analysis (DerTA) standard cups. The
numerical tests were realized using NovaFlow&Solid (NF&S), ProCast and Vulcan codes. In this work, the coupled influence of both
curves on the dynamics of the shrinkage-expansion phenomena and on shrinkage defects prognosis in grey cast iron castings has been
revealed. The final evaluation of the simulation systems usefulness should be based on validation experiment, preceded by comparing the
simulation results of available systems which are proposed in given technology.
Simplifications used in simulation program codes require the use of substitute parameters in the material databases (also called apparent or substitutive). On the one hand, they formally fit into the records used in the heat flow model, porosity, properties etc. and on the other hand they should be determined in conditions most similar to the real casting-mould system.
The article presents results of a research on thermophysical parameters of gypsum mould used for precision casting moulds. Experiments were carried out on a cylindrical mould made of Plasticast gypsum, in which the heat source was a cylinder filled with liquid aluminium alloy of the temperature of 655°C. Energetic validation was carried out by using the NovaFlow&Solid ver. 6.3 simulation code. As a result of validation tests, substitute thermophysical parameters of gypsum were determined. For determined parameters, best-fit of solidification time from the experiment and simulation was obtained and the curves of gypsum mass heating were satisfactorily recreate.