Abstract: No-bake inorganic binder compositions for binding particulate material and methods for curing such inorganic binders. The inorganic binder compositions are composed of silicate and phosphate components. The no-bake compositions further contain curing catalyst such as a catalyst selected from the group consisting of aliphatic carbonates, cyclic alkylene carbonates, aliphatic carboxylic acid esters, cyclic carboxylic acid esters, phosphate esters and mixtures thereof. The composition produces a binder having the advantageous strength properties of a silicate binder system with the water breakdown properties of a phosphate binder system. Thus, relative to an all-silicate binder system, the present invention has improved mechanical shakeout and improved water collapsibility. Also, relative to conventional all-phosphate binder system, the present invention has superior hot strength, i.e., the foundry cores and molds do not soften at elevated temperatures.