Abstract: The sand-binder mixture in a sand casting mold is controlled so that it contains sufficient binder to enable it to set to form a mold, yet the resulting set mold is sufficiently porous to receive liquids and vapors from a disposable pattern and sufficiently rigid to retain the pattern shape after the pattern is removed. At the proper binder loading, the mold has porosity such that the pattern will evacuate the cavity prior to casting when heated at relatively low temperatures (well below pattern combustion temperatures) that do not harmfully affect the mold and do not necessarily remove all of the pattern material from the mold. Thus, the pattern is removed from the mold cavity, before the molten metal is added, by heating the pattern and mold to cause the pattern to become fluid and to flow both into the sand mold and out of openings in it, without the need for high temperature combustion. The molten metal is then added to the cavity, and allowed to solidify before it is removed.

Abstract: Die castings are made from metal compositions that are fully liquid or as a preferred embodiment contain between about 10 and 85 weight percent degenerate dendrites. The composition is injected into the cavity of a die at a mean die temperature which is as near to ambient temperature as possible and usually less than about 400.degree. F. The die is formed of a material having a thermal diffusivity of at least about 0.5 cm.sup.2 /sec. The castings are ejected and the die surface is sprayed with a liquid to bring the die surface temperature back to the mean die temperature or below in the shortest possible time. The time between injection and ejection is less than about 1 minute and the time between ejection and spraying is less than about 30 seconds.

Abstract: A metal composition characterized by greater than about 65 weight percent degenerate denritic or nodular primary discrete solid particles suspended in a secondary phase having a lower melting point than the primary particles and which secondary phase can be solid or liquid. The method involves raising the temperature of a metal alloy to a value at which the alloy is largely or completely in the molten state. The melt is then subjected to vigorous agitation in an apparatus having an inner surface contacting the liquid-primary solid composition that is not wet by the composition and the heat is extracted to increase the portion of the mixture is in solid degenerate dendrite or nodular form greater than about sixty-five percent while continuing the agitation.

Abstract: Liquid-solid ferrous compositions containing up to about 85 weight percent degenerate dendrites by vigorously agitating a partially solidified ferrous composition in an agitation zone to form degenerate dendrites while preventing the formation of interconnected dendritic networks. The interior surface of the agitation zone and the agitator is formed of high density recrystallized aluminum which remains stable against degradation by the partially molten ferrous composition and is not wet by the ferrous composition. An inert or protective gas blanket is maintained at the outlet of the agitation zone to prevent oxidation and slag formation thereby to prevent clogging of the outlet.