While there has been speculation for some time regarding the potential use of ice as an investment casting pattern material, a recent collaboration between researchers at the University of Missouri-Rolla and O'Fallon Casting has shown the technology holds promise for industrial purposes. The idea of using ice patterns instead of wax or any other similar material has previously been explored by Yodice and X. Wu of Tsinghua University, China. Some of the potential benefits of using ice patterns are: 1. Wax tends to expand when heated, thus causing stress on the shell leading to cracks, however, ice shrinks while melting. 2. No reclaiming process is required for the pattern material. 3. Autoclave maintenance and operating costs are eliminated Researchers at the University of Missouri-Rolla had also studied using ice patterns for solid mold investment casting and were successful in making the process accurate and repeatable. They recently conducted further experimental studies at the O'Fallon Casting foundry in an effort to develop a shell mold investment casting process using ice patterns.
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