The paper presents the results of preliminary research on the use of silica sands with hydrated sodium silicate 1.5% wt. of binder for the performance of eco-friendly casting cores in hot-box technology. To evaluate the feasibility of high quality casting cores performed by the use of this method, the tests were made with the use of a semiautomatic core shooter using the following operating parameters: initial shooting pressure of 6 bar, shot time 4 s and 2 s, core-box temperature 200, 250 and 300 °C and core heating time 30, 60, 90 and 150 s. Matrixes of the moulding sands were two types of high-silica sand: fine and medium. Moulding sand binder was a commercial, unmodified hydrated sodium silicate having a molar module SiO2/Na2O of 2.5. In one shot of a core-shooter were made three longitudinal samples (cores) with a total volume of about 2.8 dm3. The samples thus obtained were subjected to an assessment of the effect of shooting parameters, i.e. shooting time, temperature and heating time, using the criteria: core-box fill rate, bending strength (RgU), apparent density and surface quality after hardening. The results of the trials on the use of sodium silicate moluding sands made it possible to further refine the conditions of next research into the improvement of inorganic warm-box/hot-box technology aimed at: reduction of heating temperature and shot time. It was found that the performance of the cores depends on the efficiency of the venting system, shooting time, filling level of a shooting chamber and grains of the silica matrix used.

The results of model investigations of the influence of the blowing process selected parameters on the distribution of the compaction of the core made by the blowing method, are presented in the hereby paper. These parameters were: shooting pressure, shooting hole diameter, amount and distribution of deaerating holes. Investigations were performed using the horizontal core box of the cuboidal cavity and the same core box into which inner inserts were introduced. These inserts were dividing the primary volume into three sectors differing in their direction, introduction conditions and the character of the core sand flow. As the compaction measure the apparent sand density was assumed. The density was determined in five measuring points in case of uniform cores, and in three measuring points in case of cores obtained in the core box with three separated sectors. The apparent density of the compacted core sand in the core box cavity was determined on the basis of the measurements of masses and volumes of samples cut-out from the determined core places by means of the measuring probe. Investigations were performed at three values of the working pressure equal 0.4, 0.5 and 0.6MPa for two diameters of the shooting hole: 10 and 20 mm. During tests the core box deaeration, controlled by an activisation of the determined number of deaerating vents placed in the core box, was also subjected to changes.