MOLDING SAND is a mixture of sand and clay or other bonding material and
is used to make molds in which metal is cast into various useful shapes.
There are two kinds of molding sands, synthetic and natural bonded. The
first is an artificial mixture of silica sand and clay; the second is a
naturally occurring mixture of sand and a bonding material.
For casting, molding sand is first moistened with water and shaped into
a mold of the metal part to be reproduced. The mold is then allowed to
dry and the molten metal poured into it. The bonding material in the
sand must be strong enough to keep the mold in shape during these
operations.
Natural bonded molding sand is produced in Fayette, Bond, Bureau,
Carroll, Kankakee, and Rock Island Counties, Illinois.