This diploma thesis describes the process of production of the cast by the lost-wax casting method. It includes the manufacturing of prototype models by additive technology, creation of ceramic shell molds. The work also includes an experimental part focused on the production of the selected parts by the method of the lost-wax casting and the comparison of this method with other types of production.

[ES] La tesis doctoral presenta y analiza la técnica de la cáscara cerámica, desde la creación del modelo en cera hasta la elaboración completa del molde de fundición específico de esta técnica. Se aportan referencias originales históricas y técnicas. Se realizan pruebas de porosidad y resistencia en función de los refractarios empleados y el número de capas, con conclusiones aclaratorias en cada capítulo. / [EN] This doctoral dissertation explains and analyzes the ceramic shell technique as a whole, starting from the creation of the wax model until the elaboration of the casting mold specific for this technique is finished. Original historical and technical references are provided. Different porosity and resistance tests are carried out depending on the refractory materials used and the number of layers. Clarifying conclusions are included in each chapter. / A Mr. David Reid, maestro de la técnica de la cáscara cerámica adaptada al taller de los escultores. Al Dr. Juan Carlos Albaladejo, director de la tesis doctoral, generoso maestro difusor de la técnica en las universidades españolas. Al Departamento de Ingeniería de los materiales (D. José Monzó y D. Pascual Hernández); al Dpto. de Pintura (Dr. Domingo Oliver y D. Manuel Guillén); al Institut de Ciències del Materials de la UV (Dra. Carmen Guillém); al IDM de la UPV (Dr. Ramón Martínez Mañez, Dr. Juan Soto y Dra. Mª Dolores Marcos); y al Departamento de Escultura (Paco P. Benavent y Dr. Pablo Sedeño) A Toni Tomás, Beatriz Piñero, Ángeles Afonso, Soledad del Pino, Mª Mar Caballero, familia Crespo Ricart y a Marian Alonso. / Marcos Martínez, MDC. (2001). Fundición a la cera perdida: Técnica de la Cascarilla Cerámica [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/157239

Dans une démarche pluridisciplinaire, qui emprunte aussi bien aux sciences humaines et sociales (archéologie, histoire des techniques, réexamen des textes anciens) qu’aux sciences chimiques (science des matériaux, métallurgie expérimentale, chimie analytique), cette recherche vise à reconstituer l’évolution des techniques de fonte à la cire perdue, depuis les plus anciens témoignages de son utilisation à Mehrgarh (Pakistan, 5e millénaire av. J.-C.) jusqu’aux premières grandes statues de bronze dans le monde égéen (fin du VIe, début du Ve s. av. J.-C.).L’étude des objets a parfois nécessité des développements analytiques spécifiques pour pallier à leur très forte altération, comme par exemple l’imagerie de photoluminescence synchrotron. Cela a notamment permis de reconstituer en détail la chaîne opératoire de fabrication de la rouelle de Mehrgarh, l’une des plus anciennes fontes à la cire perdue connue à ce jour. Sur la base de ces résultats, il est suggéré que la fonte à la cire perdue pourrait avoir été inventée pour donner la possibilité aux individus non métallurgistes de créer des objets importants en métal tels que ces amulettes, par le biais du façonnage d’un modèle en cire.Nous montrons que la cire perdue a ensuite été mise à profit pour donner naissance à une nouvelle forme de sculpture, la statuaire de métal. Au prix de parois très épaisses et d’assemblages mécaniques, nous mettons en évidence une première période de production de grandes statues en Mésopotamie pendant la deuxième moitié du 3e millénaire av. J.-C. Après un long hiatus, la grande statuaire métallique renaît de façon spectaculaire pendant la première moitié du 1er millénaire av. J. C., à la fois dans les mondes égyptien, sabéen et égéen. Nous identifions deux innovations importantes responsables de cette renaissance : le procédé indirect et l’assemblage soudé.Des essais de coulabilité effectués en faisant varier la composition de l’alliage et le matériau du moule sont présentés dans la dernière partie de notre travail. En moule de plâtre et avec un fort préchauffage, une coulabilité exceptionnelle a été obtenue pour le bronze à fort taux de plomb, donnant pour la première fois une idée des conditions de coulée nécessaires à l’obtention des parois très minces souvent observées sur les grandes statues antiques. / Following a multidisciplinary approach combining social sciences (archaeology, history of techniques, examination of ancient texts) and chemistry (materials science, experimental metallurgy, analytical chemistry), our research aims to reconstruct the evolution of lost-wax casting techniques, from the earliest evidence of its use in Mehrgarh (Pakistan, 5th millennium BC) to the first large bronze statues in the Aegean (end of the 6th, beginning of the 5th century BC).The archaeological artefacts under study have sometimes required specific analytical developments to overcome their very strong alteration, such as synchrotron photoluminescence imaging. This allowed reconstructing in detail the chaîne opératoire of the Mehrgarh wheel-shaped amulet, one of the oldest lost-wax castings known to date. Based on the results thus obtained, it has been suggested that lost-wax casting might have been invented to give non-metalworkers the opportunity to create important metal objects such as amulets by simply shaping a wax model.We show that lost-wax casting was afterwards used to create a new form of sculpture, namely metal statuary. At the cost of very thick metal walls and mechanical assemblies, this led to an early production step of large statues in Mesopotamia during the second half of the 3rd millennium BC. After a long hiatus, large metal statuary reappeared spectacularly during the first half of the 1st millennium BC, both in the Egyptian, the Sabean and the Aegean areas. We were able to identify two important innovations responsible for this renaissance: the indirect process and the flow fusion welding.Castability tests carried out by varying the composition of the alloy and the material of the mould are presented in the last part of our work. An exceptional castability was obtained for highly-leaded bronze in plaster mould and with a high preheating. For the first time some insights are thus drawn on the casting conditions necessary to obtain the very thin walls often observed on large metal statues during the Classical Antiquity.

While Aluminium has lots of unique properties and is seen as a material of the future, its production and manufacturing has significant environmental impacts. For complex and dimensional shapes casting remains the main manufacturing method and in this study the environmental pressure of different casting techniques is compared. A screening LCA is conducted to determine the environmental impacts of plaster mould castings in a case study at the Ventana Hackås AB foundry in Mid Sweden. The findings are compared to models of sand, pressure die and lost wax castings, based on literature datasets. The most relevant factors for the environmental performance are identified as the production of the aluminium alloy and the amount and source of energy. For plaster mould castings additionally the plaster consumption is significant, while lost wax castings are dominated by the mould production and general processes. Under similar circumstances a relatively similar performance was found for all casting techniques except the lost wax process, which is at least 3 times more emission intensive. Of the remaining techniques pressure die castings performed the best and plaster mould castings the worst, but different sources of uncertainties have been identified in this comparison. In addition a carbon footprint interface is created based on these findings, to enable specific comparisons of different casting method setups. Customizable variables allow the adaptation of three scenarios to real world conditions. As the main influencing factors the aluminium alloy, source of electricity and casting technique have been identified. / <p>2018-10-10</p>