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Energy is important for modern civilization and the electrical power from thermal stations is a major source of energy on which hinges the functioning and growth of mankind. In almost all major countries of the world thermal power stations are getting bigger and are generating huge quantities of flyash as a waste from their mammoth boilers. Despite extensive research on flyash, its utilization level is still low although it is considered as a novel and useful material in various fields such as building and road construction, agriculture, refractory works, water treatment, foundry, etc. In the present work flyash has been used as an additive to the silica sand in the V-process molds and its effects on the surface finish and total solidification time of the Al-11%Si alloy castings have been studied. Results indicate that the surface finish of the castings improves by the addition of flyash. Total solidification time of the castings reduces when the flyash has been added beyond 25 percent.

In the present work Taguchi's approach has been applied to the V-process castings of Al-11 per cent Si alloy to acertain the most influential control factors which will provide better and consistent surface finish to the castings regardless of the noise factors present.The control factors of the V-process that may affect the quality of the castings are the molding sand, vibration frequency, vibrating time, degree of vacuum imposed, and pouring temperature.In order to understand how these factors affect the surface roughness of the V-process castings, response surface methodology has been applied, and to obtain the optimal setting of the control factors Taguchi's method has been used.It is found that the pouring temperature has a significant effect on the surface roughness of Al-11 per cent Si alloy castings made by a V-process. Thus the pouring temperature must be kept at the lower level. All other factors are insignificant. Therefore, any setting of the insignificant factors/ variables that give the minimum cost can be used.

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