Question

Which of the following materials is useful for making molds because it has a low melting point?

A. wood
B. metal
C. clay
D. wax

Answer 1

The right answer is wax.

The waxes are of synthetic, natural, animal or plant origin composed of long and branched chains which gives them a microcrystalline structure. This results in a soft, white, non-translucent substance whose melting temperature is arround 70 ° C.

The melt temperature of the clay exceeds 1000 ° C.

It is clear that wood and metal are not used for low temperature molding.

Answer 2

Molds are created to achieve a specific design of a material. These materials either came from a process of having a higher or lower temperature. Therefore, the molder must have thermal resistant properties. Low melting points means that the material to be shaped came from a cooler process. Wood and metal have higher thermal conductivity and therefore can easily be cooled. The wax can turn really hard and can be unbreakable when present in colder materials due to the lipids present in it. Clay however can become a mold because of its low melting point.