A newly alcohol-based sand-shape coating for heavy section steel castings was introduced to prevent steel penetration into sand moulds and cores.The main refractory of the coating consists of the 75～200 mesh chromite sand

magnesite and corundum sand.Although it is an alcohol-based sand coating

it has exhibited good behaviors in suspension

brushing

wear resistance.The experiment and practical production prove that the coating not only can prevent the penetration of liquid steel into sand mould and cores to effectively improve the surface quality of the cast steel castings

but also can substitute for chromite sand to be used to the surface of the moulds and cores.The mechanism is analyzed also.