Investment casting is an industrial process based on lost-wax casting which can also refer to modern investment casting processes.

Water glass and silica sol investment casting are the two primary investment casting methods.The main differences are the surface roughness and cost of casting. 

Water glass method dewaxes into the high-temperature water, and the ceramic mould is made of water glass quartz sand. Silica sol method dewaxes into the flash fire, and silica sol zircon sand makes the ceramic mould. Silica sol method costs more but has the better surface than the water glass method.