Commercial mold powders use a limited number of main mineral constituents, but may differ significantly in chemical composition. The main mineral raw materials of specimens investigated here are quartz, fluorite and free carbon, as well as wollastonite and carbonates. The investigations revealed the use of secondary raw materials like blast furnace slag, fly ash, glass scrap and phosphorous slag as further components. Since the formation of cuspidine was one major point of interest, the influence of the silica source on its formation was identified. A replacement of wollastonite by blast furnace slag reduced the temperature of the first precipitation of cuspidine by about 100 °C; the dissociation of sodium carbonate was lowered by ~ 40 °C. The lowest temperature of the first Na ₂ CO ₃ dissociation could be achieved by using fluorine in combination with blast furnace slag. Cuspidine formation from the melt is further decreased if sodium and fluorine are both present. The use of glass scrap and phosphorous slag strongly reduced the temperature of first melt formation and enhanced cuspidine formation.