Excellent release of steel core pins is essential during aluminum castingAluminum castings, to prevent adhesion during pin extractionExtraction, and avoid damaging or bending the castingsCasting. To prevent adhesion of solidifying aluminumAluminum to the steel core pins, ceramic coatingsCoatings are applied. This study utilized a series of laboratory tests to evaluate the effectiveness of two boron nitrideBoron nitride-based coatingsCoatings, documenting the effects of composition and durability on extractionExtraction loads. Results are presented from adhesion, tribology, and a novel test to quantitatively measure extractionExtraction (ejection) loads of drafted core pins from solidified aluminum castingsAluminum castings. The latter test involved inserting a drafted, coated steel core pin through the bottom of a steel crucibleCrucible. About 1 kg of molten aluminum alloyAluminum alloy A356 was poured into the crucibleCrucible. Once the aluminumAluminum solidified around the pin and cooled to 400 °C, a tensile frame extracted the pin as a load cell measured the extractionExtraction load.