Towards zero emissions in European ferrous foundries using inorganic binder systems

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

BACKGROUND

The European ferrous foundry industry is the third largest in the world after India and China, accounting for around 15% of global production. However, the industry is energy intensive and responsible for hazardous emissions. Casting production is especially polluting, giving off dust and harmful gas compounds that significantly affect urban air quality and the work environment. Currently, just 1% of the European foundries use inorganic systems for mould and core manufacturing, despite studies showing that inorganic systems significantly reduce harmful emissions. Additionally, the use of virgin sand mixed with organic binders in the casting moulds generates substantial amounts of polluted solid waste (more than 6 million tonnes annually); this waste is mostly landfilled.  

OBJECTIVES

The GREEN CASTING LIFE project aims to implement and validate on an industrial scale the use of inorganic binder systems to produce inorganic moulds in steel and iron foundries. In this way, it will reduce the amount of harmful volatile and gas compounds emitted in the casting process, improving indoor air quality for workers and decreasing the amount of waste generated. The re-use of polluted sand will be enhanced and the waste that is landfilled reduced by developing efficient reclamation and regeneration methods for the sand used in the moulds and cores.

RESULTS

Expected results:

 

• Development of tailor made inorganic binder system solutions for iron and steel foundries;
• Industrial-scale implementation and validation of inorganic binder systems in six flagship foundries in five EU countries resulting in a reduction in hazardous airborne emissions from casting processes of 90% to 95% (VOC, S0₂, BTEX, NO_x, formaldehyde, phenols and PM).
• Improved working environment in selected foundries by improving air quality by 70% to 80% for critical compounds (CO, VOC, S0₂, BTEX, NO_x, formaldehyde, phenols and PM).
• Development of sand regeneration methods for used inorganic and organic foundry sand, with the aim of re-using up to 75% of the foundry sand; 
• Demonstration of three sand reclamation methods for organic and inorganic binder system sands;
• Reduction of landfilled surplus waste sand by up to 90%;
• Industry-scale exploitation and replication of the developed methods in 15 European foundries; and
• Provision of results and experiences for the preparation of the updated Smitheries and Foundries Industry BREF.