Chemical and mechanical reclamation of Foundry sand

Details

Lot of foundry sand is wasted and dumped during the casting process thereby increasing the load on environment and making the economics of the small foundries unattractive. It is hence desired to develop and commercialize a reclamation process that recovers the sand and makes it reusable. A pilot plant is built by IIT in the field which is serving few foundries in the nearby area. A startup is formed to commercialize the research findings. The work involves understanding the scientific aspects of chemical reclamation process patented by IITB. The acid loading and temperature will be varied and the conditions will be optimized. A working prototype will be demonstrated and the sand reclaimed will be tested in foundries. The work is mostly experimental but will be supported by theoretical understanding of clay chemistry.

The chemical reclamation involves use of dilute acid which may also be sourced in the form of acidic effluents coming out of many chemical industries. If the proposed solution is successful on the commercial scale then we would be achieving an important objective of circular economy of coupling different sectors to minimize industrial waste.

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