Although the metal casting process is often desirable for the production of complex netshape parts, the emission of volatile hydrocarbons has placed increasingly severe restrictions upon the industry as a result of ambient air quality regulations on foundry operations. These emissions arise from the pyrolysis of the organic binders in the mold and core sand. This Small Grants for Exploratory (SGER) project proposes to investigate the reformulation of the binders that are necessary for the mold-making, by looking to a synthetic carbonate cement alternative. This material would allow bonding of the silica particles for the casting process with a reduction in the volatiles by the substitution of more benign materials. This SGER will demonstrate the ability of the synthetic to serve as a substitution for the binder under conditions typically found in metal casting. This experimentation will provide the information necessary to demonstrate the suitability of the material as a molding agent, including the post-casting material characteristics for waste-stream handling. It is a novel approach to a significant environmental problem for the manufacturing community. There is high potential for its use if the expectations of properties for molding and for post-casting waste handling can be met.
