Environmental Advances Demonstrated for Green-Sand Processing

Furness-Newburge Inc. reports it has completed the second year of a research program it has been conducting with Neenah Foundry Co. and Pennsylvania State University, in which it has demonstrated that residual clay and coal may be reused directly in green sand casting processes. It also concluded that reclaimed sand might be reused for cold-box processes, according to a statement by Furness-Newburge.

FNI, Versailles, KY, specializes in process and equipment development, particularly systems that reduce hazardous air pollutants and volatile organic compounds resulting from sand casting. Furness-Newburge's Sonoperoxone system treats water used in green sand processes with advanced oxidants, to destroy some of the organic compounds that coat bonded sand, to reduce HAPs and VOCs.

The ongoing research program with PSU and Neenah Foundry has been funded in part by the National Science Foundation, and FNI reports a full-scale production process will start up early in 2008. It expects to present research reports on the process in the coming year, too.