FOUNDRY SAND Material Description

ORIGIN

Foundry sand consists primarily of clean, uniformly sized, high-quality silica sand or lake
sand that is bonded to form molds for ferrous (iron and steel) and nonferrous (copper,
aluminum, brass) metal castings. Although these sands are clean prior to use, after
casting they may contain Ferrous (iron and steel) industries account for approximately 95
percent of foundry sand used for castings. The automotive industry and its parts suppliers
are the major generators of foundry sand.

The most common casting process used in the foundry industry is the sand cast system.
Virtually all sand cast molds for ferrous castings are of the green sand type. Green sand
consists of high-quality silica sand, about 10 percent bentonite clay (as the binder), 2 to 5
percent water and about 5 percent sea coal (a carbonaceous mold additive to improve
casting finish). The type of metal being cast determines which additives and what
gradation of sand is used. The green sand used in the process constitutes upwards of 90
(1)
percent of the molding materials used.

In addition to green sand molds, chemically bonded sand cast systems are also used.
These systems involve the use of one or more organic binders (usually proprietary) in
conjunction with catalysts and different hardening/setting procedures. Foundry sand
makes up about 97 percent of this mixture. Chemically bonded systems are most often
used for “cores” (used to produce cavities that are not practical to produce by normal
molding operations) and for molds for nonferrous castings.

The annual generation of foundry waste (including dust and spent foundry sand) in the
United States is believed to range from 9 to 13.6 million metric tons (10 to 15 million
(2)
tons). Typically, about 1 ton of foundry sand is required for each ton of iron or steel
casting produced.

Additional information on the production and use of spent foundry sand in construction
materials applications can be obtained from:

American Foundrymen's Society, Inc.

505 State Street
Des Plaines, Illinois 60016-8399

CURRENT MANAGEMENT OPTIONS

Recycling

In typical foundry processes, sand from collapsed molds or cores can be reclaimed and
reused. A simplified diagram depicting the flow of sand in a typical green sand molding
system is presented in Figure 7-1. Some new sand and binder is typically added to
maintain the quality of the casting and to make up for sand lost during normal
(3)
operations.
 Figure 7-1. Simplified schematic of green sand mold system.
Little information is available regarding the amount of foundry sand that is used for
purposes other than in-plant reclamation, but spent foundry sand has been used as a fine
aggregate substitute in construction applications and as kiln feed in the manufacture of
Portland cement.

Disposal

Most of the spent foundry sand from green sand operations is landfilled, sometimes being
used as a supplemental cover material at landfill sites.

MARKET SOURCES

Foundry sand can be obtained directly from foundries, most of which are located in
midwestern states, including Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.

Foundry sand, prior to use, is a uniformly graded material. The spent material, however,
often contains metal from the casting and oversized mold and core material containing
partially degraded binder. Spent foundry sand may also contain some leachable
contaminants, including heavy metals and phenols that are absorbed by the sand during
the molding process and casting operations. Phenols are formed through high-
temperature thermal decomposition and rearrangement of organic binders during the
(4)
metal pouring process. The presence of heavy metals is of greater concern in
(5)
nonferrous foundry sands generated from nonferrous foundries. Spent foundry sand
from brass or bronze foundries, in particular, may contain high concentrations of
(3)
cadmium, lead, copper, nickel, and zinc.

HIGHWAY USES AND PROCESSING REQUIREMENTS

Asphalt Concrete and Flowable Fill Aggregate

Foundry sand has been used as a substitute for fine aggregate in asphalt paving mixes. It
has also been used as a fine aggregate substitute in flowable (or controlled density) fill
applications.

Prior to use, spent foundry sand requires crushing or screening to reduce or separate
oversized materials that may be present. Stockpiles of sufficient size typically need to be
accumulated so that a consistent and uniform product can be produced (i.e., day-to-day
variations in the material characteristics can be overcome by blending in a comparatively
large stockpile).

Since only small quantities of spent foundry sand are generated at small foundries, it will
generally be necessary for these operators to transport their spent sand to a central
storage area that receives sand from a group of plants before transferring it to an end
user.

MATERIAL PROPERTIES

Physical Properties

Typical physical properties of spent foundry sand from green sand systems are listed in
Table 7-1.

The grain size distribution of spent foundry sand is very uniform, with approximately 85 to
95 percent of the material between 0.6 mm and 0.15 mm (No. 30 and No. 100) sieve
sizes. Five to 12 percent of foundry sand can be expected to be smaller than 0.075 mm
(No. 200 sieve). The particle shape is typically subangular to rounded. Waste foundry
sand gradations have been found to be too fine to satisfy some specifications for fine
aggregate.

Spend foundry sand has low absorption and is nonplastic. Reported values of absorption
were found to vary widely, which can also be attributed to the presence of binders and
(3)
additives. The content of organic impurities (particularly from sea coal binder systems)
can vary widely and can be quite high. This may preclude its use in applications where
(4)
organic impurities could be important (e.g., Portland cement concrete aggregate). The
specific gravity of foundry sand has been found to vary from 2.39 to 2.55. This variability
(3)
has been attributed to the variability in fines and additive contents in different samples.
In general, foundry sands are dry, with moisture contents less than 2 percent. A large
fraction of clay lumps and friable particles have been reported, which are attributed to the
lumps associated with the molded sand, which are easily disintegrated in the test
(3)
procedure. The variation in permeability, listed in Table 7-1, is a direct result of the
fraction of fines in the samples collected.

Chemical Properties

Spent foundry sand consists primarily of silica sand, coated with a thin film of burnt
carbon, residual binder (bentonite, sea coal, resins) and dust. Table 7-2 lists the chemical
composition of a typical sample of spent foundry sand as determined by x-ray
fluorescence.
Silica sand is hydrophilic and consequently attracts water to its surface. This property
could lead to moisture-accelerated damage and associated stripping problems in an
asphalt pavement. Antistripping additives may be required to counteract such problems.

Depending on the binder and type of metal cast, the pH of spent foundry sand can vary
(7)
from approximately 4 to 8. It has been reported that some spent foundry sands can be
(5)
corrosive to metals.

Because of the presence of phenols in foundry sand, there is some concern that
precipitation percolating through stockpiles could mobilize leachable fractions, resulting in
phenol discharges into surface or ground water supplies. Foundry sand sources and
stockpiles must be monitored to assess the need to establish controls for potential phenol
(4,6,7)
discharges.

Table 7-1. Typical physical properties of spent green foundry sand.

Property Results Test Method
(3)
Specific Gravity 2.39 - 2.55 ASTM D854
3 3 (7)
Bulk Relative Density, kg/m (lb/ft ) 2590 (160) ASTM C48/AASHTO T84
(1,3,7)
Absorption, % 0.45 ASTM C128
(3)
Moisture Content, % 0.1 - 10.1 ASTM D2216
(1,3)
Clay Lumps and Friable Particles 1 - 44 ASTM C142/AASHTO T112
(3) -3 -6
Coefficient of Permeability (cm/sec) 10 - 10 AASHTO T215/ASTM D2434
(7)
Plastic limit/plastic index Nonplastic AASHTO T90/ASTM D4318

(1)
Table 7-2. Foundry sand sample chemical oxide composition, %.
Constituent Value (%)
SiO2 87.91
Al2O3 4.70
Fe2O3 0.94
CaO 0.14
MgO 0.30
SO3 0.09
Na2O 0.19
K2O 0.25
TiO2 0.15
P2O5 0.00
Mn2O3 0.02
SrO 0.03
(1)
5.15 (0.45 to 9.47)
LOI (3)
2.1 - 12.1
TOTAL 99.87

Mechanical Properties
Typical mechanical properties of spent foundry sand are listed in Table 7-3. Spent
foundry sand has good durability characteristics as measured by low Micro-Deval
(8) (9)
abrasion and magnesium sulfate soundness loss tests. The Micro-Deval abrasion test
is an attrition/abrasion test where a sample of the fine aggregate is placed in a stainless
steel jar with water and steel bearings and rotated at 100 rpm for 15 minutes. The
percent loss has been determined to correlate very well with magnesium sulfate
soundness and other physical properties. Recent studies have reported relatively high
soundness loss, which is attributed to samples of bound sand loss and not a breakdown
(3)
of individual sand particles. The angle of shearing resistance (friction angle) of foundry
sand has been reported to be in the range of 33 to 40 degrees, which is comparable to
(3)
that of conventional sands.

Table 7-3. Typical mechanical properties of spent foundry sand.

Property Results Test Method
(5)
Micro-Deval Abrasion Loss, % <2 –
(1,5)
5 - 15
Magnesium Sulfate Soundness Loss, % (3) ASTM C88
6 - 47
(3)
Friction Angle (deg) 33 - 40 –
(3)
California Bearing Ratio, % 4 - 20 ASTM D1883

REFERENCES

1. American Foundrymen's Society. Alternative Utilization of Foundry Waste Sand.

Final Report (Phase I) prepared by American Foundrymen's Society Inc. for
Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs, Des Plaines, Illinois,
July, 1991.
2. Collins, R. J. and S. K. Ciesielski. Recycling and Use of Waste Materials and By-
Products in Highway Construction, National Cooperative Highway Research
Program Synthesis of Highway Practice 199, Transportation Research Board,
Washington, DC, 1994.
3. Javed, S. and C. W. Lovell. Use of Foundry Sand in Highway Construction. Joint
Highway Research Project No. C-36-50N, Department of Civil Engineering,
Purdue University, July, 1994.
4. MOEE. Spent Foundry Sand - Alternative Uses Study. Report prepared by John
Emery Geotechnical Engineering Limited for Ontario Ministry of the Environment
and Energy and the Canadian Foundry Association, Queen’s Printer for Ontario,
July, 1993.
5. MNR. Mineral Aggregate Conservation - Reuse and Recycling. Report prepared
by John Emery Geotechnical Engineering Limited for Aggregate and Petroleum
Resources Section, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Queen’s Printer for
Ontario, February, 1992.
6. Ham, R. K., W. C. Boyle, E. C. Engroff and R. L. Fero. “Determining the
Presence of Organic Compounds in Foundry Waste Leachates,” Modern
Casting. American Foundrymen’s Society, August, 1989.
7. Johnson, C. K. “Phenols in Foundry Waste Sand,” Modern Casting. American
Foundrymen’s Society, January, 1981.
8. Ontario Ministry of Transportation. Resistance of Fine Aggregate to Degradation
by Abrasion in the MicroDuval Apparatus, LS-619, Ontario Ministry of
Transportation, Ontario, Canada, 1996.
9. American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. Standard
Method of Test, “Soundness of Aggregate by Use of Sodium Sulfate or
Magnesium Sulfate,” AASHTO Designation: T104, Part II Tests, 14th Edition,
1986.