GOALI: Fundamentals of a Novel Advanced Oxidation Process for Foundries that Improves Green Sand Performance and Diminishes Air Emissions

该奖项旨在培养对金属铸造的环保制造工艺改进的基本理解。在金属铸造过程中，熔化的金属在模具内凝固并呈现出复杂的形状。绿砂模具包括一些煤和粘合剂；当它们经历熔融金属的高温时，它们会释放出挥发性有机化合物（VOCs）。一种新型的高级氧化（AO）工艺已经在五个全规模铸造厂安装，并成功地将这些排放减少了30-75%。此外，该工艺还减少了10-30%的粘土、煤和沙子的用量；使铸件缺陷减少了10%。研究目标是：(a)更好地理解高级氧化处理的基础工程动力学；(b)在实验和试验规模上，以这些基本原则为基础，进一步减少排放，并通过AO过程提高绿砂性能。这项研究的潜在影响和成功可能是促进对AO过程的理解，使美国的空气污染总量减少0.1%至1%（相对于所有空气污染源）。与此同时，这些功能的增强将节省资金，防止污染，减少垃圾填埋，扩大铸造厂的机会，并在至关重要的铸造行业创造就业机会。测试将以促进增强行为的方式测量VOC排放和绿砂性能，同时也推进基本的工艺理解和工程理解。实验规模的测试还将模拟铸造厂绿砂经历的热暴露的关键特征，以便通过控制良好的实验获得基本的见解。

This GOALI award is to develop the fundamental understanding of an environmentally benign manufacturing process modification for metal casting. During metal casting, the molten metal solidifies within a mold and takes on a complex shape. Green sand molds include some coal and adhesives; and when these experience the high temperatures of molten metal, they can emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs). A novel advanced oxidation (AO) process has been installed at five full-scale foundries, and has successfully decreased these emissions by 30-75%. Moreover, this process has also diminished by 10-30% the amount of clay, coal, and sand required; and it has decreased casting defects by 10%. The research objectives are to (a) better understand the fundamental engineering kinetics that underlie advanced oxidation processing; (b) at the bench and pilot scale, build on these fundamentals to yet further diminish emissions and enhance green sand performance with the AO process. The potential impact and success of this research could be to advance the understanding of this AO process to where it will diminish total U. S. air pollution by 0.1 to 1% (relative to all air pollution sources). At the same time, enhancement of these features will save money, prevent pollution, reduce waste to landfills, broaden foundries' opportunities, and create U. S. jobs in the vital foundry industry. Tests will measure VOC emissions and green sand performance in a manner that facilitates enhanced behavior while also advancing basic process understanding and engineering understanding. Bench scale tests will also mimic key features of the thermal exposure that foundry green sands experience, in order to acquire fundamental insight via well-controlled experiments.