I-Corps: Leveraging Low-Polluting Foundry Core Binders toward Commercialization

I-Corps的这项活动将进一步开发面向铸造用途的低排放核心粘结剂系统。传统的芯材使用石油基酚醛聚氨酯，会释放相当大的挥发性有机化合物(VOC)污染，而这些新型粘结剂释放的VOC减少约70%-80%。工作将解决如何快速处理这些核心的实际应用。该团队将把这些粘结剂系统改装到铸造厂的芯材制造机器上。在准备使用低VOC粘结剂的原型型芯时，该团队将评估不同铸造人员控制的参数--如粘结剂比例、湿度、吹气压力、固化温度、固化气体(空气、蒸汽、二氧化碳)和循环时间--会产生什么影响。这些实用参数的变化将与NSF以前的工作中得出的基本原理联系在一起：在什么温度下，羧基和氨基酸的官能团会失去它们的结合强度；什么吹风压力可以克服潮湿砂粒的粘性；什么样的制芯机配置最适合这些低VOC粘结剂。I-Corp团队将为社会带来变革性的有益影响，因为这项工作将这些低污染的粘结剂过渡到商业接受。这有可能为辛勤工作的铸造人员创造一个更健康、更愉快的工作环境。随着广泛使用，这些粘结剂可能有能力减少户外污染，并增加第一代生物材料的可持续使用，否则这些材料将被丢弃。

This I-Corps activity will further develop low-emitting core binder systems toward foundry use. Conventional cores employ petroleum-based phenolic urethanes, which emit considerable volatile organic compound (VOC) pollution, whereas these novel binders release approximately 70-80% fewer VOCs. Work will address practical applications of how to quickly process these cores. The team will adapt these binder systems to the foundry's core-making machines. While preparing prototype cores with low-VOC binders, the team will appraise what are the effects when varying parameters that foundry personnel control - such as binder proportions, moisture, blow pressure, curing temperature, curing gas (air, steam, CO2), and cycle time. The variations of these practical parameters will be linked to fundamentals derived in prior NSF work: at what temperature do the functionalities of carboxyls and amino acids lose their binding strength; what blow pressures overcome the stickiness of moist sand grains; what core-making machine configurations are best-suited for these low-VOC binders. The I-Corp Team will offer transformative beneficial impact to society as the work transitions these low-polluting binders toward commercial acceptance. This has the potential create a healthier and more pleasant working environment for hard-working foundry personnel. With widespread use, these binders may have the ability to diminish outdoor pollution and increase sustainable use of first-generation biomaterials that are otherwise discarded.