Long Term Control

Strategies in Green Sand

A Vision for the Future

of Green Sand and Its Control

Jim Furness President

Paul David Paulsen PhD PE

Furness-Newburge, Inc.
The primary purpose of change is to
improve product quality.

Casting scrap is potentially one of the

largest sources of excess energy use in the
foundry.

Reducing energy use in sand

processing, dust collection, or melt is
valuable only if these techniques reduce
scrap rates or improve yield.
 Energy Best Practice:
Mull to Energy (MTE)
• For decades*, we have found that by augmenting the control of
mullers/mixers with an energy signal instead of only using the typical fixed
timers, mullers can be more productive while using less energy. Foundries
using MTE are reducing scrap, increasing foundry productivity, reducing
silica exposure and shipping more tonnage. Partially due to energy
provider verified results, MTE was named best practice in Wisconsin.
• We automatically vary mull time to an energy setpoint and/or a stability
point of a clay feedback signal. We try to terminate the sand prep. cycles
prior to the start of dehydration induced destabilization of the sand bond.
The original timer control will automatically terminate the cycle if sensing
fails to find the desired energy control as back-up. (triple redundancy)
• Continuous mulling/mixing uses a primitive (non software intensive) form
of mull to energy in that it controls to amperage set-points. Work on
improving/modernizing this control is slowly but surely moving forward.

*I first tried primitive MTE in 1984 to help reduce

moisture variation.
Energy Signature Variation Batch to Batch
(MN Foundry)

18 Muller Batches (Total kW/sec)

Energy peaking and falling off at a highly variable rate
Undulations - example of high residual strength sand

Over-mulled sand at a fixed100 Seconds ?

Horse Power/seconds applied to 100 second

batch (WI FDY)
 Muller energy study
12000
IL FDY a production week

Monday
10000

8000

6000
ENERGY DOSE PER BATCH (KILOWATT SECONDS)

12000
Tuesday
10000

8000

6000
12000
Wednesday
10000

8000

6000
12000

Thursday
10000

8000

6000
 Number of batches
Number of batches

10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80

0
10
20
30
40
50

0
7500 7500
7700 7700
7900 7900
8100 8100
8300 8300
8500 8500
8700 8700
8900 8900
9100 9100
9300 9300
9500 9500

energy dose (kWs)

9700

energy dose (kWs)

Wednesday
9700
Monday

9900 9900
10100
10100
10300
10300
10500
10500
10700
10700
10900
10900

Number of batches
Number of batches
10
20
30
40
50
60
70

7500
10
15
20
25

0
5
7500 7700
7700 7900
7900 8100
8100 8300
8300 8500
8500 8700
8700 8900
8900 9100
9100
9300
Daily Energy Distribution

9300
9500
Tuesday

9500
energy dose (kWs)

9700
Thursday

energy dose (kWs)

9700
9900
9900
10100
10100
10300 10300
10500 10500
10700 10700
10900 10900
 Energy Dose Distribution
180

160

140
Number of batches

120

100
Monday
Tuesday
80
Wednesday

60 Thursday

40

20

0
7500
7600
7700
7800
7900
8000
8100
8200
8300
8400
8500
8600
8700
8800
8900
9000
9100
9200
9300
9400
9500
9600
9700
9800
9900
10000
10100
10200
10300
10400
10500
10600
10700
10800
10900
11000
Bad sand; may Sand that could likely Wasted energy from
indicate issues with benefit from more excessive mulling
batch weighing system mulling
 Muller Power Curves
220

200

180
Motor Power Draw (hp)

160

140

Typical 9,499 kWs (Mon)

120
1st Batch 9,503 kWs (Mon)
Low Dose 7,777 kWs (Wed)
High Dose 10,646 kWs (Mon)
100
Moderately Low 9,031 kWs (Thu)

80
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
Time (Seconds)
 Mull-to-Energy
The primary purpose is to produce better quality sand through more consistent
processing of the clay and water. Energy reductions and throughput increases are
ancillary benefits

The time the sand is mulled is dependent upon the specific characteristics of the sand in
the batch  If the sand needs to be mulled longer, then it is mulled longer.

The automatic adjustments in the mulling process are helping to compensate for the
variations in the sand processing such as:
• Return sand moisture and temperature
• Weight
• New sand are core sand additions
• Bond additions
• Etc.

For further improvements, we need to better control these variations.

OSHA SILICA COMPLIANCE
Strategic Control Concepts

Digging into what we’re up against and what

we’re REALLY doing with our green sand
practice

Some of the light in the tunnel might NOT be the

train

Jim Furness
Silica Compliance
One Concept Investigated
Doomsday silica compliance cost projections drove us to examine many
options. As one potential method of compliance, the concept of using
ceramic sand combined with green sand’s clay, coal and sand
reclamation are options to reduce, or at least delay, the ultimate cost of
compliance. However, the raw cost per ton of ceramic sand is
dramatically higher than silica sand, making foundries extremely
skeptical of its value.

In early 2016 I decided to investigate the cost vs value of ceramic sand

if used with sand reclamation. As we are already working with many
foundries on silica compliance issues, we did a “limited scope”
reclamation study of binder removal, grain durability and examined
some economics of green sand using one type of ceramic core sand. We
were pleasantly surprised…
Findings of this study…
• We were able to clean THIS ceramic sand dramatically better than the “state of the
art” mechanical reclamation system used at the supplying foundry. A difficult to
remove inorganic binder was chosen for this study to simulate a worst case
scenario.
• Grain fracture was extremely low, many times less than the silica losses
experienced at our Wisconsin and Nebraska silica sand, clay and coal reclamation
systems.
• Low fracture rate, high recycle rate and improved casting performance could
make ceramic sand very cost competitive with silica sands for many foundries.
However, it certainly will not be for all.
• Overall Economic Impact: Ceramic sand combined with clay and green sand
reclamation could very likely be less expensive than using silica sand.
– We would need to carefully control sand losses to things like shot blasting and sand
pockets.
– Our study indicates that, except for dry sand handling during the wet sand reclamation
process, NO additional dust collection would be needed to comply with the new silica
rule*.
– Additional testing and trials have been done and more are planned. We understand this
is also being considered by the AFS.

* Based on personal experience, I predict this statement will create controversy and a long line of people screaming “That won’t
work!”
 Incoming Sand
USB Optical Microscope at about 40X
(Molds/Cores Were Made With New Heat/Vacuum Process)

• Sand was used in a no-bake

foundry with a near zero
emission silicate system
• Mechanical reclamation 3
cycles, no new sand bleed-
in
• This ceramic was collected
after the 3rd mechanical
reclamation cycle
• As received by us, the sand
did not re-bond to desired
strength at the desired
binder level at the
foundry’s calculated “break
even” point. After our
processing it exceeded the
requirement.
 Mechanically reclaimed ceramic sand after 3 passes
through a mechanical reclamation system

• SEM at 200x
magnification
The structures in the
binder where the
grains were joined*
are clearly visible
• The sand has already
made 3 passes
through mechanical
reclamation
• Foundries world
wide report silicate
bonded ceramic core
sand makes excellent
green sand castings
in all metals
including steel

* Commonly known as “grain necks”

 Incoming Material SEM Images, 200x

• Mechanical
reclamation does
not remove the
binder coating.
• This increases
surface
roughness of
each
grain, increasing
the amount of
binder needed to
rebind it and
decreasing
strength.
Incoming Material SEM Images, 400x
Incoming Material SEM Images, 2000x
First attempt:
Phase 1, Proprietary
Wet Technique Before

• Silicate coated
ceramic sand
was subjected
to hydro-
acoustic
cavitation and
dried.

After
 Advanced Oxidation + Hydro-acoustic
Technique

• At 250x , “grain necks”

are now mostly
gone, leaving a much
smoother surface on our
first attempt
• Sand can now be re-used
for core sand or green
sand addition
• We removed an additional
~90% of what was left after
“standard” mechanical
reclamation failed to meet
the foundry’s needs
– Na =0.248% down
to < 0.03%
 Phase 1, Proprietary Wet
Technique, SEM Images
• Most of the binder
has been removed
and what is left
has been
smoothed out.
• This allows the
binder’s capillary
action to draw
next cycle’s binder
into the contact
points between
grains more
efficiently.
 Ceramic sand Durability
• At 800x, this is a test
where we
“simulated” less
than 1% losses to
fracture by putting
the sand >450
passes through the
reclamation process
• The sand grain
surface is finally
wearing
through, but not yet
fracturing
End of life?

At 2000x, underlying
nano-size grains can be
seen under and between
fissures in the smooth
surface
Ceramic Sand Saved Weeks of Finishing
 Blackwater

Best Practice for Energy Saving

via
Scrap Reduction

Why?
AO Blackwater
• Well run AO Blackwater foundries usually
report a scrap reduction “eventually”
• The explanation of the reasons for less scrap
are usually “Murky”, but when the systems are
turned off, the scrap goes back up
• An individual foundry’s sand practice, dust
collection practice or operational &
maintenance practice can always “TRUMP”
AO science
 AO Blackwater
Clay Reclamation From Dust
Up to 40% Mb in original dust, about 1% after gentle lab rinse
Up to 97% clay recycle

Direct from Pneu Col® After gentle rinse in lab

 Sand and Clay Reclamation

Waste Green Sand Product Sand from Pneu-Col®

Rinsed Sand from Pneu-Col® Pneu-Col®, Dried/ De-dusted

Reused at 100%
 Pneu-Col® Sand/Clay Process
Product Slurry to Black Water Clarifier or
Sonoperoxone® Advanced Oxidation System
(MB clay to mullers, mixers, coolers, etc.)

1 2 3
Acoustic
REACTION TANK
AND PUMPING
SYSTEM
Pneu-Col® Sand
1 – induced particle collision
Classification 2 – induced cavitation
3 – ultrasonic irradiation

H2O2 + O3
Waste
green Reclaimed sand Back to green sand or
sand, dust Dewatering conveyor additional processing for
& city water core sand
Cleans Sand for reuse in Green Sand to replace New Sand Addition
Recycles some, but not all clay from dust
Clay from sand performs better than clay from dust
Reclaimed sand discharged into sand dewatering screw on far left ( )
Dead clay & silica fines discharged on far right (arrow)
AO &‘AO-Driven’ Sand System Pore Structure Changes
• Lower bond (premix) consumption
• Higher green compressive strength (per unit MB clay)
• Higher system processing efficiency
• Lower sand system loss on ignition levels
• Better moisture retention
Pore Structure Changes

Non-treated (3000X) AO-treated (3000X)

 My “1000 word” moment at 3000x
(lower right)
View of a broken
piece of “mature”
clay

•Decrease in dead
clay after AO ?
•Waterproofing
“Raincoat” can be
clearly seen
•Pores that hold
water
•Pores that hold
VOCs
•“Cush” can be
understood better
•Importance of
calculating clay
moisture instead of
using sand moisture
only
•Activated carbon
and zeolite science
DIFFERENTIAL PORE VOL.
0.00016
City Water
0.00014
Advanced Oxidant Water
0.00012
(mL / (g*A))

0.00010
0.00008
0.00006
0.00004
0.00002
0.00000
1 10 100 1000

PORE WIDTH (angstroms)

 VOC Stack Testing Results
• Emissions reductions for AO systems can be
attributed to:
• Direct AO reactions in green sand molds and blackwater
clarifiers that diminish emissions for a given LOI
• AO sand system set-point changes that drive green sand system
operation to low MB clay and LOI operating levels
• Reduction in core-generated emissions during pouring and
cooling, direct and indirect

AO

City
Water

Curie-Point Analyzer Samples

 Jim Furness
Furness-Newburge, Inc.
859 873 0328 office
859 533 3234 cell
jimfurness@gmail.com