Iron Foundry Industry Research Articles

Investigation on Pollution Control Device (PCD) in iron foundry industry to reduce environmental chemicals.

Right from the olden days, many products have been made according to foundry practices in order to generate prosperity in the societies in which they operate while reaping these types of benefits through the operation of foundries. It is alarming that the emissions released by foundries affect human health. Therefore, foundries installed Pollution Control devices (PCDs), in accordance with this development; researchers examined the effectiveness of these PCDs in controlling emissions from foundries in different parts of the world. The emission control obtained by installing these PCDs is explained in this article based on the data gathered from the survey. The cartridge filter equipped with an induction furnace reduced the concentration of SPM to less than 20 mg/Nm3. This result of the investigation indicates that the cartridge filter built into the induction furnace achieves the best efficiency in controlling contaminants from iron foundries. Interestingly, the operation of the cartridge filter has yet to be documented. Therefore, the construction operation, the performance of the cartridge filter, and its efficiency in achieving contaminations control in foundries are described. This will provide useful information on the use of cartridge filters in an induction furnace to reduce Iron foundry emissions.

A novel tracking system for the iron foundry field based on deep convolutional neural networks

In modern manufacturing the ability of retracing produced components is crucial for quality management and process optimization. Tracking is essential, especially for analyzing the influence of the production parameters on the final quality of the castings. In the iron foundry industry, common marking methods, such as a datamatrix code, cannot be used due to harsh environmental conditions and the rough surface of the cast parts. This work presents a new coding and reading system that guarantees unique marking in the casting process.The coding is built up over several beveled pins and is read out using an optical 2D handheld scanner. With a deep convolutional neural network approach of object detection and classification, a stable image processing algorithm is presented. With a first prototype a reading accuracy of 99.86% for each pin was achieved with an average scanning time of 0.43 s. The presented code is compatible with existing foundry processes, while the handheld scanner is intuitive and reliable. This allows immediate benefits for process optimization.

Application of a novel exposure limit approach for co-exposure of ‎chemicals: a field study by in-vitro design

ABSTRACT This study has suggested an occupational exposure limit (OEL) based on the co-exposure approach in an iron-foundry industry. Respirable dust was collected in an iron casting industry using the NIOSH 0600 method. The DNA damage was obtained by comet assay. The lower confidence interval of the benchmark dose (BMDL) was employed for exposure limit evaluation. The estimated BMDL of the cell line was extrapolated to human subjects. Based on the Hill model, a BMDL 1.65 µg for chemical mixture has been estimated for the A549 cell line. According to uncertainty factors, permitted daily exposure (PDE) was predicted in humans. However, PDE of 3.9 μg/m3 was specified as the time-weighted average limit for toxic respirable dust in the casting industry. In this study, OEL for active respirable dust in the casting industry has been proposed. The industry-based standard for active respirable dust has been proposed for better management of co-exposure.

Application of thermal analysis in solidification pattern control of La-inoculated grey cast irons

The new generation of acid-lined medium-frequency coreless induction furnaces revolutionized the iron foundries, resulting higher overheating and lower S and Al content iron melt, characterized by higher eutectic undercooling solidification and consequently high chill [carbides] and unfavourable undercooled graphite morphologies sensitiveness. Having established that Al, Zr, Ti, Ca, Ba and La appear to have a key role in graphite nucleation in grey cast iron, thermal [cooling curves] investigations are undertaken to explore their effects on solidification parameters. The experimental heats are obtained in acid-lined coreless induction melting. Some important active elements are added to FeSi-based alloy, usually used as conventional inoculant in cast iron foundry industry, resulting complex inoculating systems [Al, Ca–La; Al, Ca–La, Zr; Al, Ca–La, Ba; Al, Ca–La, Zr, Ba; Al, Ca–La, Zr, Ti and Al, Ca–La, Zr, Ba, Ti]. In-mould [ceramic cup, cooling modulus of approximately 0.75 cm] inoculation is applied directly in the Quik-cup™ cooling curve analysis equipment, for the same alloy addition rate. The La effects are evaluated in low S and Al, high overheated electric grey iron solidification pattern with and without any other oxide-sulphides forming elements contribution. Study is focused on the representative temperatures during eutectic reaction and at the end of solidification, and it results in an undercooling referring to equilibrium eutectic temperature in the stable and metastable solidification system. As primary evaluation for general application, La, Ca, Al–FeSi alloy have a high efficiency in low S and Al and higher carbon equivalent grey cast irons, electrically melting, without any other active elements contribution. For specific applications, more complex La-bearing alloys are recommended, such as for higher dendritic austenite amount promotion [LaBaZrTi–FeSi alloy] or for lower eutectic recalescence [LaBaZr–FeSi alloy].

Emergence of the small-scale iron foundry industry in Howrah (India), 1833–1913

This article explores the emergence of small-scale iron foundries in the Howrah district of India. Based on the empirical findings the article contributes to the debate on indigenous entrepreneurship in colonial India. It shows that indigenous entrepreneurs were critical in the emergence of small-scale iron foundries in Howrah. Thus, it refutes the cultural constraint argument that Indians did not participate significantly in the industrial development during the colonial period. The slow growth of the foundry industry during the early half of the period of this study shows that it was colonial constraints that hindered the industrial development of colonial India. The article further shows that small-scale industries in colonial India emerged in relationship to the large-scale industries. At a more general level, the article points to important dynamics of industry emergence such as backward linkages, spin-off, and inter-firm linkages. The article further supports the classical argument regarding protection to emerging industries.

Foundry Sands as Supports for Heterogeneous Photocatalysts

Foundry sands from the iron foundry industry were employed as a support source for photocatalysts. TiCl4 was used as the titanium precursor in the preparation of the supported photocatalysts. The solids were characterized by scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, diffuse reflectance spectroscopy in the ultraviolet range, small-angle X-ray scattering, nitrogen porosimetry, and zeta potential measurements. The prepared catalyst systems contained Ti, Al, Fe, K, Na, or Cu. All systems were also found to contain carbon. The systems were evaluated in the photodegradation of rhodamine B. For comparative reasons, P25 (Degussa) was also employed as a catalyst. Among the tested systems, the greatest percent dye degradation occurred with ultraviolet (65 %) and visible (38 %) radiation, whereas under the same conditions, the commercial P25 catalyst achieved 93 and 14 % degradation, respectively, for the ultraviolet and visible radiation.

Design Quality Cost System through Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) for FNB Cast Iron Foundry Industry

The approach taken by this paper is expected to motivate the Furan No Bake (FNB) sand casting foundries to use a standardized system of classification to show unwanted casting defects for highly effective failure analysis. It will also motivate foundries to develop new systems to quantify process parameters relating to the defects. Any reduction in the scrap and rework also highly influences the impact on environment of industry. This paper covers the various aspects of a systematic approach for understanding and quality cost system development in cast iron foundries through Fault Tree Analysis (FTA).

Evaluation of the concentration of chemical elements in suspended particulate matter inside a small bronze and iron foundry industry, using a streaker sampler and EDXRF

The aim of this study was to determine and evaluate the temporal profiles of the concentration of chemical elements in the suspended particulate matter present inside a small bronze and an iron foundry industry. To collect the samples, we used a streaker sampler that separates particles with aerodynamic diameters smaller than 10 µm (PM10) in two fractions: fine (particles with aerodynamic diameters less than 2.5 µm; PM2.5) and coarse (between 2.5 µm and less than 10 µm; PM10–2.5). The collection of samples was taken every 20 min during a total time of 8 and 5 h of molding and casting of bronze and iron, respectively. The samples collected in the form of strips on a filter (fine fraction) and an impactor (coarse fraction) were analyzed by the energy dispersive X‐ray fluorescence technique. In the excitation, an X‐ray tube with Mo target and Zr filter was used, operated at 30 mA/30 kV. For detecting the characteristic of X‐rays, a semiconductor Si(Li) detector was used, coupled to a multi‐channel spectrometer, with a 300 s excitation/detection time. The results of the temporal profiles of chemical element concentrations in coarse and fine fractions were discussed and compared with the maximum levels set by the Brazilian and international environmental agencies. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Foundry sands as low-cost adsorbent material for Cr (VI) removal

The potential of foundry sands, industrial waste from the iron foundry industry, was evaluated for the removal of Cr (VI) using discontinuous assays. Chemical foundry sands are composed of fine silica sand, furanic resins as binder, chemical catalyst and residual iron particles. The influence of pH, agitation rate and metal concentration on the removal process was investigated. Kinetic and equilibrium tests were conducted to determine Cr (VI) removal from aqueous solutions at a temperature range of 25–55°C. Cr (VI) removal of 40–100% for a range of pH 6–1.6 was obtained. This removal was attributed to the presence of a large number of protonated silanol and aluminol groups. Cr (VI) adsorption in foundry sands follows a pseudo-second-order kinetic reaction (Ho model, r 2>0.999) reaching kinetic constants of 0.341, 0.551, 0.775 and 0.920 g/mg h at 25, 35, 45 and 55°C, respectively. The adsorption data were fitted to the Langmuir adsorption isotherm model (r 2>0.99) obtaining adsorption capacities (q max) of 1.99, 2.40, 2.50, and 3.14 mg Cr (VI)/g sand at 25, 35, 45 and 55°C, respectively. Calculated Gibbs free energy change (Δ G 0), adsorption energy (E) and activation energy (E a) values indicate that a physisorption mechanism governs Cr (VI) adsorption process in foundry sands.

Estimating Trends in Quartz Exposure in Swedish Iron Foundries—Predicting Past and Present Exposures

Swedish foundries have a long tradition of legally required surveys in the workplace that, from the late 1960s onwards, included measurements of quartz. The availability of exposure data spanning almost 40 years presents a unique opportunity to study trends over that time and to evaluate the validity of exposure models based on data from shorter time spans. The aims of this study were (i) to investigate long-term trends in quartz exposure over time, (ii) using routinely collected quartz exposure measurements to develop a mathematical model that could predict both historical and current exposure patterns, and (iii) to validate this exposure model with up-to-date measurements from a targeted survey of the industry. Eleven foundries, representative of the Swedish iron foundry industry, were divided into three groups based on the size of the companies, i.e. the number of employees. A database containing 2333 quartz exposure measurements for 11 different job descriptions was used to create three models that covered time periods which reflected different work conditions and production processes: a historical model (1968-1989), a development model (1990-2004), and a validation model (2005-2006). A linear mixed model for repeated measurements was used to investigate trends over time. In all mixed models, time period, company size, and job title were included as fixed (categorical) determinants of exposure. The within- and between-worker variances were considered to be random effects. A linear regression analysis was performed to investigate agreement between the models. The average exposure was estimated for each combination of job title and company size. A large reduction in exposure (51%) was seen between 1968 and 1974 and between 1975 and 1979 (28%). In later periods, quartz exposure was reduced by 8% per 5 years at best. In the first period, employees at smaller companies experienced ~50% higher exposure levels than those at large companies, but these differences became much smaller in later years. The furnace and ladle repair job were associated with the highest exposure, with 3.9-8.0 times the average exposure compared to the lowest exposed group. Without adjusting for this autonomous trend over time, predicting early historical exposures using our development model resulted in a statistically significant regression coefficient of 2.42 (R(2) = 0.81), indicating an underestimation of historical exposure levels. Similar patterns were seen for other historical time periods. Comparing our development model with our validation model resulted in a statistically significant regression coefficient of 0.31, indicating an overestimation of current exposure levels. To investigate long-term trends in quartz exposure over time, overall linear trends can be determined by using mixed model analysis. To create individual exposure measures to predict historical exposures, it is necessary to consider factors such as the time period, type of job, type of company, and company size. The mixed model analysis showed systematic changes in concentration levels, implying that extrapolation of exposure estimates outside the range of years covered by measurements may result in underestimation or overestimation of exposure.

Estimation and characterization of PCDD/Fs and dioxin-like PCBs from Chinese iron foundries

The iron foundry industry is considered to be a potential source of polychlorinated dibenzo- p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs). This study investigated the emission factors and total emission amounts of PCDD/Fs and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (DL-PCBs) from iron foundries in China. The concentrations and the World Health Organization toxicity equivalents (WHO-TEQs) are presented and the congener profiles are discussed in this paper. In the present work, 26 fly ash samples were collected and tested to quantify the PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs generated by 14 plants of different scales, and five stack gas samples were collected from two (named as EFG and LFG) of those plants. The emission levels of PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs indicated that hot-air cupolas had lower emissions than cold-air cupolas. When iron ore lump and sinter were used as raw material, the emission factors were about 250 ng TEQ t −1 of product. However, if the raw material was scrap, the emission factors varied owing to the different contents of organic materials in the raw materials. It was found that the mean WHO-TEQ values of PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs were 144 and 34.2 pg Nm −3 in stack gas and 20.0 and 1.58 pg g −1 in fly ash. In multiple tests, it was estimated that the mean emission factors of PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs were 365 and 10.9 ng WHO-TEQ t −1 released to residue and 2719 and 555 ng TEQ t −1 released to air. The total emission amounts of PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs from Chinese iron foundries with cupola furnaces released to residue and air were 16.8 and 146 g WHO-TEQ in 2008, respectively.

Quartz and Dust Exposure in Swedish Iron Foundries

Exposure to respirable quartz continues to be a major concern in the Swedish iron foundry industry. Recommendations for reducing the European occupational exposure limit (EU-OEL) to 0.05 mg/m 3 and the corresponding ACGIH® threshold limit value (ACGIH-TLV) to 0.025 mg/m 3 prompted this exposure survey. Occupational exposure to respirable dust and respirable quartz were determined in 11 Swedish iron foundries, representing different sizes of industrial operation and different manufacturing techniques. In total, 436 respirable dust and 435 respirable quartz exposure measurements associated with all job titles were carried out and are presented as time-weighted averages. Our sampling strategy enabled us to evaluate the use of respirators in certain jobs, thus determining actual exposure. In addition, measurements using real-time dust monitors were made for high exposure jobs. For respirable quartz, 23% of all the measurements exceeded the EU-OEL, and 56% exceeded the ACGIH-TLV. The overall geometric mean (GM) for the quartz levels was 0.028 mg/m 3 , ranging from 0.003 to 2.1 mg/m 3 . Fettler and furnace and ladle repair operatives were exposed to the highest levels of both respirable dust (GM = 0.69 and 1.2 mg/m 3 ; range 0.076–31 and 0.25–9.3 mg/m 3 and respirable quartz (GM = 0.041 and 0.052 mg/m 3 ; range 0.004–2.1 and 0.0098–0.83 mg/m 3 . Fettlers often used respirators and their actual quartz exposure was lower (range 0.003–0.21 mg/m 3 , but in some cases it still exceeded the Swedish OEL (0.1 mg/m 3 . For furnace and ladle repair operatives, the actual quartz exposure did not exceed the OEL (range 0.003–0.08 mg/m 3 , but most respirators provided insufficient protection, i.e., factors less than 200. In summary, measurements in Swedish iron foundries revealed high exposures to respirable quartz, in particular for fettlers and furnace and ladle repair workers. The suggested EU-OEL and the ACGIH-TLV were exceeded in, respectively, 23% and 56% of all measurements regardless of the type of foundry. Further work on elimination techniques to reduce quartz concentrations, along with control of personal protection equipment, is essential.

A Study on Thermal Stabilization of Spent Foundry Sand

Thermal stabilization is used to reduce the turbidity of spent foundry sands (SFSs). Effect of stabilized temperature and thermal stabilized time in thermal stabilization is estimated by turbidity of SFSs in thermal stabilization. The turbidity of furan sand is 984 FAU and almost 15 times as high as that of other sands such as CO2 sand and green sand. Furan sand contains furan resin, but CO2 sand and green sand do not use resin chemicals. The turbidity of furan sand can be reduced by stabilization of furan resin in thermal process. In the process of thermal stabilization, fixation of furan resin by heating occurs and resin can be in the state of insolubility. The turbidity of furan sand is sharply decreased within thermally stabilized time of 2 hrs and decreased with increasing stabilized temperature. Turbidity in thermal stabilized time of 2hrs and stabilized temperature of 600°C is almost 10 FAU. Hence, thermal stabilization can be applied to reduce the turbidity of SFSs generated from iron foundry industry.

Waste green sands as reactive media for the removal of zinc from water

Waste green sands are industrial byproducts of the gray iron foundry industry. These green sands are composed of fine silica sand, clay binder, organic carbon, and residual iron particles. Because of their potential sorptive and reactive properties, tests were performed to determine the feasibility of using green sands as a low cost reactive medium in permeable reactive barriers (PRBs). Serial batch kinetic tests and conventional batch sorption tests were conducted to determine the removal characteristics for zinc in aqueous solutions. Removal characteristics for zinc in the presence of green sands are comparable to those of Peerless iron, a common reactive medium used in PRBs. High removal capacities for zinc of green sands are attributed to clay, organic carbon, and residual iron particles, which are known sorptive media for heavy metals. Furthermore, high pH values in the presence of clay and residual iron particles enhanced sorption and precipitation of zinc.

Waste green sands as reactive media for groundwater contaminated with trichloroethylene (TCE)

Waste green sands are byproducts of the gray iron foundry industry that consist of sand, binding agents, organic carbon, and residual iron particles. Because of their potential sorptive and reactive properties, tests were conducted to determine the feasibility of using waste green sands as a low cost reactive medium for groundwater treatment. Batch and column tests were conducted to determine the reactivity, sorptive characteristics, and transport parameters for trichloroethylene (TCE) solutions in contact with green sands. Normalized rate constants for TCE degradation in the presence of iron particles extracted from green sands were found to be comparable to those for Peerless iron, a common medium used to treat groundwater. Rate constants and partition coefficients obtained from the batch tests were found to be comparable to those from the column tests. Analytical modeling shows that reactive barriers containing green sand potentially can be used to treat contaminated groundwater containing TCE at typical concentrations observed in the field.

The Foundry Cluster in Howrah: Socio-Economic Dimensions

The paper portrays an overview of a foundry cluster in Howrah, the plight of the unorganized workforce, and the prospect of the iron foundry industry in the years to come. An effort is made to understand the problems and prospects of the iron foundry units from within; and to study labour related issues, the origin of the labour class, the profile of the workforce, the characteristic patterns of the foundry units in Howrah, the working conditions and future prospects of the industry. Finally, the paper proposes a viable solution to the problems, through a partnership approach, facilitating a development dialogue.

Potential carcinogenicity of foundry fumes: a comparative in vivo-in vitro study

Epidemiological studies of workers exposed to fumes in the iron and steel foundry industry have consistently demonstrated an increased relative risk of lung cancer of approximately 1.4. Foundry fume is a complex mixture of gases and fine particles generated during the casting process when molten metal is poured into sand moulds bound together with organic binders. The chemical composition of fume varies according to foundry process and, specifically, binder composition. Previous in vitro studies have demonstrated that some fumes have mutagenic activity and that this varies with fume type. The current study has examined the potential carcinogenicity of three fumes in a 2-yr in vivo rodent bioassay using an intrabronchial pellet implantation technique. The toxicity and genotoxicity of the fumes were tested concurrently in a number of in vitro assays including those identifying mutagenicity, unscheduled DNA synthesis, free radical DNA damage and micronucleus induction. The rodent bioassay failed to demonstrate a carcinogenic response, although an increase in preneoplastic lesions was seen in all fume-treated groups relative to controls. When tested in vitro, the fumes were positive in many assays and activity correlated with the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon content of the fumes. The employment of a combination of in vitro assays for different genotoxic endpoints, such as those presented in the current study, provides information useful for the overall assessment of carcinogenicity of complex mixtures such as foundry fume.

A Review of the Cast Iron Foundry Industry: Past, Present and Future. Part 2 ‐‐ The Way Forward

A review of the cast iron foundry industry has been given in two parts. Part 1 concentrated on historical aspects of the UK foundry industry, whilst Part 2 will look at the important aspects for a modern foundry to succeed. The article starts with the decline of the UK foundry industry, and suggests a way to become more competitive through the advancement of new technology, and total quality assurance. The basic concepts of quality are examined and by way of an example, a case study of a British foundry shows the current problems being faced. The case study illustrates the problems faced in these days of increased competition, dwindling margins, the lack of investment, low morale leading to poor quality parts, and hence uncertain futures. Finally it is shown how the foundry can improve the quality of its products, and achieve a sound manufacturing base.

A Review of the Cast Iron Foundry Industry ‐ Its Past, Present and Future: Part 1. A Survey of the Industry

The UK cast iron foundry industry is surveyed in terms of past performance, present situation and future trends. The traditional “feast or famine” image is discussed in terms of the actions required to improve quality, customer relationships and performance. The article highlights these relationships through its markets, business performance, process route and techological developments that support a new, streamlined, cost‐effective and efficient foundry industry of the 1990s.

Takeover, Closures, and the Restructuring of the United Kingdom Ironfoundry Industry

This paper explores the regional dimension of plant and firm closure in the United Kingdom using data for the ironfoundry industry over the whole of the postwar period but with particular emphasis on the 1967–1980 period. The impact of ownership on plant closure is stressed, and patterns of ownership change are shown to seriously prejudice the survival of plant in the industry in UK peripheral regions.