Abstract: Mixing (a) a carboxylic acid, (b) a divalent or trivalent metal oxide or hydroxide and (c) a foundry molding sand in the presence of an aqueous solution of (d) a carboxyl-group-containing polymer or (e) water followed by shaping and curing can provide sand molds having sufficiently high green strength without contamination of the working environment. The molding sand composition has excellent processability, which means filling of shapes or molds with the sand can be done with ease. The sand molds manufactured in this way can be disintegrated by a simple procedure. Therefore the molding sand can be used over and over again and does not cause environmental pollution due to disposal of the molding sand.