Abstract: A process for regenerating used foundry sand having high oolitic level and, more particularly, a process as aforesaid wherein the used foundry sand is subjected to magnetic separation by one or more high power magnets for dividing the used foundry sand into a first highly magnetic stream containing a high degree of oolite particles and a second less magnetic stream having a relatively high degree of sand particles.

Abstract: Used foundry sand is regenerated with dust removed by controlled air flow from the moving sand. The density of the dust in the outgoing air is monitored while the sand is regenerated and the monitored results are utilized as control data for the regeneration.

Abstract: A mold sand is regenerated with or without mixing with new sand and followed by the addition of binder to it by fluidizing the sand in a chamber as it passes from an inlet to an outlet which can be a step or downcomer opening into the mixer. Compressed air is forced from below through the sand and entrains away small particles while coarse particles or heavy pieces are collected in a discharge unit which can be opened from time to time to carry away the coarse materials.

Abstract: Waste gasses generated in the process of manufacturing cores and castings are collected and inventively routed to a heat treating furnace for incineration. Additionally, as a portion of the waste gas is being routed, it is put to use in the reclaiming of uncured scrap materials and the reclaiming of sand within the furnace. Additionally, provisions are made for decreasing the height of the furnace by decreasing the height of hoppers therein and increasing the size of the base of the hoppers to maintain proper flow of reclaimed sand and portions of core materials being reclaimed therein toward the base of the hopper. Multiple fluidizers are employed in the base of the hopper to accommodate for the increased size of the base of the hopper and maintain optimum flow of materials toward the base and optimum fluidization of the materials within the hopper.

Abstract: A foundry sand is regenerated in an upright chamber to which air is admitted at the junction between a peripheral wall and between while an abrating rotor is in a horizontal plane close to the bottom to establish a vertical line with columns of fluidized sand outwardly of the orbit of the rotor.

Abstract: Metal parts formed by casting in a foundry and which contain the sand cores used to form internal passages are cleared of the sand cores by subjecting them to temperatures sufficient to pyrolyze and/or combust the bonding agents holding the sand cores together, in a fluidized-bed furnace.

Abstract: The invention relates to combusting contaminants on foundry sand in a container (13) rotating about an axis (A) at a particular angle with a particularly placed oxygen-fuel burner (32). As the container (13) rotates about the axis (A), the oxygen-fuel burner (32) fires a flame and excess oxygen at a particular angle to enhance pyrolysis of the contaminants. The amount of excess oxygen is such that the resulting off gas contains at least 2% oxygen by volume, thus preventing or substantially minimizing products of incomplete combustion from leaving the container (13). After having pyrolyzed the contaminants, the firing of a flame and excess oxygen from the oxygen-fuel burner (32) may be replaced with oxidant dispersion an the bottom of the foundry sand. The resulting off gas from the container (13) may be treated in a post combustion furnace (7), a flue gas cooling means (8), a filtering device (9) and/or a pollutant removing means (11).

Abstract: The method and apparatus for reclaiming substantially pure sand from a heat treating furnace; wherein a casting with sand core and/or sand mold, comprising sand bound by a combustible binder, attached thereto is introduced into the heat treating furnace; or, wherein portions of sand core and/or sand mold that are not attached to a casting are introduced into the heat treating furnace. Wherein, the reclaiming within the furnace is carried out, in part, by a fluidizer that promotes binder combustion by one or more process of agitating, heating, and oxygenating. Wherein, the characteristics of tile reclaimed sand are selectively controlled by controlling the dwell time of tile sand within the heat treating furnace.

Abstract: A primary gas supply circuit and a secondary gas supply circuit are provided with the primary circuit having a part in common with the secondary circuit. The primary circuit is provided with a source of hardening gas. A sand foundry part containing a binding agent is provided in the part in common with the primary and secondary gas supply circuits. Through the primary gas supply circuit a hardening gas/carrier gas is circulated through the sand foundry part containing the binding agent. The primary gas supply circuit is closed when the quantity of hardening gas present in the part of the primary gas supply circuit common to the secondary gas supply circuit is an amount corresponding to, or slightly exceeding, the theoretical quantity for a complete hardening reaction. The secondary supply circuit is opened and the hardening gas/carrier gas is circulated through the secondary supply circuit until the hardening reaction has been completed.

Abstract: The method permits recovery of spent foundry sand for reuse by eliminating, by combustion, the organic and carbon substances with which the spent sand is impregnated; spent sand, after grinding to a uniform grain size, is placed into a cylindrical container (2) inclined with respect to the vertical and rotated slowly (4-6 revolutions per minute); then, a stream of oxygen is blown into the base of the container through a distributor (5) which uniformly distributes it into the spent sand mass (20), and local combustion is initiated on the surface of the sand mass, at the top of container, by a burner (31); finally the burner is extinguished whilst the delivery of the oxygen stream is maintained and the combustion proceeds and feeds itself by the effect of a progressive descent of the flame front (30) towards the base of the container until complete destruction of the organic and carbon substances contained in the sand has taken place.

Abstract: An improved method and apparatus for heat treating metal castings with sand cores provides for removal of the sand core and recovery of the sand core material for reuse. The method and apparatus eliminate the need for removing the sand core from the casting prior to heat treatment and thus eliminate the labor, expense, and possible damage to the casting incidental to conventional core removal techniques such as chiseling and shaking. The method involves heating the casting with sand core therein to a temperature sufficient to burn off the binder component of the sand core. The sand comprising the sand core is then blown out of the casting by directing a flow of air over the workpiece. The sand thus dislodged is then collected for reuse. According to the disclosed apparatus, the castings are heated in a furnace having fans for directing a flow of aid over the workpieces.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the mechanical cleaning of foundry used sand by means of thermomechanical regenerations, in which the sand is blown pneumatically against a deflection hood and the mechanical-pneumatic cleaning is performed batchwise in a separate container. The process can be used both as pre-cleaning and as after-cleaning. In the case of pre-cleaning there is a simultaneous drying, preheating, pre-cleaning and sifting, whereas with after-cleaning there is a simultaneous cooling, after-cleaning and sifting. As a result of the batchwise operation, all the quartz particles are exposed roughly to the same friction treatment and consequently, in conjunction with a simple control of the cleaning process, reduced grain destruction is achieved.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for regenerating used foundry sand, whose original molding sand contained, as the molding material, inorganic binders such as, for example and especially, bentonite ("inorganic used sand") and/or organic binders such as, for example and especially, phenolic resins and/or furan resins ("organic used sand"), wherein the used sand to be reconditioned is impregnated with water and then transferred in the moist state into a heated fluidized bed.

Abstract: A base material is thermally reclaimed from a mixture of the base material and a combustible substance, wherein the substance is incinerated in a fluidized bed, comprises the step of feeding the mixture after comminuting and dust from comminuting step directly into a lower part of the fluidized bed. The method is particularly suitable for the thermal reclamation of foundry sand or other base materials used in foundry processes.

Abstract: The drum incorporates an inner and outer cylinder, having a helical vane located intermediate thereof, with the media drum being supported upon a base and rotated by a drive motor. The drum contains two parts, an entrance segment and an exit segment. At the exit segment, reclaiming media and sand passes into the space between the inner and outer cylinders and is carried to the entrance segment by the helical vanes. At the entrance segment, the media is picked up by a reclaimer which reintroduces the media into the reclaimer to recycle the media.

Abstract: Finely pulverized facing sand particles are provided for the production of casting molds in metal foundries. A feed device passes a bed of molding sand containing lumps to a refining device. The refining device includes a plurality of refining elements on a carrier. The refining elements are movable along an orbital path to remove lump-free facing sand particles from the bed of sand and deliver these in a free falling stream of finely pulverized facing sand particles. The refining elements are spaced on the carrier and the carrier is moved at a speed to maintain the spaces free of lumps.

Abstract: In a method of regenerating feed material of coated grains with an irregular surface, in particular used foundry sands coated with a casing of binder or the like, the casing is opened up by friction, wherein the sand to be regenerated is brought into rubbing contact with a granular scouring agent, the grain size of which is substantially smaller than that of the sand.

Abstract: Sand castings are removed from their molds before cooling and reheated in a heat treating booster furnace. The castings are transferred from the booster furnace to a rotary drum filled with agitation media. As the castings pass through the media drum, they are simultaneously cleaned of sand particles and down-quenched by the agitation media. The system is particularly suited for austempering cast iron parts.

Abstract: The waste sands are passed to a calcining chamber having a floor, connecting sidewalls and a top. The floor of the calcining chambers provided with a plurality of vents. The calcining chambers also connected to a separate firebox which produces fluidizing hot gases for fluidizing waste sands within the calcining chamber and forming a fluidized sand bed. The fluidizing hot gases are introduced into the calcining chamber by means of the floor vents. By precisely controlling the temperature of the waste sands within the fluidized bed, a more consistent product is produced while maintaining the temperature of the waste sands below a critical temperature at which the organic binders present on the sand grains would be fused to the waste sand grains.

Abstract: A process for the selective reclamation treatment of used foundry sands wherein separation of parts of the binding materials from the basic granular material is effected by mechanical means and, thereafter, the sand grains are accelerated to produce an abrasive action of the individual sand grains with one another. The treated grains are then separated into large and small grains and further treatment is effected on the small grains.

Abstract: A method is shown for removing minute traces of thermally fused foundry bonding clays from foundry sands reclaimed by a thermal sand reclaimer. The sand grains are passed to a dual fluid bed sand cooler-scrubber having sparge tubes for fluidizing air distribution, finned water cooling tubes and baffle plates for directing sand travel across the tube banks. The fluidized bed extends under a series of dry scrubber cells where the sand grains are hurled through blast tubes toward target plates by blast nozzles. Air current created within the interior of the device creates a controlled negative atmosphere which carries off unwanted traces of oxides and clays, as well as unwanted fine sand grains. The sand grains which are suitable for reuse are captured and deflected into a discharge section of the fluid bed where they flow over a weir by gravity and are discharged for re-use.

Abstract: Sand containing clay binder after regeneration is neutralized with NH.sub.4 OH as a base or sulfuric acid or hydrofluoric acid depending on its pH-value determined after regeneration by a measuring procedure, so that it subsequently has a pH-value between 6 and 8.

Abstract: An impact rotor arranged concentrically to the axis of a drum has preferably four beating blades which are wave-shaped on the outer peripheral side.

Abstract: A method for the re-processing of used foundry sand comprises a two cycle system including a conventional processing system for foundry sand and a second locally independent regeneration system for the recovery of the usuable components of the used sand such as carbon dust and bentonite.

Abstract: A process for separating bentonite and carbon carrier particles from an air-dust mixture generated from a mechanical used-sand reclamation unit and, more particularly, a process as aforesaid wherein the bentonite and carbon carrier particles are recycled to a foundry sand preparation unit.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for treating old foundry sand for reuse in place of core sand wherein the precleaned sand grains are subjected to further abrasive-thermal treatment so as to volatize and remove basic constituents adhering to the precleaned sand grains.

Abstract: The clay-bonded used casting sand is treated in a drum rotated about a horizontal axis by continuously feeding a sand additive to the drum in an amount sufficient to maintain the quantity of sand in the drum at about 26-40 percent by volume of the drum to compensate for the amount of shell material drawn off by pneumatic dust removal devices so as to maintain an optimal relationship between the volume of the drum in the quantity of sand in the drum over the entire period of treatment. The amount of sand fed to the drum may be controlled by the amount of current consumed by a motor used for rotating the drum.

Abstract: A media drum incorporates an inner and outer cylinder, having a helical vane located generally intermediate thereof, with the media drum being supported upon a base, and its bearings, and motivated into rotation by a drive motor. The media drum integrally contains two parts, an entrance segment, and an exit segment. At the exit segment a cooling component, in the form of a liquid spray, is either directed into the drum, or into a jacket surrounding the exit segment of the drum, for cooling of the castings, media sand, abrasive members, to achieve a rapid cool down of these various components during usage of the apparatus. A reservoir is provided for collecting any excess liquid coolant, and a steam jacket surrounds the drum for collecting any generated steam for its removal.

Abstract: A system for preparing a self-hardening casting mold including a mass of sand which contains an organic binder and which has a pattern-contact layer having a surface for contact with a pattern disposed in a flask. The pattern defines a cavity into which a melt is poured to produce a cast product. The mold further includes a mass of ceramic balls placed on the pattern-contact layer of the sand mass. The system includes a temperature adjusting device for regulating the temperature of the mass of ceramic balls prior to introduction thereof into the flask, so as to control the hardening rate of mass of sand in the flask, a separating device operable on a mixture of sand and ceramic balls obtained from the mold after the cast product is produced by the mold with the pattern removed. The separating device separates the ceramic ball from the sand, and supplies the ceramic balls to the temperature adjusting device.

Abstract: The pattern is surrounded by packed unbound molding medium within a container. The gaseous material resulting from the evaporation of the pattern is removed from within the container as the gaseous material permeates through the packed unbound molding medium. The outflow of the gaseous material is regulated to control the rate of displacement of the pattern by the molten metal. The removed gaseous material is cleaned and cooled, thereby forming condensate and detoxified gas. Thereafter the condensate, and detoxified gas are discharged.

Abstract: In an automatic foundry plant of the kind in which at an extraction station (41) water is dosed in (at 42) in order to maintain the correct moisture content in the molding sand, which is returned to the molding station (11), and in which new molding sand (at 43), new binder (at 44), and/or new additive (at 45) may be added in a sand treatment station (46), the new feature consists in that the dosing of water and possibly of the other agents mentioned is controlled by means of an automatic control system (51-53) in dependence of information collected upstream of the extraction station regarding the condition of the individual molds arriving at the extraction station, especially with regard to whether metal has been poured in them or not, a very important factor for the moisture content, because this is greatly reduced by the hot metal poured.

Abstract: A paper sleeve and system for application as an insulated riser in a sand mold used to cast metal articles is disclosed. The sleeve, preferably cylindrical, is formed from a plurality of sheets of paper wrapped around one another with, preferably, a space between the edges of each sheet to provide a plurality of spaces or openings extending through the sleeve. Each sheet is treated with a precise amount of fire retardant. The sleeve for a given time period acts as an insulator keeping metal therein liquid until the metal solidifies in the article forming cavity of the sand mold and thereafter decomposes or reduces itself to a harmless carbon ash. The sleeve can function to both feed liquid metal to the article forming cavity in a sand mold and also to supply additional liquid metal to the article cavity upon solidification of the metal therein to eliminate the need for separate risers as now required in conventional foundry practice.

Abstract: Foundry sand lumps containing a water soluble binder are broken down to grain size, mechanically scrubbed to remove slime-forming impurities, dust and some of the binder, washed to remove substantially all the remaining binder and provide a sand/water slurry, pressure filtered and dried.

Abstract: Green sand having a residuum of retained clay is reconditioned by screening and predrying it to about zero moisture; calcining the sand to burn off organic matter; cooling the sand; mechanically scrubbing the cooled sand to free mechanically bonded clay and a portion of the clay magnetically adhered to the sand; mixing an acid/water solution with the sand to react with the remaining magnetically adhered clay to permit such clay to break free from the sand; drying the sand to release the freed clay; and extracting the thus-released clay from the sand.

Abstract: The method and apparatus are based on the use of a casting process in which expendable patterns are made of a low density material, then evaporated by molten metal as the metal advances into the cavity created by the evaporation of the pattern material. The outer supporting material of the cavity is an unbonded granular material of sufficient grain size distribution. This unbonded material is vibrated in defined partial volumes of the whole volume of a holding vessel called a pouring container and compacted to a predetermined density around the expendable pattern so that it fills all cavities of the expendable pattern prior to the introduction of molten metal into the container to displace the pattern. The compacting vibration is performed in several independent zones to achieve uniform compaction and to prevent pattern deformation. The pouring container follows a loop via a conveyor system preferably through four operation stations.

Abstract: A stream of molten metal is atomized to form a spray and additional cooling is achieved by applying to the stream or spray relatively cold solid particles. The solid particles are preferably injected into the spray and may be formed from overspray particles recycled from the deposition process.

Abstract: A stream of molten metal is atomized to form a spray and additional cooling is provided by applying to the stream or spray relatively cold solid particles. The solid particles are preferably injected into the spray and may be formed from overspray particles recycled from the deposition process.

Abstract: A process for temperature treating a granular material such as sand by the use of ambient air moving through the material, as it drops under gravity from a screen, at a wind velocity high enough to invoke forced convection as an aid in accomplishing the temperature controlling function.

Abstract: Method of and apparatus for continuously reducing oxides which form on the surface of copper bar and rod during casting including means for collecting cleaning mixture vapors; means for raising the temperature and pressure of the collected vapor; means for lowering the temperature of the collected vapor below the temperature at which the vapor will condense without lowering the system pressure; and means for separating condensed cleaning mixture from uncondensed vapor as the uncondensed vapor is being conveyed to a furnace or other means for oxidizing residual vapor.

Abstract: A process is described for curing sand moldings, in particular casting cores, by the cold box process. In this process a catalyst containing gas mixture escaping from the mold is passed over a mixture feed side of a semipermeable membrane while a pressure is maintained on the permeate side of the membrane which is less than the pressure on the mixture feed side, whereby the catalyst vapors preferentially permeate through the membrane, and a permeate carrier gas stream which is, in particular, 50 to 300 liters greater than the permeate stream passing through the membrane per m.sup.2 and per hour is passed over the permeate side of the membrane. The catalyst, in particular a tertiary amine, is greatly concentrated in the permeate carrier gas stream and can simply and inexpensively be removed from the latter by condensation. Inexpensive, virtually complete recovery of the expensive catalyst is possible using the process.

Abstract: Y.sub.2 O.sub.3 is recovered from investment casting shell molds by introducing used mold materials into a dissolution reactor preferably consisting of a rotating vessel having an interior lining of acid and abrasion resistant material. An acid is combined with the materials in the reactor and agitated for a selected time period. Thereafter, the liquid remaining in the reactor is separated from the residual solids and removed. The liquid contains dissolved Y.sub.2 O.sub.3 which is precipitated, preferably using oxalic acid to produce yttrium oxalate [Y.sub.2 (C.sub.2 O.sub.4).sub.3.9H.sub.2 O]. The Y.sub.2 (C.sub.2 O.sub.4).sub.3.9H.sub.2 O is ultimately removed from the solution and calcined to produce high purity Y.sub.2 O.sub.3.

Abstract: In an investment casting process wherein molds or cores are prepared by forming them around a polymer pattern and then dissolving the pattern with a solvent, solvent losses can be reduced by heating the mold or core before contacting it with the solvent to reduce the amount of solvent adsorbed in the mold or core. An improved process comprises: (a) forming the mold or core around the pattern; (b) heating the mold or core; (c) dunking or spraying the mold or core with the solvent until the pattern is dissolved; (d) placing the mold or core in a drying chamber in the path of circulating heated air; (e) cooling the air to condense the solvent; (f) recovering the condensed solvent; and (g) reheating the air until it is no longer saturated with solvent and recycling the air to the drying chamber. The preliminary heating step can reduce solvent losses by 66 percent and the entire improved process can reduce solvent losses by about 90 percent.

Abstract: A highly efficient method for recovering Y.sub.2 O.sub.3 from casting slurries and cores containing Y.sub.2 O.sub.3 in combination with a binder is disclosed. The slurry is first treated with a gelling agent which causes the slurry to gel. The gelled slurry is then ignited in order to remove residual organic compounds. After ignition, the product is crushed and pulverized to form a powder. Thereafter, the powder is calcined at a temperature sufficient to crystallize the silica binder in the powder. The calcined product is subsequently dissolved in a heated acid solution for a selected time period. The resulting solution contains dissolved Y.sub.2 O.sub.3 and undissolved binder residue, which is filtered and removed. The Y.sub.2 O.sub.3 in the solution is then diluted with deionized water, and precipitated, preferably using oxalic acid to produce yttrium oxalate. The yttrium oxalate is ultimately removed from the solution and calcined to produce high purity Y.sub.2 O.sub.3.

Abstract: Molten metal is continuously teemed from a ladle into a tundish. The latter feeds a continuous stream of the molten metal to a cooled mold having opposite open ends connected by a casting passage. The molten metal enters the mold at one end and partially solidifies in the casting passage to form a continuously cast strand which is withdrawn from the mold at its other end. The strand initially consists of a thin shell of solidified metal, and a molten core which is confined by the shell. Upon leaving the mold, the strand is conveyed through a bath of molten metal. The metal of the bath has a lower melting point than, and a specific gravity comparable to that of, the metal being cast. The bath functions to cool the strand uniformly so that the quality of the strand is maintained. The bath further counteracts the tendency of the molten core to cause bulging of the solidified shell which also serves to enhance the quality of the strand.

Abstract: Sand molds stored in a prepour storage system are retrieved and conveyed to a pouring station with a total mold cavity capacity equal to the amount of molten metal to be poured. Despite the fact that the mold cavities vary in size they are delivered to the pouring station in a sequence that accomodates delivery of the molds having variable metal capacity to one of a plurality of cooling conveyor lines so that each cooling line conveys molds which require variable lengths of time to cool before such molds can be conveyed into a punchout where the cope flask is stripped and the sand mass and castings are pushed up from the drag flask and onto a shakeout which conveys sand to a reclaim system and castings to a processing area where the castings are shot blasted, gates and risers are removed, the castings are inspected, flame washed, welded (as needed), ground, chipped, heat treated and then blast cleaned a second time before final grinding, chipping, gauging, final inspection, assembly and storage.

Abstract: A method for continuously casting lithium-containing alloys by a direct chill process includes cooling the alloy to form a continuous ingot having a solid shell and further cooling the ingot by direct chill with an organic coolant. The organic coolant in one aspect includes a modified hydrocarbon fluid, e.g., ethylene glycol, having less than a predetermined moisture content. The method includes recirculating coolant while controlling moisture content. An ingot formed by the present invention provides small dendrite arm spacing in a relatively large size ingot.

Abstract: A method for continuously casting lithium-containing alloys by a direct chill process includes cooling the alloy to form a continuous ingot having a solid shell and further cooling the ingot by direct chill with an organic coolant. The organic coolant in one aspect includes a modified hydrocarbon fluid, e.g., ethylene glycol, having less than a predetermined moisture content. The method includes recirculating coolant while controlling moisture content. An ingot formed by the present invention provides small dendrite arm spacing in a relatively large size ingot.

Abstract: A method for reclaiming green sands having a wide range of moisture and temperature conditions involves processing such sands in a single reclaimer unit to produce free flowing reclaimed sand adapted to pass through a 20 mesh screen and having a temperature preferably no greater than about 120.degree. F. The method involves effecting attrition of a batch of molding sand supplied to the reclaimer unit, applying a vacuum exhaust to the unit primarily to remove a calcined clay binder and water vapor therefrom, sensing the means temperature of the sand, and selectively adding moisture or heat to the sand as required to produce reclaimed sand having predetermined moisture and temperature conditions allowing such sand to be immediately screened of extraneous materials and passed to a mulling device or remixer. The rate of addition of moisture, if any, and the flow of exhaust air through the unit are controlled in order to prevent condensation in the exhaust conduit and dust collection devices.

Abstract: In a process for reclaiming foundry scrap sand, containing organic and inorganic binders, the comminuted foundry sand is precleaned in a dry state by allowing it to impinge and/or by grain-against-grain friction, is regenerated by thermal treatment, and is subsequently subjected to a final cleaning in the dry state, separated slurry materials being separated from the regenerate by a gas stream. An apparatus for conducting the process comprises a rotary drum (5, 46, 107) and/or a shotblasting cleaner (102) for precleaning, a fluidized-bed furnace (9, 51, 108) for thermal regeneration, and a further rotary drum (10, 59, 109) and/or a further shotblasting cleaner (151) for the final cleaning, and is accommodated in several container-type vessels (I through IX) which latter can be set up in superimposed relationship.

Abstract: According to the invention, a sand distribution structure is interposed between a sand supply hopper and a flask having an associated pattern. The sand distribution structure comprises juxtaposed, apertured plates, which are adjustable relative to each other to variably register the apertures in the separate plates. It is possible with variations in the dimensions and locations of the apertures in the plates to choose a desired flow rate and/or selectively disperse the sand over the pattern.