Characterization of waste from the foundry process: a sustainable look

Abstract

The foundry industry has significant economic and environmental importance, however, despite its recycling potential, it generates solid waste, such as slag, foundry sand and iron dust. Few studies in the literature address their characterization and reused, despite their potential reuse. In this sense, this work aims to determine the physicochemical characteristics, and from these to suggest and encourage the reuse of waste from the foundry process. In the characterization of the slag, foundry sand and iron powder, the ash content, the total carbon and total nitrogen content, the magnetic behavior, the particle size were determined, and the X-ray diffractogram of the residues was obtained. The results suggest solid waste as by-products for other industries, highlighting the great potential for sustainable development. However, they reinforce the need for more studies on their characterization, and reinforce the need for a continuous assessment due to the variability in the raw material.