Recycled Foundry Sands: BDG Receives Patent for Recycling Process

The Bundesverband der Deutschen Gießerei-Industrie (BDG) has investigated the economic utilization of used foundry sands in the glass industry through several research projects. In October, the granted patent was published.

BDG has received a European patent for a process that enables the use of used foundry sands in the glass industry. The process was developed within three research projects, two of which were funded by the German Federal Environmental Foundation (DBU). The first project began in 2017. In the second and final DBU project, the underlying concept was scaled up to an industrial level in order to demonstrate the economic feasibility of the process. With the patent now granted, the entire industry is expected to benefit from the results in the future.

The background of the development lies in rising landfill costs combined with decreasing landfill capacities. Alternative utilization strategies for used foundry sands help avoid both issues while conserving resources and protecting the environment. Recycling in road construction, the cement industry, or brick manufacturing is possible, but limited in volume and difficult to expand. For this reason, BDG and its partners examined whether used foundry sands could also be used as a sand component in the glass industry, specifically in the production of colored container glass.