Products for the manufacture of molds and cores used in metal casting and a method for their manufacture and recycle from crushed rock
AssigneeNoram Technology, Ltd.
InventorsRobert E. Sparks, Kenneth Hillel Peter Harris
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and method for producing foundry quality sand from non-conventional starting materials through the combination of oolitization and classification. Incoming particulate matter is first directed into a controlled energy attrition unit where the particles are made to collide with one another. Such collisions clean and round the particles by chipping away surface projections and coatings without crushing the particles. The particle stream is then directed through a multi-fraction classifier where it is separated into two or more useable grades of foundry sand. An air classifier is preferred for the classification stage.
Claims18
A method of preparing foundry sand from particles of a base material, comprising:
- shaping the particles through treatment in a controlled energy impactor, said treatment causing the particles to collide with one another such that surface irregularities are chipped away to produce smoothed particles;
- and
- classifying the smoothed particles with an air classifying system to produce at least one grade of finished sand.
A system for producing and classifying foundry quality sand from a member of the feldspar family, comprising:
- a controlled energy attrition unit for oolitizing incoming particulate matter such that oolitized particles are rounded but not crushed;
- and
- a multi-fraction classifier for separating the oolitized particles into at least two grades of foundry sand characterized by containing less than 10% crystalline quartz and having the formula XAI(1−2)Si(3−2)O8, where X is selected from the group consisting of sodium, potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, or a mixture thereof.
A system for producing and classifying foundry quality sand from a member of the feldspar family, comprising:
- a controlled energy attrition unit for oolitizing incoming particulate matter such that oolitized particles are rounded but not crushed;
- and
- a multi-fraction classifier for separating the oolitized particles into at least two grades of foundry sand characterized by having (i) a particle size distribution where less than 2 mass % is smaller than one quarter of a weight average particle size and less than 5 mass % is greater than three times the weight average particle size;
- (ii) a weight average mean particle size of less than 1.5 mm and oolitized such that the particles pack well enough to provide a bulk density that is at least 55% of a density of the rock from which they are made;
- and (iii) an ignition loss of less than 3%.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.