Grantee Research Project Results
Recovery of Catalyst Vapors From Foundry Cold Box Core Machines
EPA Contract Number: 68D99057Title: Recovery of Catalyst Vapors From Foundry Cold Box Core Machines
Investigators: Morisato, Atsushi
Small Business: Membrane Technology and Research Inc.
EPA Contact: Richards, April
Phase: I
Project Period: September 1, 1999 through March 1, 2000
Project Amount: $70,000
RFA: Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) - Phase I (1999) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Air Quality and Air Toxics , SBIR - Air Pollution , Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)
Description:
Metal casting operations produce air streams containing 0.5 to 5 volume percent of various catalyst vapors. The source of these streams is the exhaust from cold box core machines. These streams are a serious pollution problem and are produced at 3,000 U.S. foundries. They also are a significant resource recovery opportunity because a large foundry may release catalyst vapors with a potential annual value of $200,000 to $500,000. The overall objective of this project is to develop a membrane process to recover and recycle the catalyst vapors. In favorable cases, the process can achieve simple payback times from the value of the recovered catalyst of 1 to 2 years. The focus of the Phase I research is to develop a suitable membrane for the process and to analyze the technical and economic feasibility of the process based on the membrane properties determined by permeation experiments with air/catalyst vapor feed gases.If successfully developed, the process will be applied widely because current technology involves destruction of the catalyst vapors at a significant cost to plant operators. Initial users are likely to be foundries operating on a continuous basis, in which significant amounts of catalyst could be recovered from a single machine. There are about 400 to 500 such large foundries in the United States and more overseas. The potential market in the United States is $90 million in these larger plants, with an industry-wide market of $200 to $300 million.
Supplemental Keywords:
small business, SBIR, pollution prevention, air emissions, engineering, EPA., Scientific Discipline, Air, Sustainable Industry/Business, Chemical Engineering, air toxics, cleaner production/pollution prevention, Environmental Chemistry, Technology for Sustainable Environment, New/Innovative technologies, Engineering, Engineering, Chemistry, & Physics, cost reduction, air pollutants, waste reduction, membrane technology , industrial emissions, recovery, emissions, air pollution, catalysts, industrial air pollution, innovative technology, innovative technologies, air emissions, pollution preventionProgress and Final Reports:
SBIR Phase II:
Recovery of Catalyst Vapors From Foundry Cold Box Core Machines | Final ReportThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.