Properties of Mortar Incorporating Waste Foundry Sand

Abstract

Metal foundries use large amounts of sand as part of the metal casting process. Foundries successfully recycle and reuse the sand many times in a foundry. When the sand can no longer be reused in the foundry, it is removed from the foundry and is termed “foundry sand.” Foundry sand production is nearly 6 to 10 million tons annually. Like many waste products, foundry sand has beneficial applications to other industries. Foundry sand consists primarily of silica sand, coated with a thin film of burnt carbon, residual binder (bentonite, sea coal, resins) and dust. Foundry sand can be used in concrete to improve its strength and other durability factors. Foundry Sand can be used as a partial replacement of cement or as a partial replacement of fine aggregates or total replacement of fine aggregate and as supplementary addition to achieve different properties of concrete. In the present study, effect of foundry sand as fine aggregate replacement on the compressive strength, Porosity, Sulphate attack & XRD of cement mortar having mix proportions of 1:3 was investigated. Fine aggregates were replaced with seven percentages of foundry sand. The percentages of replacements were 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 60 & 100 % by weight of fine aggregate. Tests were performed for compressive strength, Porosity, Sulphate attack & XRD tests for all replacement levels of foundry sand at different curing periods (28-days & 90-days).