Influence of Emission Estimates on BACT for Iron Foundry Core Making

Steven Klafka, PE, DEE Wingra Engineering, S.C. A&WMA Conference 2002
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Iron Foundry Case Study

Existing iron foundry in Indiana. Addition of two coldbox core making machines with combined capacity of 6 tons per hour. Project required Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) air quality permit. Permit requirements included determination of Best Available Control Technology (BACT). PSD applicability based on plant-wide VOC emissions increase from debottlenecking.
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Core Making Process

Cores form internal space in castings. Molten iron poured into molds flows around core to form internal voids. Cores - mixture of sand & organic resin. Resin type is phenolic-urethane. Catalyst used to activate resin.

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Core Making Process Contd

Mixing

Organic binder mixed with silica sand. Sand/resin mixture blown into the mold box. Catalyst injected to cure resin. Catalyst purged from core machine. Core removed for finishing, storage, delivery.
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Core Forming

Storage

Core Making Flow Diagram

PM, VOC VOC

Baghouse

Scrubber

VOC
Core Storage

Mixing

Core Machines

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VOC Emissions from Catalyst

VOC generated by catalyst and resin Catalyst Emissions Triethyl Amine or TEA Typical usage: 2-7 lbs/ton of core Proposed usage: 3 lbs/ton of core Assume 100% of catalyst emitted from core machines.

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VOC Emissions from Resin

Resin Emissions Evaporation of VOC constituents from mixing, core machine & storage Function of resin usage & VOC content Little attention to resin losses in prior BACT analyses or permits. Loss Range = 0.1 - 1.0 lbs/ton of core
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Resin VOC Emission Methods

American Foundrymans Society (AFS) Form R booklet. Ohio Cast Metals Association (OCMA) study in 1998. Resin manufacturers evaporation tests Core making stack tests
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AFS Form R Booklet

Produced by AFS and the Casting Industry Suppliers Association. Assist foundries with Form R TRI. Provides estimates for reportable chemicals in core and mold binder. Estimates fraction of resin remaining in core and fraction released.
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Resin Loss Using AFS Form R

Constituent
Formaldehyde Naphthalene Trimethylbenzene Total

Content (%)
0.11 4.92 1.62

AFS Loss (%)

2.00 3.25 3.25

Resin Loss (%)

0.002 0.160 0.053 0.215

Total Resin Loss = 0.215%

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1998 OCMA Study

Laboratory resin evaporation tests. Measured weight loss during mixing, forming, and storage. No catalyst used during test. Based on 1% resin in core sand.

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Resin Loss using OCMA Study

Step
Mixing Machine Storage Storage Total

Time (hours)
0.03 0.5 3 >3 12

Resin Loss Resin Loss (%) (% of Total)

0.39 0.55 0.77 1.55 3.26 12 17 24 47 100

Total Resin Loss = 3.26%

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Resin Manufacturer Tests

Based on OCMA methodology. Various resins evaluated to compare evaporative losses. Resin alternatives suitable for Indiana project.

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Resin Loss from Manufacturers

Resin
A B

Time Elapsed (hours)

3 3

Resin Loss (%)

3.0 1.2

Total Resin Loss = 1.2 to 3.0%

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Core Making Stack Tests

Conducted on existing operations Tests for mixing and core machine Testing of core storage area not practical due to open area. Total VOC measured by Method 25 TEA measured by Method 25A
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Resin Loss using Stack Tests

Mixing

Method 25A: 0.54 lbs VOC/hr, 0.40% of resin Method 25: 0.61 lbs VOC/hr, 0.45% of resin

Core Machine

Method 25A: 14.0 lbs VOC/hr Method 25: 16.5 lbs VOC/hr Method 25: 17.6 lbs TEA/hr, 3.4 lbs VOC/ton TEA emissions > Total VOC Resin loss measurements not possible.
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Resin Loss Comparison

Method
Resin Loss (%)

AFS
0.215
0.043 0.06

OCMA Mfg A Mfg B Test

3.26
0.65 0.98

3.0
0.60 0.90

1.2
0.24 0.36

0.45
0.09 0.14

VOC @1% (lbs/ton)

VOC @1.5% (lbs/ton)

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Final Mixing Loss Estimate

Mixing Loss

Test used Resin A; project to use Resin B Combined stack test and mfg lab tests Resin B Loss = 0.45% Resin A Loss x (1.2/3.0) = 0.18% Resin B Loss = 0.14 lbs/ton Resin A Loss x (1.2/3.0) = 0.05 lbs/ton
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Core Machine Loss Estimate

Core Machine Loss

Combined stack test and mfg lab tests Mfg Total Resin B Loss Mixing Loss 0.36 0.05= 0.31 lbs/ton

Storage Loss

Losses included with core machine.

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BACT Control Options

Mixing

Regenerative Thermal Oxidizer Carbon Adsorption Packed Bed Scrubber Regenerative Thermal Oxidizer Carbon Adsorption
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Core Machine

Mixing BACT Analysis

Uncontrolled Cost Effectiveness Control Alternative VOC ($ per ton) (lbs per hour) RTO 0.30 609,810 Carbon Adsorption 0.30 161,920

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BACT for Mixing

High cost effectiveness due to relatively low VOC emissions. IDEM feasibility threshold of $8,000 per ton of VOC removed. No add-on controls required.

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Core Machine BACT Analysis

Control Alternative
Carbon Adsorption RTO Scrubber

Uncontrolled VOC (lbs per hour)

19.86 19.86 19.86

Controlled VOC (lbs per hr)

0.40 0.40 2.22

Cost Effectiveness ($ per ton)

14,520 9,041 2,835

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BACT for Core Machine

RTO and carbon adsorption exceed IDEM threshold for economic infeasibility. RTO exceeds cost effectiveness used for prior Wheland BACT of $4,928/ton. Packed bed scrubber considered BACT.

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RTO Cost Effectiveness Versus Resin Loss

2 lbs TEA/ton 4 lbs TEA/ton 3 lbs TEA/ton 5 lbs TEA/ton

Cost Effectiveness ($ per ton VOC)

14000 12000 10000 8000 6000 4000 2000 0 0 1 2 3

BB

AA

Resin Loss Emission Factor (lbs per ton of core)

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Effect of VOC Loss on RTO Cost

Cost effectiveness varies with catalyst usage and resin losses. Typically values can result in RTO as BACT. If case study foundry had used Resin A -

Core machine resin loss increases from 0.36 to 0.90 lbs/ton. Cost effectiveness decreases to $7,676/ton. RTO becomes economically feasible and BACT.
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Conclusions

Use of RTO on core making operations will receive serious consideration for future BACT evaluations. Cost effectiveness and feasibility of control options are dependent on catalyst usage and resin losses. Resin losses, though small, effect the outcome of the BACT analysis.
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