751647Innovative microwave heating process to recover & re-use casting sandClosedVouchersInnovate UKWe produce high quality castings for the auto industry using ‘sandcasting’. Foundry sand is an engineered material made of silica sand, binder, water, reducing agent & cushioning agent. It must withstand very high temp; extreme thermal shock & outgassing. The organic matter burns to form ‘sooty’ contaminants, thus after every cycle ~10% of the sand is replaced with new sand. Our new microwave heating technology aims to minimise the waste sand sent to landfill by burning off ‘soot’ at high temp. Our new idea is to develop this into a continuous process so that foundry sand can be cleaned more efficiently. This new technology would enable us to re-use most of our sand continuously, saving up to 80% in costs. It could reduce casting defects & scrap by 25%, reduce our carbon footprint, improve our competitiveness and in turn increase our sales. We would aim to license a systems manufacturer to build microwave furnaces for sale into the foundry industry in the UK, EU and possibly globally.