Inorganic binders in ferrous foundries: feasibility assessment through a Life Cycle Costing (LCC)

With the release of the new BREF (Best Available Techniques Reference Document) for the foundry industry, enacted by the European Union and effective at the beginning of 2025, foundry companies are now required to reduce their environmental impact using the Best Available Techniques (BATs) identified in the document. The goal is to minimize atmospheric emissions of pollutants or toxic substances, as well as resource consumption and waste production. One of the suggested BATs is represented by the use of inorganic binders for the manufacture of cores and moulds. While this technique is becoming an industrial standard for non-ferrous alloy casting production (such as aluminium), challenges are being encountered in the production of ferrous castings (iron and steel). Despite the proven environmental benefits, ferrous foundries still perceive the introduction of this technology as uncertain, given the lack of a shared industrial standard regarding its application. Moreover, as a precautionary measure, foundries remain cautious due to an unclear cost profile associated with the integration of inorganic cores in the overall process. This study aims to fill the gap in both the scientific literature and industrial know-how by proposing a Life Cycle Costing (LCC) framework. This paper presents, categories, and analyses the main costs that a company might incur when adopting this technology. The objective is to provide an overview of the costs and savings associated with this new process, highlighting the economic differences compared to the current industrial standard, which consists of using organic binders. This analysis is intended to support future research on the practical application of inorganic binders and serves as a reference point for companies evaluating the adoption of this technology.