EcoMold – Eco-friendly Geopolymer Mold Made of High-Performance Composite for Casting Ultralight Alloys, S-M-ERA.NET-26-2

 

Project title – Eco-friendly Geopolymer Mold Made of High-Performance Composite for Casting Ultralight Alloys (EcoMold)

Project duration – 2026-05-01 – 2029-04-30

Project number – S-M-ERA.NET-26-2

Project implementer – Uniwersytet Kaliski (Poland)

Project partners: Mykolas Romeris University (Lithuania), Politechnika Łódzka (Poland), Spółdzielnia Pracy ARMATURA Odlewnia Precyzyjna staliwa i metali kolorowych (Poland), Techno-Fly (Poland), Development and Educational Centre for the Metal Industry (Croatia).

Project Leader at MRU: Prof. dr. Žaneta Simanavičienė

Project Summary: The EcoMold project aims to revolutionize the foundry industry by developing an innovative, eco-friendly, and reusable mold system based on geopolymer composites. This solution responds to the need for modern, cost-effective, and sustainable casting technologies, reducing production time, energy use, and environmental impact.
Starting at TRL 2 and targeting TRL 6, the project will design, fabricate, and validate a reusable geopolymer-based high-performance composite mold (GBM) reinforced with recycled fillers and fibers for casting non-ferrous alloys such as aluminium, copper, and magnesium. The approach integrates advanced materials engineering with circular economy principles, utilizing industrial by-products like activated fly ash, slags, and recycled carbon fibers to form durable, high-strength geopolymer matrices. After their service life, the molds can be crushed and reused as fillers, achieving a nearly waste-free casting process.
The developed GBMs will be characterised by excellent mechanical strength and will offer high dimensional accuracy, and superior surface finish of cast products. Their design flexibility enables casting of complex and large components while maintaining consistent quality. By introducing protective coatings and modifying filler surfaces, the project will enhance mold performance, improving heat resistance, metal-mold separation, and oxidation protection, particularly for reactive magnesium alloys.
EcoMold represents a breakthrough in the use of lightweight non-ferrous alloys for automotive, aerospace, and high-tech industries, significantly reducing costs and lead times compared to traditional sand, ceramic, or metal molds. Environmentally, the project contributes to low-carbon manufacturing, industrial waste reduction, and the EU Green Deal objectives, supporting sustainable resource use and circularity.

The project is funded by the Lithuanian Research Council under the M-ERA-NET programme.