CSIR‑CRRI ने IIF और Suyog Elements के साथ मिलकर Waste Foundry Sand को सड़कों में परिवर्तित किया — भारत की Circular Economy को बढ़ावा

<h2>Overview</h2> <p>The <span class="key-term" data-definition="Council of Scientific & Industrial Research — India's premier R&amp;D organization under the Ministry of Science &amp; Technology, instrumental in technology development and policy support (GS3: Science &amp; Technology)">CSIR</span>‑Central Road Research Institute (<span class="key-term" data-definition="CSIR‑CRRI — A specialised arm of CSIR focused on research and development of road and pavement technologies (GS3: Infrastructure)">CSIR‑CRRI</span>) has entered into a collaborative research agreement with the <span class="key-term" data-definition="Institute of Indian Foundrymen — An industry body representing foundry units across India, facilitating technology transfer and advocacy (GS3: Industry)">IIF</span> and private firm Suyog Elements. The MoU, signed in the presence of the Secretary of the <span class="key-term" data-definition="Department of Scientific & Industrial Research — The nodal ministry for promoting scientific research and industrial innovation in India (GS2: Polity)">DSIR</span> and CSIR Director‑General <strong>Dr. N. Kalaiselvi</strong>, aims to develop and scale processes for incorporating <span class="key-term" data-definition="Waste Foundry Sand (WFS) — Fine sand left after metal casting moulds are used; a major industrial waste that can be repurposed as a construction aggregate (GS3: Environment/Economy)">WFS</span> from the Coimbatore foundry cluster into road infrastructure.</p> <h3>Key Developments</h3> <ul> <li>Signing of a <span class="key-term" data-definition="Memorandum of Understanding — A formal, non‑binding agreement outlining cooperation between parties on a specific project (GS2: Polity/Administration)">MoU</span> among CSIR‑CRRI, IIF and Suyog Elements.</li> <li>Creation of a structured R&amp;D programme to characterise different types of foundry sand (green sand, resin‑bonded sand) and devise processing protocols for road use.</li> <li>Goal to replicate the successful <em>Steel Slag Road</em> technology model for waste‑to‑wealth conversion.</li> <li>Commitment to provide technical validation (CSIR‑CRRI), industry outreach (IIF) and implementation scaling (Suyong Elements).</li> </ul> <h3>Important Facts</h3> <ul> <li>The Coimbatore cluster houses <strong>800‑1000</strong> foundry units, making it India’s largest source of <span class="key-term" data-definition="Foundry — An industrial facility where metal castings are produced by pouring molten metal into moulds; generates large volumes of sand waste (GS3: Industry)">foundry</span> waste.</li> <li>WFS disposal poses significant environmental challenges due to its volume and non‑biodegradable nature.</li> <li>Utilising WFS can reduce dependence on natural aggregates, conserving river sand and gravel resources.</li> <li>The project supports the Government’s <span class="key-term" data-definition="Circular Economy — An economic model that keeps resources in use for longer thro