Gilsonite can be used in foundry sands as a carbon additive instead of sea coal, which is the conventional item for this application.

The key factor for using Gilsonite as foundry sand additives is the high lustrous carbon content, which also includes a good amount of fixed carbon within. The key matter is adding a secondary layer of graphite while the layer made from Gilsonite carbon prevents the generation of Carbon Monoxide to the Graphite Layer. This procedure is called creating a reductive atmosphere.

While lustrous carbon content, as an important factor in high value metal foundry, provides a better finish for molding, the gas generation provided by the Gilsonite is 3 times more than sea coal. This results an upgraded mold release.