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By Helga Larravide

A new on-line database of literature about copper has been created through a joint undertaking by the Copper Development Association Inc. and PROCOBRE-Chile, with funding provided in part through the International Copper Association, Ltd. The new database will permit Spanish-speaking technologists to access publications maintained by PROCOBRE-Chile by means of standard keyword searches. In addition, a new Spanish- English thesaurus has been written to enable Spanish-speaking individuals to search d access the Technology and Environmental databases of the Copper Data Center, which together comprise more than 80,000 publications dealing with the production, properties, uses and environmental effects of copper. Planned expansion of the new Spanish literature database is described.

Jan 1, 1999

By NRMR Bhargava

With the increasing use of lead-free solder alloys, low melting point alloy is often required due to the heat- sensitive parts or substrates in modern electronic devices. For such demand of low melting point, the nanostructure lead- free solder alloy, having excellent metallurgical characteristics and a melting point of <215oC, were developed by mechanical attrition of conventional lead free solder alloys (Sn-Ag-Cu, Sn-Ag and Sn-Cu). The decrease in melting point due to nanosize effect was calculated theoretically as function of particle size and the theoretical results were compared with experimental values measured by differential scanning calorimetry. The newly developed alloys have eutectic composition of Sn-3.5Ag-0.7Cu, Sn-3.5Ag and Sn-0.7Cu and the melting point depression found to be 5.10C, 4.10C and 6.20C when the bulk alloys reduced to 80 nm, 92nm and 96nm sizes respectively.

Jan 1, 2009

By Y. Zhoa

The surface morphology of materials is of fundamental importance to many surface related applications, such as wetting, friction, reflection, drag, and adhesion. Various approaches for micro/nano patterning atop polymer surfaces have been proposed in recent years. However, a cost effective technique is still highly in demand. In this paper, we demonstrate a novel but rather simple and generic approach for surface micro/nano patterning using shape memory polymers (SMPs). Different types of novel patterns are realized and their 3-D surface features are quantitatively analyzed by a PLµ Confocal imaging profiler.

Jan 1, 2010

By William A. Enrico

Umicore acquired the Pirdop Smelter in a privatization offering by the Bulgarian government in September 1997. Since that time, an investment program has been conducted to increase capacity to 225 000 tons per year of anode copper, while improving the environmental performance to meet Bulgarian and European standards. A significant part of this investment program involved reconstruction of the three Peirce-Smith converters and the associated gas handling system. During the period June, 2000 through April, 2002, converter capacity was increased, the existing water-cooled hoods were replaced, the waste heat boiler was replaced by two evaporative coolers, the dry ESP&apos;s were rebuilt and extended, and a Converter Control System (CCS) installed. From 2002 until the present, a continuous improvement of operating and environmental performance has been achieved. This paper will describe the converter reconstruction project, the operational, maintenance, and environmental improvements achieved since then and additional projects presently under consideration.

Jan 1, 2005

By Valerio Viti

In High Pressure Die Casting a molten metal is injected through a thin gate into the cast cavity. High injection pressures and high gate velocities create atomization phenomena which can negatively affect the final quality of the cast. In order to control atomization process it is essential to understand the atomization patterns and the two-phase flowfield that exist at the gate exit. In the present work, 2D numerical simulations of the flow of molten Magnesium through a high aspect-ratio rectangular gate are performed using a water analogue for an open and closed cavity. The numerical simulations made use of VOF-type (Eulerian) physical models and Lagrangian models. Further, a sub-grid scale model was implemented that, in conjunction with VOF-type equations can efficiently predict the general atomization pattern without the need for high-resolution grids. The numerical results were compared to experimental data for validation.

Jan 1, 2006

By A. J. Sideris

It is known that Mg can act as a catalyst/solvent in the high pressure high temperature diamond synthesis. However, above pressure levels of the order of 7 GPa, and temperatures from 1700 ? 1800oC, it was not possible yet to use Mg for the industrial production of diamond. A possible alternative is the use of MgNi based alloys. However, owing to the great Mg reactivity, it was consider, so far, a difficult task to deal with such alloys. The present work presents successful results regarding the production of MgNi alloys, with different composition, at high pressure conditions. The behavior of the alloys and their microstructural characterization is analyzed.

Jan 1, 2006

By Liang Sha

In this study, adsorption of copper by chemically modified orange peel was investigated. A conspicuous change occurs in the surface morphology of the biomass due to modification, which is depicted by SEM images. Equilibrium isotherms and kinetics were obtained and the effects of various factors, including solution pH, contact time, initial metal ions concentration and temperature, were studied by batch experiments. Kinetics was found to be best-fit pseudosecond- order equations. Equilibrium was better described by Langermuir isotherms rather than Freudlich isotherms. At 25?, pH5.30, the maximum adsorption capacity was 70.67mg?g-1 . With increase of temperature, adsorption efficiency decreased. The biosorbent was suitable for repeated use for more than five cycles.

Jan 1, 2009

By Olga Frank-Kamenetskaya

The experimental results of study of atmospheric corrosion processes on Saint-Petersburg bronze monuments surface, received in situ and by means of simulating experiments, have been discussed. Influence of the time factor on corrosion film (patina) mineral composition has been analyzed. Direct dependence between patina mineral composition and environmental conditions has been proved. The sequence of patina phases crystallization has been established. Effect of the chemical composition and heterogeneity of artistic bronze and also monument surface structure on the rate of corrosion process has been regarded. The time variations of mass of the crystallized in the hydrochloric acid vapor phases have been investigated. The kinetic laws of their development at the initial stage of formation, indicating simple (non chain) reactions, have been revealed.

Jan 1, 2006

By Art Cooper

Granulation systems are customarily viewed as problem areas in metallurgical operations. The inherent risk of explosion when combining a high temperature melt with water creates a safety hazard. Separation of the granulated material from the quenching medium generally involves equipment that can have significant maintenance and operating costs. Granulation systems&apos; reliability and availability can negatively affect the plant production. Against this background, granulation systems have been treated by design firms and producers as an add-on and a necessary evil. The technology is becoming better understood and solutions to common problems are being found. This paper will discuss typical problems in common systems, and some of the improvements that have been made, with particular reference to non-ferrous applications.

Jan 1, 2006

By G. N. Shannon

Keywords: inclusions, slag, modeling, interfacial energy, capillary force, particle flotation, particle separation A previously introduced model of inclusions separating across a steel-slag interface, developed by Nakajima/Okamura and Bouris/Bergeles, is expanded to include different inclusions shapes (octahedral and plate-like, besides spherical) as well as comparison between model ladle-, tundish-, and mold-slags. Investigation of the relation of these shapes with the interfacial capillary force ? which arises due to the dynamic interfacial energy during separation ? has shown that the force has a significant effect on whether the inclusion separates rapidly or settles at the interface. For the slags considered, the most significant physical property is found to be viscosity, which resulted in fast separation times for inclusions in the mold and ladle slags, relative to the more viscous tundish slag. Particle dissolution (using experimental data) is included in separation modeling.

Jan 1, 2005

By David Norval

Ni, Co, Cu and Pt, mattes are common materials that require granulating and milling of the resultant granules for further processing. This route is acceptable if the material is brittle (friable) which is a property associated with the higher sulphur mattes. For lower sulphur levels, where the matte is less amenable to milling, the costs of the milling increases. This paper will compare water granulation with certain dry granulation processes and the downstream processes required for Hydrometallurgy. It will further introduce and expand on atomisation which offers a further safety benefit in the control of the metal flow into the &apos;wet zone&apos; with the use of a tundish flow control also reducing the conversion from the matte to powder in one fairly straightforward operation.

Jan 1, 2006

By Xiaowen Liu

The DSC/TG, IR and XRD analysis were used to characterize the heating phase transformation of illite, which came from Ouhai deposit, China. It was discovered that the dehydration and de-hydroxylation of illite carried out stage by stage during heating. The adsorptive water and layer-inter water were dehydrated from room temperature to 500°C; and dehydroxylated in the range 500°C~800°C. In these stages of process, illite?s layer structure kept almost unchanged. After 800°Cillite began to change into disorder structure. At about 1100°C, the layer structure of illite had been destroyed, and amorphous SiO2 and mullite crystallite appeared. At about 1200°C the structure of illite completely destroyed and mullite crystal phase had become perfect..

Jan 1, 2006

By Fumito Tanaka

The Mitsubishi Process is the sole pyrometallurgical process for the continuous production of blister copper from copper concentrates. Continuous converting originates from the application of the proven technology of a lime-ferrite slag (CaO-FeOX-Cu2O) on the Converting Furnace (C-furnace). Recent improvements on the C-furnace operation have included increasing the processing of recycled materials and the investigation of alternative fluxing agents. However, some minor oxides adversely affect C-furnace operation, with respect to magnetite behavior of the slag, with the most significant impact having been observed with the silica content of the slag. This paper will quantify the impact of silica on the lime-based slag, and discusses the controls that have been identified to sustain continuous converting operation.

Jan 1, 2005

By Jin Qiu

Experiments were performed to determine the extent of minor element elimination that occurred when mixtures of copper smelter dust and copper concentrate, were calcined under vacuum. Almost complete removal of the As, Sb, Bi and Pb occurred due to the conversion of the minor element compounds of these elements into their highly volatile sulphides by reaction with sulphur from the concentrate. Heat and mass balance calculations of the slag-blow in a copper converter found that ~30 tonnes of the vacuum calcine could be used to produce 100 tonnes of copper as white metal. The use of dirty concentrate as the sulphidizing agent in the vacuum calcination means that the minor element treatment capacity of the smelter complex could be increased by 60 %. Also the productivity of the converters may be increased by up to 8 % due to the supply of copper values and oxygen in the calcined mixture.

Jan 1, 2005

By Zhan Jing

Keywords: thermodynamic, Ni-Co alloy powders, composition, fibrous The mathematics model of Ni(II)-Co(II)-C2O42?-NH3?H2O-H2O of thermodynamic equilibrium system has been developed theoretically according to the law of conservation of mass and the law of simultaneous equilibrium, and the logarithm concentration-pH (log[Me2+]T-pH) diagrams of this system have been made. The effect of ligand and pH value was studied. Two issues in coprecipitation route to synthesize fibrous nickel-cobalt alloy precursor powder, com-position and morphology which are a first priority, are addressed based on thermodynamic analysis and experiments. The results show that suitable pH value range of coprecipitation of nickel ions and cobalt ions in theory can be obtained to maintain fibrous, excellent compositonal homogeneity and stoichiometry in coprecipitation products. Experimental demonstration is also carried out.

Jan 1, 2005

By Qingwei Wang

This study focused on acidic wastewater from producing sulfuric acid system in zinc smelter containing mercury 21.48mg/L, zinc 55.85mg/L, lead 38.50mg/L, copper 1.68mg/L, cadmium 10.25mg/L, As 29.86mg/L treated by biologics. The factors of pH value, the ratio of biologics to mercury, complexing time, hydrolytic time and temperature were studied in this paper. Experimental results indicated that at pH value 10, quantity of biologics to mercury ratio was 16, complexing time 30min, hydrolyzation time 20min, temperature at 40?, concentration of mercury in treated water was removed to 22.15µg/L. At same time heavy metals such as Zn, Pb, Cu, Cd, As was removed by biologics, the remained concentration in treated water was Zn 0.53mg/L, Pb 0.12mg/L, Cu 0.01mg/L, Cd low to 0.01mg/L and As 0.023mg/L. According to EDAX analysis, mercury content in complexing sediment reached 28.49% easily to recycle as raw material and low concentration of heavy metals in hydrolytic sediment easily to dispose and treat.

Jan 1, 2009

By P. N. Anyalebechi

The effects of solidification rate on the cast microstructures of aluminum alloys 6009 and 6016 have been investigated with directionally cooled laboratory-size ingots, at 0.2-10.1 K/s and 0.4- 23.1 K/s, respectively. These ranges of solidification rate are within those observed in commercial-size ingots. In both alloys, the average dendrite cell size and second phase particle size decreased with increase in average solidification rate and with a decrease in average local solidification time. However, at comparable solidification rates, the dendrite cells and second phase particles are finer in the shorter freezing range alloy 6009 than in the longer freezing range alloy 6016. This is provisionally attributed to the earlier formation of second phase intermetallics at higher temperatures during solidification and to the formation of greater amount of the relatively coarse plate-like ß -phase (Al9Fe2Si4) phases in alloy 6016. In general, in both alloys, the types and relative amounts of the second phase particles in both alloys are independent of solidification rate.

Jan 1, 2006

By Kwong. Kyei-Sing

Gasification is a process that converts a carbon feedstock into synthesis gas (CO+H2). Slagging gasifiers operate at high temperature and pressure and in a corrosive-wear environment from the slag. Cr2O3-based refractory linings are used to protect the steel vessel that comprises the gasifier from the aggressive gasification environment. Increasing service life of the gasifier is one of the keys for wide spread development of this technology. In support of the goals, research on the gasifier atmosphere, the slag chemistry, the interaction of Cr2O3 refractory with different feedstock mixtures (e.g., coal and petcoke) were characterized by post mortem analysis of bricks from service in gasifiers and thermodynamics simulation of the environment. Examples demonstrating how thermodynamic calculations can explain the post mortem results and make predictions of material interactions will be given. Attention is placed on the possibility of Cr+6 in different feedstock mixtures and operating conditions.

Jan 1, 2010

By Tian Sugui

By means of the measurement of the enduring property and microstructure observation, an investigation has been made into the influences of the element Re and TCP phase on the enduring property of the single crystal nickel base superalloys. Results show that the needle-like TCP phase is precipitated along the <110> orientation on {111} planes in Re-containing/free superalloys during the long term aging, the TCP phase is identified as µ phase, and the precipitated µ phase in 4.5%Re alloy is gradually spheroidized during aging. Thereinto, the needle-like µ phase may obviously decrease the enduring lifetimes of the alloys due to the consumption of the refractory elements and the effect of the stress concentration. But the stress concentration is not easily generated in the regions near the spherical-like µ phase, which is a main reason of reducing the enduring lifetime of 4.5%Re alloy to a small extent.

Jan 1, 2010

A molten metal granulator was designed and fabricated at the U.S. Dept. of Energy, Albany Research Center, for granulation of precious metal-bearing alloys and slags. The system was designed to safely granulate a metal alloy at a temperature of up to 1,600°C at a rate of roughly 50 kg of alloy per minute. The primary water jet was supplied by a 18.6-kW, 600 liter per minute pump which provided approximately 600 kg of water per minute through the primary jet. Two 3.7-kW, 150 liter per minute auxiliary pumps provided additional wash water to wet the granulation trough through 4 secondary jets, which were placed at either side of the primary jet. The water supply was closed-loop, including a 37,850-liter supply tank and 22,710-liter recovery tank. Magnetic separators and particulate filters were included for collection of the finest fraction of the granulation product, which cleaned the water sufficiently for continuous recycle.

Jan 1, 2006