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By William D. Riley

The U. S. Bureau of Mines has developed technology to recover by-product materials from aluminum scrap using engineered scavenger compounds (ESC). ESCs are structural oxides with a channel or tunnel structure that allows them to hold ions of a specitksizes and charges. The scavenging reaction is easily reversible allowing the ESC to be recharged for continued use and the ion is recovered as an electro deposit. Key features of this novel technology are; a) ESC ,systems are designed to have a high degree of selectivity for a desired ionic species. b) The recovered mater.ial requires little or no additional reprocessing prior to reuse. Two current uses for the ESC technology that are described in this paper are the removal and recycle oflithium (Li) from lithium aluminum (Li-AL) alloys; and, using ESCs as a replacement for the conventional demaging (magnesium removal) technology used by the secondary casting industry. Research indicates that the ESC technology proposed for both these applications has either 'distinct economic and/or environmental advantages over previously employed methods of recovering. metal values from aluminum scrap.

Jan 1, 1995

By J. R. Bhamidipati, Nagy EI-Kaddah

"Over the years, mathematical modeling has been established as a viable tool for design and analysis of melting and solidification processes. Modeling of electromagnetic casting and melting systems involves three coupled problems -- determination of the containment field, the shape of the meniscus, and the temperature field -- which have to be solved simultaneously. One of the difficulties in numerical simulation of these systems is in defining and gridding the solution domain as the meniscus shape of the liquid region is not known a priori. This paper describes a methodology for solving these coupled problems in a two-dimensional electromagnetic containment field. This method is based on the solution of the electromagnetic, free surface dynamic, and heat transfer equations in a fixed domain in computational space by mapping the physical space into an invariant computational space during the search for the equilibrium shape using a variable non-orthogonal coordinate transformation. This approach, also, eliminates the need for regridding the liquid and solid regions during phase change. This methodology is demonstrated for two electromagnetic confinement systems -- the Magnetic Suspension Melting process and the electromagnetic casting of aluminum. The model predictions are in good agreement with available data for these systems. It is suggested that the methodology presented here is likely to provide a useful tool in the design, analysis, and optimization of electromagnetic confinement systems. IntroductionDuring the past decade, mathematical modeling has emerged as a viable tool for the design, analysis, and optimization of casting and melting processes /1-2/. It is generally recognized that the usefulness of modeling to study the interplay between the various process parameters without resorting to extensive experimentation relies heavily on accurate representation of the physical phenomena in these systems. In modeling electromagnetic confinement casting and melting systems, it is important that the model address all aspects of electromagnetic field interaction with the metal, if accurate predictions are to be obtained /3/. The electromagnetic field affects the heat transfer phenomena primarily through joule heating. In addition, the electromagnetic forces play a key role in heat redistribution in the molten pool via melt stirring, and, in confinement systems, support the molten metal pool."

Jan 1, 1994

By Nagy El-Kaddah

One of the emerging technologies for the production of ultra-clean metals is electromagnetic filtration. The theory and the mechanism of electromagnetic separation of inclusions from molten metal are briefly reviewed along with basic electromagnetic separation systems. This paper focuses on inclusion removal in the induced current separators, with specific reference to a new separator developed at the University of Alabama. A simple analytical model is presented for the analysis of particle separation in such a system. The role of the applied magnetic field on inclusion removal will be discussed. It is shown that particle velocity increases exponentially with increasing magnetic field strength. At moderate field strengths, the velocity of 50 to 100µ inclusions are an order of magnitude larger than those achieved by buoyancy. The separator developed at the University of Alabama is described together with experimental results of laboratory and large scale experiments on purification of molten aluminum. These results demonstrate ?the capability of the system for producing super-clean metals.

Jan 1, 1996

By P. R. Khangaonkar

The industry of tin ore mining, beneficiation and smelting gives rise to a number of waste products like the beneficiation plant wastes (called amang), tin smelting slags, refinery dross etc. Some of the wastes deserve treatment to obtain economically useful products or to recover the metal values. The paper describes studies conducted on two materials, viz., struverite-middling (struverite-magnetic tin), which is an intermediate product of beneficiation circuits of tin tailings, and tin-smelting slags. The struverite middling was studied for treatment by chlorination using carbon tetrachloride, so as to yield vapour products separable by convenient condensation. The treatment was also found to lead to a tin-rich product amenable for treatment by known hydrometallurgical routes. The tin smelting slag was studied by alkali-leaching so as to avoid any dissolution of iron and it was possible to obtain an iron-free product solution suitable for high purity tin recovery.

Jan 1, 1996

By James W. Evans, Brian R. Wildey

"Carbon has been the principal reducing agent in producing metals for centuries. Carbon is an inexpensive reducing agent, but also an effective one, as any undergraduate who knows her Ellingham diagrams is aware. Even in the production of aluminum, an electrolytic process, carbon consumed at the anodes serves to reduce the voltage of the Hall-Héroult cell. The interest in reducing the amount of anthropogenic CO2 has led to this examination of whether a switch to hydrogen as a major reductant is feasible and economic. The main source of hydrogen is natural gas and its production entails the generation of CO2; however, that CO2 is more easily captured than, say, the CO2 leaving an iron blast furnace. Calculations and speculations lead to conclusions about whether there is significant benefit to be obtained from such a radical change in our way of producing metals and the approximate cost of such change.IntroductionThe 1991 paper by Forrest and Szekely1 was one of the first to examine the impact of CO2 emissions from the primary metals industries on global climate change. These authors compared data from 1968 and 1985 and reported a drop in carbon emissions from 115.8 million tons to 65.6Mt over this period, the latter figure representing approximately 1% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. Much of this reduction was due to a drop in steel output (with carbon emissions increasing within the aluminum and copper industries in this period) but some were due to technological changes such as increased use of continuous casting. A more recent paper on CO2 emissions, focused on the steel industry in Japan, is that of Ariyama and Sato2. These authors report CO2 emissions of 182.4Mt from the Japanese steel, industry in 2003, down from 194.8Mt in 1990. The former represents 14% of the GHG emissions for Japan in 2003. Much of this emission is from ironmaking and the authors break these emissions down into"

Jan 1, 2008

By Yuri Gelfgat

"The report presents the results of theoretical and experimental investigations of the MHD method used for production of composite materials from immiscible melts, e.g., Al-Pb, Zn-Pb, Bi-Ga and others, which, when solidified, can be presumed as ""frozen emulsions""IntroductionThe searching of the methods for controlling the phase distribution in various liquid heterogeneous media is one of urgent tasks in modem material science. The studies [1-3] have revealed that in case of electrically conducting media the influence of electromagnetic body forces on the liquid can be a rather effective mean of such a control. The current paper investigates some physical conformities governing the behaviour of binary liquid metal systems with a immiscibility region under electromagnetic processing designated to produce ingots with homogeneous structure.The main idea of the proposed method rests upon a concept that the electromagnetic forces in the melt are similar to gravity forces due to buoyancy effects in space and have a selective ability to influence the melt components dependent on their conductivity. In crossed electric E and magnetic B fields (fig.I) each component of the medium is influence by the force density f = jXB, where the current density j is determined by the conductivity a of the component j = -oE. When this force is directed parallel or non-parallel to the gravity vector, the buoyancy of suspended particles can be controlled accordingly.This phenomenon allows one to create a situation in binary system, when the sums of all mass forces (gravity and electromagnetic) affecting every component are equal, and two components are under conditions of equilibrium with respect to each other. These conditions are called quasiweightlessness, which is generated in the melt by the electromagnetic forces."

Jan 1, 1998

By Hong Peng, James Vaughan

Thermal activation of bauxite has been proposed to enable bauxite dissolution at a reduced digestion temperature and also to reduce the organic content in the liquor. Research has been carried out on phase transformation of its main hydroxide components (gibbsite, boehmite and kaolinite) during calcination. However, there is limited information available on phase bauxite phase transformation during thermal activation. In this study, two bauxite ore samples were heated from 25 to 700 °C at a rate of 50 °C/min while monitoring the phase transformation using Rigaku in situ XRD. Different phase transformation pathways for gibbsite in the bauxite compared with pure gibbsite was observed. Boehmite and kaolinite in bauxite behaved similarly to their pure phases. The temperature of phase transformation depends to some extent on the bauxite sample. Samples were also characterised by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to reveal changes in the microstructure.

Mar 1, 2018

By Z. Smieszek, J. Botor, Z. Miczkowski, S. Sobierajski

"From 1978, the direct process for the smelting of chalcocite concentrates in a flash furnace by the Outokumpu method has been applied at the Glogów II copper smelter. The chemical composition of these concentrates make it necessary to control the process very strictly. In this paper, the method for controlling and measuring the main technological parameters of the copper production by flash smelting is being presented. It includes the determination of the chemical composition of the concentrate, its grain structure, the temperature of liquid products of the process, oxygen content in process gases, as well as lead concentration in copper and copper concentration in slag.The main process parameters are determined from the mass and energy balances. The relations between parameters, such as an effect of grain structure of a concentrate on oxygen and oil consumption, and dependence of chemical composition of a concentrate on capacity and products quality are discussed. 1. IntroductionThe Polish copper concentrates, as most concentrates occurring worldwide, contain from 18% to 30% Cu, and less sulphur (7-11%) and iron (2-5%). The main copper-bearing mineral contained in the concentrates is chalcocite, while bornite and chalcopyrite are present in smaller quantities. Moreover, the organic carbon (5-7.5%), arsenic (0.05-0.3%) and lead (1.2-3.0%) are also contained in the concentrates. The gangue consists mainly of silica, aluminosilicates, calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate. Their proportions make the addition of slag-forming agents unnecessary.The composition of Polish concentrates, especially their low iron content, allows their application in the direct flash smelting process for blister copper production. Low sulphur content is the factor which determines the necessity of oxygen application in this process."

Jan 1, 1989

By L. Diaz, J. Serp, L. Massot, P. Chamelot, M. Gibilaro

The discovery of NdFeB permanent magnets helps to perform technologies with reduced weight and gives them access to miniaturization. The industrial process of production of the Nd-Fe alloy by electrolysis used to manufacture NdFeB magnets consists in reducing Nd3+ ions dissolved in molten fluoride salts. The electrochemical behavior of neodymium is studied in LiCl-KCl and LiCl molten salt systems, examining reduction mechanisms, potential deposition, and faradaic yields.

Mar 1, 2017

By Ting Liu, Qian Li, Peng Deng

The wastewater containing Hg2+ and Pb2+ does great harm to the environment and human bodies. Traditional wastewater treatment cannot fundamentally put a stop to heavy metals pollution for producing secondary pollution. In this paper, Hg2+ and Pb2+ in wastewater were removed and recovered by sulfide precipitation- flotation. Sodium sulfide was used as precipitant and butyl ammonium aerofloat was used as collector. Results indicated that Hg2+ and Pb2+ could be reduce to less than 0.03mg/L and 0.16mg/L respectively by both coprecipitation- floatation and fractional precipitation- floatation. In these two methods, fractional precipitation flotation could not only remove Hg2+ and Pb2+ from wastewater, but also could recover mercury and lead effectively. The infrared spectrograms showed that the adsorption between butyl ammonium aerofloat and mercury precipitate or lead precipitate is chemisorption.

Jan 1, 2015

By Yapeng Zhang, Zhiwen Shi, Chaoquan Yao, Fei Wang, Xinyu Li, Jianliang Zhang

A great deal of iron ores which have special elements have been applied in the sintering process with the decreasing of high-grade quality iron ores resources. In this paper, the laterite nickel ores were added into three different kinds of iron ores respectively to make liquid phase formation research by software of Factsage and high temperature characteristic sintering experiments. The results showed that the adding proportion of laterite nickel ores should be less than 15% when the high temperature properties of the mixing ores were well. Increasing the mixing ration of laterite nickel ores in the sintering blending would play an important role in the reduction of the sintering cost.

Jan 1, 2015

By Shengli Wu, Juan Zhu, Wei Huang, Xinliang Liu, Kaiping Du, Kaifa Zhang

Based on the furnace burden of high content of Al2O3, the process of softening and melting and the characteristic of primary slag were studied with the increase of MgO content in the sinter and adding some MgO into the pellet. The results showed that the content of MgO in the primary slag increased with the increase of MgO in the sinter and pellet. Meanwhile, the permeability of the furnace burden was improved because of low viscosity of high MgO primary slag. Compared with the increase of MgO content in the sinter, the increase of MgO content in the pellet can improved the softening and melting characteristic of the comprehensive furnace burden more effectively. More Mg-bearing pellet should be chosen in the comprehensive furnace burden for the purpose of improvement the fluidity of primary slag and the permeability of the furnace burden in the burden of high Al2O3 content.

Jan 1, 2015

By Steve Lloyd, Ryan J. Foy, Brandon Steinborn, Jerome P. Downey

Research was performed to evaluate copper and silver extraction from samples of bornite flotation concentrate. Sulfation roasting experiments were performed in a rotary tube furnace, a fluidized bed reactor, and a static bed muffle furnace. Roasting was plagued with rapid, lowtemperature calcine sintering, apparently related to the presence of organic matter in the concentrate. Calcine entered a weak acid leaching process to remove copper, and silver was extracted from the weak acid leach residue in a ferric chloride and hydrochloric acid solution. Copper extraction efficiencies in excess of 90% were attained in the weak acid leach while 90% silver extraction was achieved in the ferric chloride leach, along with copper and lead extractions as high as 93% and 99% respectively. The two-stage leaching process resulted in overall extraction efficiencies of 99% copper and 90% silver.

Jan 1, 2015

By Onuralp Yucel, Ahmet Turan, Murat Alkan, Hasan Ozer

SHS (Self-propagating High-temperature Synthesis) is one of the important methods to synthesize B4C powders. The process contains the reaction of boron oxide powders (B2O3) with magnesium reducing agent and carbon black carburizer. SHS products are leached in HCl media to purify synthesized B4C powders in the following step. In the present study, effects of various functional additives (KClO3, KHSO4, MgSO4.7H2O, NaCl, MgO and Na2SO4) in the SHS stage were carried out. Various proportions of the additives were mixed with the initial SHS charge mixtures. Two different molar ratios were employed in the initial SHS mixtures as 1:3:0.8 B2O3:Mg:C and 1:2.5:0.8 B2O3:Mg:C. After the SHS step, HCl leaching process was applied to the SHS products. Filter cakes were dried and characterized by using X-Ray Diffraction Spectroscopy, BET and chemical analysis techniques.

Jan 1, 2015

By Paul L. Wichlacz

A mathematical model of growth and ferrous iron oxidation for attached bacteria was applied to rotating biological contactor (RBC) units treating acidic mine drainage. The model describes attached bacterial growth as a saturation function, where the rate of substrate utilization is determined by a maximum substrate oxidation rate constant, a half saturation constant, and the concentration of substrate within the RBC. The maximum oxidation rate constant was proportional to flow rate and the substrate concentration in the reactor varied with influent substrate concentration. The model was tested at three separate sites and with three different size RBC units. The ability of the model to predict the rate of iron oxidation under all test conditions was significant. The accuracy of the model was found to be affected by unit size and vary with specific test site.

Jan 1, 1985

By Tim B. Vander Wood

Standard methods of determining clay mineral powder aspect ratios involve manual scanning electron microscopy analyses of shadowed particles in order to measure both platelet thickness and diameter. We present a method whereby the diameters of platelets are quickly determined by automated scanning electron microscopy and their images are recorded and digitally transferred to a transmission electron microscope equipped for parallel electron energy loss spectroscopy. Thickness' of platelets whose diameters are known from the previous analyses are determined by measurement of the ratio of scattered and unscattered electrons in the beam after it has been transmitted through the platelet.

Jan 1, 1995

By Gong-yi Guo, Yu-li Chen

"A partially-stabilized zirconia powder was prepared by metalorganic precipitation process from technical-grade zirconium oxychloride and the effluent of an acrylic acid plant. The effluent contained low molecular weight carboxylic acids, i. e., acrylic acid and acetic acid. The· developed process is based on the selective precipitation of acrylic acid at suitable pH values by the addition of zirconium oxychloride to the effluent. The resulting precipitate is a precursor that can yield a pure, ultrafine, and partially-stabilized zirconia powder. The evolution of formation of the partially-stabilized zirconia in the present process was investigated using thermal analysis, infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction technique. Environmental, technological and cost advantages will make the present process feasible for manufacturing advanced zirconia ceramics.IntroductionIn recent years the superior mechanical, thermal, electrical and chemical properties of stabilized zirconia have become the focus of growing scientific and technological interest, and hence resulted in various structural and functional applications. The great potential of the material has given rise to numerous preparation approaches to obtain the material with the excellent properties; nevertheless, an extensive number of programmes are underway worldwide aimed at understanding and improving both the preparation and behavior of stabilized zirconia ultrafine powders. (1 – 8)."

Jan 1, 2000

By Deming Wang, R. A. Overfelt

"The oscillating cup viscometer has become a dominant technique to measure the viscosities of high temperature molten metals. Unfortunately, the viscosity estimation model from the observed logarithmic decrement and period of the oscillation is very complicated. There are still large discrepancies of viscosity estimation values between using different measurement facilities and using different viscosity estimation models for a same molten metal. The purpose of the paper is to evaluate the accuracy of an oscillating cup viscometer in Auburn University. Two well known viscosity estimation models, Roscoe's and Torklep's equations, are compared and discussed. The theoretical literature for the fluid flow inside an oscillating cup is reviewed and a more accurate working equation for the Auburn oscillating cup viscometer is developed. Some design parameters of the oscillating cup viscometer, which directly affect the accuracy of viscosity estimation by using the working equation, are discussed. In addition, applications and experimental measuring data are presented in the paper for several different commercial alloys, such as aluminum alloys: A319, A356 and A201, nickel-base super alloys: In713 and In718, and casting irons, C40 Gray Iron and Ductile Iron.1 IntroductionThe oscillating cup viscometer is the most important and has been most frequently used in viscosity measurement for high temperature liquids [1-4]. The principal advantages of this technique over others are its mechanical simplicity and the ability to measure the time period and amplitude decay with great precision. In the viscometer, a high temperature liquid (such as a molten metal) is contained within a crucible suspended by a wire to form a torsional pendulum, which induces torsional oscillation motion. This motion is damped primarily by viscous dissipation within the viscous liquid inside the cup. The viscosity of the liquid can be calculated by an analytical or numerical solution ofthe equations of motion of the oscillating cup system."

Jan 1, 2001

By Terry Gerritsen

Electrode control systems regulate power by physically positioning electrodes. Due to the size and weight of the electrodes, this is a slow process where power fluctuations of less than a few seconds are not fully corrected. Nickel laterite AC furnaces operating in high voltage, shielded arc mode typically incur frequent power variations of approximately +I- 20% around the power set point. To provide enhanced power control, Hatch has recently supplied, at commercial scale, a thyristor-switched reactance system called an SPLC. The SPLC incorporates predictive control software to operate furnaces at the maximum transformer rating by reducing the large power swings experienced without the SPLC. The resulting higher average power enables higher production, without increasing transformer or power plant capacity. A 60 MW production version of the SPLC has been commissioned on Falconbridge Dominicans's laterite nickel furnace, yielding excellent results with a 3 to I reduction in power fluctuations. Keywords: SPLC, AC Power Supply, Electric Furnace

Jan 1, 2004

By Cheryl S. Lim

New technologies such as direct reduction and smelting reduction processes are increasingly being used in iron-making and steel-making in addition to conventional blast furnace technology. Critical parameters for control of these processes include the degree of metallization, degree of pre-reduction, and carbon and silica levels. On-line monitoring of these parameters is difficult because measurements often need to be made on hot ores (at or higher than -1000'C) in circumstances where representative sample streams are not readily accessible. A nuclear analyser has been developed which provides continuous, non¬intrusive, real-time measurements of iron, oxygen, carbon and silicon levels in hot ores undergoing reduction. The analyser has been tested in a plant using a direct smelting process on pre-reduced feed to the smelting vessel-, accuracies of 1% relative, 0.5 w'.96 (25% relative) and 1.0 wt.% (9% relative) were obtained for the degree of pre-reduction, carbon and silica respectively. The underlying method, capabilities and potential applications of the analyser will be discussed.

Jan 1, 2001