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By Markku Rytkonen, Shaolong Chen, Ilpo Kylmäkorpi, Hannu Mansikkaviita

Though the Peirce Smith (P-S) converter is a traditional type of furnace, continuous improvement in its mechanical and electrical design is still Kumera's approach. Efforts are made particularly on the following aspects: converter head shape for easy fabrication and structural strengthening, oxidation air swivel joint for low pressure drop and low noise level, wind box for even air distribution to tuyeres, drive unit and its control for reliable and handy operation. These improvements have successfully been applied in recent P-S converter deliveries.

Jan 1, 2009

By Kathryn A. Mrotek

The textural growth patterns of nodules from two areas in the North Pacific and the South Pacific are characterized by mottled, columnar and compact-type zones. Amorphous material (mainly iron and manganese hydrox-ides) is a botryoidal-forming phase in the mottled and columnar zones. Crystalline material (platy crystals of birnessite and crystallites of todo-rokite) is found primarily in the mottled zones on botryoidal structures or as long-protruding structures growing onto that portion of the nodule in contact with the underlying sediments. The long-protruding mottled zones contain little or no biogenic debris, suggesting that these zones grew un-interruptedly within the underlying sediments. The coalition of spheroidal knobs comprising some of the nodules also suggests a relatively long residing time within the sediments. It appears that crystalline material (the usual host to associated valuable metals) forms in a quiet environment and as a result of direct nodule association with the underlying sediments.

Jan 1, 1982

By L. A. André Santos

Atmospheric processing of nickel lateritic ores with low costs has been encouraged. In this work the kinetic of atmospheric acid leaching of a northern- Brazilian ore with 1.63% Ni and large amount of fine particles (d50 ≈ 0.075 mm and 40% below 0.038 mm) is presented. Chemical analysis showed a trend of Ni and Fe concentration in finer fraction (−0.075 mm) and Si and Mg in the coarsest one (−0.500 + 0.150 mm) associated to distinct mineral phases. Nickel is widespread in the mineral matrix. Distinct behaviors were observed as a function of particle size associated to the distribution of silicates and iron oxides in the ore. The kinetic modeling indicated that leaching is controlled by porous layer diffusion at 65 °C, but at 95 °C exhibits a mixed control by porous layer diffusion in initial minutes (60 min) and by chemical reaction or diffusion through the pore layer in final minutes (60–240 min) depends on metal evaluated.

By H. C. Roland Kammel

Stannous sulfate electrolytes are widely used nowadays in electrolytic tin production. Characteristic features of this electrolysis process are that dense cathode deposits can only be obtained by additions of organic additives and that so called ?black mud is formed on the anode surface which leads to an increase in cell-voltage. In order to prevent excessive cell-voltages or oxygen evolution the black mud has to be removed periodically. Studies in laboratory scale have been performed about the effect of different organic additives on electrolytic tin deposition and the formation of surface layers on pure and industrial tin anodes. Results reveal that organic addition agents are effective in reducing cathode roughening as well as extending the covering time of the anode ?by black muds.

Jan 1, 1985

By Bingguo Liu, Daifu Huang, Jinhui Peng

"The conditions to prepare U3O8 by calcination from ammonium diuranate were optimized, and the response surface design method was applied to analyze the influence on the total uranium and U+4 of calcination temperature, calcination time and mass of sample. A quadratic equation model for the total uranium and U+4 of U3O8 was built and the effects of main factors and their corresponding relationships were obtained. The analysis of variance shows that calcination temperature and calcination time significantly affected the value of total uranium and U+4 of U3O8. The optimal calcination conditions were as follows: calcination temperature 931.83 K, calcination time 24.32 min and 43.89 g. Under these conditions the value of total uranium and U+4 of U3O8 was 84.78% and 28.02%, respectively. The validity of the model was confirmed experimentally and the results were satisfactory.IntroductionNuclear energy is clean, effective, and a sustainable from of energy. It plays an important role in overcoming the impending global energy crisis, and in reducing energy vulnerability. In addition, nuclear energy is a possible cheaper and cleaner source of energy compared to fossil fuels, with no not really, mining of uranium produces CO2 contribution to green house gases [1]. Uranium dioxide, one of the most important fuel pellets used as nuclear fuel in light water reactors, is manufactured by calcining ammonium diuranate to triuranium octaoxide, followed by its reduction to uranium dioxide using cracked ammonia at 700°C [2]. Earlier attempts to optimize the important calcination process through several common techniques have not yielded desirable results [3]. These techniques either rely on the classical one parameter at a time approach that ignores the combined interactions between physicochemical parameters, or are theoretical in nature. Furthermore, these techniques also require large number of experimental data to be generated [4]. In order to produce triuranium octaoxide in an optimized manner, which considers the interaction of different process parameters [5], there is a need to adopt a multivariate statistical technique."

Jan 1, 2011

By R. Elliott, H. Bayati

"Effect of time and temperature on microstructure and mechanical properties of an austempered ductile iron, ADI, of composition 3.6%C, 2.6%Si, 0.4%Cu, 0.2%Mn are reported. Xray analysis and. microstructural observations indicate that lowering the working temperature, aging temperature, increases the lifetime of ADI significantly. Results show· that lowering the aging temperature increases the strength and reduces the ductility of ADI. DSC traces for ADI austempered at 340°C are presented. Comparison of the DSC analysis and kinetic measurements demonstrates that the DSC traces can be· used to predict the life time of ADI successfully.IntroductionAustempered ductile iron, ADI, is one of the most significant developments in cast iron technology over the past two decades. Outstanding properties of high yield, ultimate strength, ductility, fatigue and wear· resistance make ADI suitable for a range of applications including gears, connecting rods, crankshafts and agriculture machine components. The austempering reaction in cast iron occurs in two stages, Fig. I, in contrast to the single stage reaction in steel. In stage I the relatively low carbon austenite produced during austenitising transforms into ferritic plates and high carbon austenite, a metastable structure called·ausferrite. The high carbon ailstenite and supersaturated ferrite produced in stage I decompose into ferrite and carbide in stage II: to form a structure similar to the bainitic structure in steel. This behaviour exposes a well-defined processing window, t1 - t2, over which the maximum amount of ausferrite is produced, Figure 1. Whereas the bainitic structure determines the properties of austempered steel, ADI properties are mainly affected by volume fraction of retained austenite (VRA), austenite carbon content (ACC), unreacted or martensite volume fraction (UA V), compositiori and amount of carbides, and morphology of ferritic plates[l,2]. Due to the detrimental .effect of martensite and carbides on properties of ADI, an ideal structure of ADI consists only of ausferrite [l,2]. Thus, it is common to determine the processing window for each austempering treatment in order to identify the optimized austempering time. Decomposition of austenite (stage II) signals the end of the life time for an ADI component, therefore, the aging behaviour of ADI at different working conditions can be studied by determining the t2."

Jan 1, 2000

By Ulrich Kerney

In 1996, bath smelting technology for lead recovery from concentrates and secondary materials was introduced in Nordenham to replace the common sinter plant/shaft furnace operation. Since start-up, a continuous improvement of equipment and operation lead to a steady increase of capacity and plant availability. The decision to skip the reduction stage for slag treatment now allows the treatment of 200000 t/a feed materials with a secondary fraction of up to 70 %. The main feed source for the furnace is automotive battery recycling, which offers oxide paste and metallics to be molten under oxidizing conditions in the lance fired furnace. The lead bullion is transferred to the refinery, where copper, silver and other impurities are removed. Silver is recovered as doré quality. All loopings are recycled to the BSF. Inert feed material is collected in a so-called lead concentrate of metallurgical origin, the primary slag, which is sold. It is rather a valuable feed material for further processing than a slag The off-gas is cooled in a flux-flow system, entering then an electrostatic dust precipitator. Having passed a further washing and cooling system, SO2 is oxidized and collected and sold as concentrated sulphuric acid. The presentation will cover a review of the start-up phase, the development of significant production parameters over the last years and actual production routes and figures. A comparison of environmental data between new and old applied technology is made.

Jan 1, 2006

By Wei Luo, Yuanbo Zhang, Zhixiong You, Zijian Su, Guanghui Li, Tao Jiang

"In this study, the appropriate sintering process parameters for low-grade ferromanganese ores were investigated. The results showed that, under the condition of natural basicity (R=0.03), the optimal parameters were obtained as follows: moisture of mixture 9 .1 %, coke powder 9 .9% and sintering negative pressure 7 KPa. And the corresponding yield, ISO tumbling index and utilization coefficient reached at 80.18%, 61.27% and 1.515t·m-2·h-1, respectively. Under the optimal parameters, the emission of harmful gases, such as S02 and NOx, were reduced evidently with 30% of coke powder replaced by biomass charcoal. Moreover, it was found that the basicity had obvious effects on the quality of the sinters when it changed between 0.03 and 2.4. The ISO tumbling index gradually decreased from 61.27% to 55.47% with the basicity increasing from 0.03 to 1.2, then, it began to increase after the basicity further increased to 2.4.IntroductionManganese is mainly consumed by steel and battery industries, particularly in the steel plants and ferroalloy units. The consumption of metal manganese in the ferroalloy industry accounts for 85%-90% of the total Mn [1-2]. Therefore, ensuring sufficient manganese alloys is essential to meet the rapid development of steel industry. Recently, rich-manganese slag containing high grade Mn (>40%), low Fe (1%) and P (<0.03%) is considered as superior raw materials for manganese alloys. While the sinters made from manganese ores are major raw materials for producing rich-manganese slag with the increasing exhaustion of natural rich manganese lump ores [3-5]."

Jan 1, 2013

By S. Suda

Hydrogen storage materials have been investigated for more than 30 years, particularly on metal hydrides. These materials are, however, considered today impractical because of their poor hydrogen capacity measured by mass density and their poor surface properties and characteristics against impurities. Recent R&D activities have been located in new categories of materials such as complex hydrides and chemical hydrides. Among these materials, NaAlH4 (one of alanates), Li-based complex hydride, and NaBH4 (SBH: sodium borohydride) are 3 major candidates as hydrogen storage materials. In the presentation, SBH as a non-reversible on-site but recyclable off-site is described in view of its practical availability as the source of H- (protide) applied for a new type of fuel cell named Direct Borohydride Fuel Cell (DBFC) and H2 (hydrogen) for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC).

Jan 1, 2006

By Mark H. Hashiguchi

Examination of tensile bar surfaces shortly after destructive testing was conducted to search for clues that would aid in optimization of mechanical properties, especially tensile strength, yield strength and elongation to fracture. Cu-Ni-Si-Cr alloy bars in the as-cast, forged, rolled and extruded conditions were examined. Low ductility bars (<4% Elongation) showed dramatically different features than the fracture surfaces of high strength - high ductility bars (7 to 10% Elongation). Analysis of the fracture surfaces at 15X to 2000X and use of Energy-Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDS) identified Ni-Si and Ni-Si-Cr precipitates of varying sizes and morphologies. Thermo-mechanical processing techniques to control the size and distribution of these precipitates show promise in improving the properties and performance of this alloy system and appear to correlate with improvements in the fracture surface morphology.

Jan 1, 2008

By Deventer Johanna van

Ore bodies around the world are declining in grade, whilst increasing in complexity. The level of impurities relative to the valuable metal is steadily increasing, posing new challenges to existing operations. Ion exchange is widely used in the hydrometallurgical industry for both primary recovery of metals and the removal of impurities. The superior selectivity of ion exchange resins makes them exceptionally suitable for the removal of target impurities to very low levels, thereby saving operating costs, increasing the value of the final product and significantly improving revenue. The ion exchange process in these applications is very simple, using standard ion exchange equipment and acid regeneration. The process can be fully automated, requiring minimal operator interference and supervision Examples of impurities that are successfully removed via ion exchange include iron, antimony and bismuth from copper electrolyte. In the copper electrolysis process, antimony, bismuth and arsenic tend to form slimes which are dispersed in the electrolyte. These slimes contaminate the cathode and/or decrease the quality of the copper deposition. A special chelating resin was developed to remove antimony and bismuth, while at the same time ensuring minimal chloride leakage to the sulphate matrix. The work is described in more detail in this paper. Ion exchange is also used to remove copper, zinc and nickel from cobalt electrolyte. This paper addresses a few of these examples in more detail.

By Xiaodi Huang, Matthew Andriese, Zheng Zhang, Jiann-Yang Hwang, Zhiwei Peng

"A simplified finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) algorithm for modeling microwave propagation in magnetic dielectric materials was developed and employed to study the microwave dissipation in magnetite. Heat transfer during microwave heating of magnetite was subsequently investigated by solving heat transfer differential equation using explicit finite-difference (EFD) method. It is observed that temperature of magnetite surface increases rapidly in the first minute due to the rapid strength decays in both electric and magnetic fields within a short distance along the path of microwave dissipation. A temperature peak, initially formed at the surface of the sample slab, migrates inward as heating time extends and microwave power increases.IntroductionAs one of primary materials in iron and steel industry, magnetite exhibits excellent microwave absorption capability, which leads to great energy conservation in microwave assisted steelmaking [1,2]. The fast temperature increase in microwave heating of magnetite can be attributed to both dielectric and magnetic losses [2]. Although much experimental work has confirmed this observation, detailed computational studies for modeling of microwave field dissipation in magnetite at commonly used frequencies, such as 915 MHz, has not been well addressed [1,3].Finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method is widely used in computational electrodynamics modeling to simulate the dynamics of electromagnetic wave scattering from various media [4,5]. This approach requires modeling algorithm to be formulated with integration of specific characteristics of each medium. An extensive literature survey indicates that current formulations are only suitable for modeling electromagnetic waves propagating in normal dielectric lossy materials [5,6]. Since magnetite is a magnetic dielectric material in which both dielectric and magnetic properties contribute to the heating process under microwave irradiation, a specific algorithm should be developed for the simulation."

Jan 1, 2012

By Supachai Surapunt

The distribution behavior of V A minor elements (As, Sb and Bi) in the smelting stage of the Mitsubishi process were evaluated thermodynamically based on thermodynamic data and operating data. The fractional distributions between the gas, slag and matte phases considered as the degree of vapor saturation of 1.0 are as follows: 53.8, 27.2 and 19% for As, 23.6, 56.6 and 19.8% for Sb, and 91.3, 1.1 and 7.6% for Bi, respectively. Arsenic is mostly distributed to the gas and slag phases. It is effectively eliminated by volatilizing and slagging. Antimony is mainly in the slag phase, which is suitably removed by slagging. Bismuth is easily vaporized to gas phase. The degree of vapor saturation has a large effeet on the distribution behaviors of the three elements between the three phases. The amount of a minor element in the charge has an effect on the distribution of As but no effect on the distributions of Sb and Bi. Increasing matte grade and temperature results in the change of distributions for As and Sb, significantly. The change in the distribution ratio between slag and matte phases also considerably affects the distributions of As and Sb. The distribution behavior of Bi is not significantly changed by the change in matte grade, temperature and distribution ratio.

Jan 1, 2003

By N. M. S. Balbinot, A. L. Rodríguez, C. M. Mahlmann, R. de C. de S. Schneider

The use of sunflower oil co-products it was studied for production thermoplastic composites. Thermoplastic composites have been processed in polyethylene matrices of virgin linear low density polyethylene (LLDP) or recycled. Samples have been formulated with 10% mass fraction of sunflower bran, seed coat and mixture of bran and seed coat. The material characterization has been achieved by mechanical tensile test and Shore D hardness and by density physical testing. The results have demonstrated better properties to thermoplastic composites with sunflower seed coat.

Jan 1, 2008

By Toshiyuki Kozuka

CdTe metal composite semi-conducting material has high potential in good performance of energy conversion efficiency for solar cell and there is much room for improvement of the performance by developing a process of making a thin CdTe film. In this paper, the imposition of intense magnetic field on CdTe electro-depositing surface is proposed, which is one of the possibilities for improving the energy conversion efficiency. In the experiment, cryogen-free super-conducting magnet up to 5T was used and CdTe film was deposited electrically in -o.nv vs. SHE The electrolyte was Cd and Te ammonia alkali solution with controlled temperature in the acrylic cell of 70mm diameter. Electro-deposition behavior of CdTe has affected by the imposition of the intense magnetic field due to microscopic convection in the vicinity of the depositing surface. Electro-deposited surface of CdTe becomes smooth due to microscopic convection around the surface, and the crystallization behavior is also affected, where crystallization temperature and the grain size is changed by the imposition of intense magnetic field.

Jan 1, 2003

By Xiaoyan Xiang, Wenqiang Yang, Wentang Xia

Magnesium aluminate spinel is widely used in the metallurgical industry as refractory material, however, natural magnesium aluminate spinel is rare and most of the magnesium aluminate spinel is synthetic. The traditional synthesis of magnesium aluminate spinel often needs high temperature, which leads to more energyconsumption. In this article, solid phase sintering process was employed to synthesize magnesium aluminate spinel, in which, magnesium and aluminum oxide were used as raw materials and magnesium and aluminum powder were used as composite additives. The mass ratio of magnesium and aluminum on the effect of synthesis of magnesium aluminate spinel and the characteristic of the synthesis at different temperature and time was discussed. Experiment found that the synthesis temperature was observably lowered when the addition of magnesium and aluminum was 2.0% and 1.0% respectively.

Jan 1, 2016

By Xun An

Slag from an electric slag cleaning furnace was injected with methane and air mixtures to facilitate the recovery of copper and cobalt. The effects of methane-to-air ratio, gas flow rate and temperature on the reduction and metal separation were investigated. The results showed that over 90 percent copper and up to 60 percent cobalt could be recovered from the slag with a gas utilisation of around 70 percent, as calculated by thermodynamic simulation. Methane-to- air ratio was a major factor affecting the rate of reduction under the present experimental conditions. Further, injection of gaseous reductants greatly enhanced the coalescence and settling of entrained metal droplets. A reduction mechanism is proposed and the factors influencing the coalescence of copper droplets are discussed.

Jan 1, 1998

By Guo Xian Jian

In this paper, the gas composition calculations on the FeS-H20 system at elevated temperature were performed. The results show that the gas constituents are H20, S02, H2S, Sj, H2, and O2 and the order of the compositions partial pressure is PH2o> PH2 >PSO2 >PSj >PH2S >PO2 when FeS is oxidized into Fe304 and FeO by steam in the temperature of 700°C -960°C, the Claus process occurs with the decrease of gas temperature in the off-gas and the S02 and H2S in the gas are transformed into Sj , the critical temperature for the transformation is 600°C, and conversion percent of Sj is 97% at 330°C,

Jan 1, 1996

By Xiaojie Gao, Jingshe Li, Chengsong Liu, Haiyan Tang

In order to clarify the reaction between MnO-SiO2 oxides with low FeO content and Fe-Mn-Si alloy, two diffusion couples were produced by the new method using confocal scanning laser microscopy (CSLM). The interface of the alloy and oxide, content of Mn and Si in the alloy near the interface, size distribution and composition of the particles which precipitated in the alloy were observed and analyzed using the electron probe microanalysis (EPMA). Results show that though the FeO content in the oxides decrease to 1% which is lower than the equilibrium with the molten steel at 1873K, the diffusion of oxygen from oxide to alloy still exists during the heat treatment at 1473K and causes shorter Particle Precipitated Zone (PPZ) and Manganese Depleted Zone (MDZ) normally for the reduction of diffusion flux of oxygen.

Jan 1, 2015

By T. Plikas, L. H. Gunnewiek, L. Oshinowo

"Electric furnace smelting is one of the principal unit operations for ferroalloy production, and increased process intensity, improved availability, minimal maintenance and a longer campaign life are common objectives for electric furnace operation in order to obtain favourable economics of production. Furnace designers have continued to develop innovative solutions, e.g., furnace cooling systems, that have allowed these objectives to be realised and CFD modelling plays a key role in the design process. Enhanced understanding of the energy transfer process in the furnace and the ability to develop, evaluate and optimize components of the crucible design to match process requirements are the key motivators for modelling.This paper provides an overview of recent applications of CFD to the design of electric furnaces. The aim is to illustrate what can be done, and identify areas where further work is needed in this field. Examples include furnace bath simulation, crucible cooling system design, taphole design, baking of Soderberg electrodes, off-gas systems, and fume control and building ventilation. It is argued that the trend is for numerical models to become more encompassing while at the same time more accessible, and therefore further improvements in furnace design will be realised with continued and well validated modelling efforts.IntroductionOne of the main processing steps in ferroalloy production is the smelting of ore in electric furnaces. The three-electrode, AC submerged arc furnace is most prevalent method for smelting in the industry, with shielded-arc and DC plasma arc furnaces achieving limited application (1,2). Commercial furnaces range in size from a few megawatts to more than eighty megawatts of supplied power, and operate with the objective of maximising the return on capital invested. Maximising productivity and energy efficiency are two pathways to achieving this objective, through process intensification, increased availability, minimal maintenance, and increased campaign life for the furnace and associated equipment. Concurrently, the need to reduce the environmental impact of metal production by controlling the emission of particulate emissions, greenhouse gases, and other harmful by-products must also be met."

Jan 1, 2004