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By Satoshi Itoh

Phase equilibria and activities of the components in the liquid lead-antimony-oxygen ternary system, which is of fundamental importance for discussing the' recovery of lead and antimony from a used lead-battery, have been investigated at 1173 and 1223 K. The two liquid phases of metal and oxide were observed at the temperatures studied, and the tie lines indicating isoactivities were determined. The activities of PbO, SbO1.5 and Sb2O3) in the PbO-SbO1.5 and PbO-Sb2O3 pseudo-binary systems were then obtained by applying the Gibbs-Duhem equation to the phase relation of metal-oxide equilibrium. Both in the pseudo-binary systems the activities exhibit negative deviations from Raoult's law. The vapor pressures of lead, antimony and lead oxide, antimony oxide were calculated by using the activities of the components in the lead-antimony-oxygen ternary system. As a result, an oxidation of antimony concentrated in an anode slime followed by evaporation as antimony oxide Sb406 was found to be considerably effective for the recovery of lead and antimony from a used lead-battery.

Jan 1, 2003

By Fumitaka Tsukihashi

Phase diagrams of the CaO-SiO2-FeOx-MgO, Al2O3 systems arc necessary for the analysis of copper smelting reactions and sintering process of iron ore. The effect of MgO and Al2O3 addition on the liquidus of the phase diagram of the CaO-SiO2-FeOx system at low oxygen partial pressure was observed. The liquid phase area changed bi the addition of MgO and Al2O3 with a changing oxygen partial pressure from 10-8 to 10-3 atm (10-3 to 10 2 Pal at 1573K. The effect of Fe3+ / Fe2+ ratio on the melting mechanism is discussed.

Jan 1, 2003

By R. L. Nyirenda

An investigation of the reducibility of a cassiterite concentrate with charcoal was made in the temperature range of 1123-1373 K. The course of the reaction was monitored by a combination of sample weight loss measurements, product gas analysis, and chemical analysis of the reaction product. It was found that the cassiterite could be best reduced by a combination? of high temperature, reasonably high charcoal proportions, high charge poroslty, and the addition of a small percentage of lime. Analysis of kinetic data obtained from isothermal experiments using theory from the oxidation of carbon by carbon dioxide gave an activation energy value of 255 lci/mole for the consumption of carbon by reaction with cassiterite.

Jan 1, 1990

By William E. Frazier

The presence of minute amounts of sulfur (10ppm) in nickel-base superalloys has been associated with reduced oxidation resistance and the premature spallation of protective coatings. Removal of sulfur by annealing these alloys in a hydrogen atmosphere has been successfully attempted by several researchers. This paper examines the fundamental thermodynamics and kinetics governing hydrogen desulfurization of elemental nickel. Limiting conditions for successful desulfurization are delineated. Assuming that the diffusion of sulfur is the rate limiting process of desulfurization, the effectiveness as well as time associated with hydrogen desulfurization is explored.

Jan 1, 1994

By Anand Kumar, Pradeep kumar Jha, Suman Kant, Pradeep Kumar

"It has been a major challenge to reduce the intermixed grade formation during ladle change-over operation in continuous casting process of tundish steelmaking. The F-curve generated by step input of the tracer (new grade steel) tells about the intermixed grade amount for different grade specifications. Use of flow modifiers is beneficial in reducing the intermixed grade because of the change in slope (in different time zones) and position of the F-curve due to their placement at tundish bottom. Present study aims at investigating the role of dam placed before the outlet in a multi-strand tundish with reference to the slope behavior of F-curve in different time zones during the teeming operation plays an important role in determining the intermixed amount.Introduction In Continuous casting process, the old grade steel remaining in the tundish (reservoir between ladle and mould) from the old ladle gets mixed with new grade steel from new ladle and leads to intermixed grade which is considered to be of inferior quality. Although formation of intermixed grade is inevitable with the sequential method of casting, its amount can be controlled by changing the flow behavior of steel inside the steel. Intermixing in a slab caster tundish was simulated using 3-D numerical model based on k-å turbulence equation and compared their result with that of water model experiment Yeh and Hwang [1]. Huang and Thomas [2] reported that quantity of residual fluid in tundish affects the composition distribution in the transitional slab and thus the intermixed length. Huang and Thomas [3] developed three sub models to predict mixing in tundish, liquid core of strand and solidification. Thomas [4] developed a one dimensional model to simulate the final composition distributions in slab caster of continuous casting and investigated the effect of process variables on the intermixing. Alizadeh mehdi et al., [5] simulated of the intermixing phenomenon for slab casting for three different sub models. Goldschmidt et al. [6] developed a numerical model that predicted the location of the intermixed steel in a four line round caster. Lan and Khodadadi [7] studied for the transient fluid flow of liquid steel, heat transfer and solidification during the flying tundish change process. Cho and Kim [8] developed a mixing model to predict the outlet concentration of the tundish during grade transition. Most of the work reported in the literature has dealt with intermixing in slab caster tundish. Billet caster units are more often being used by steel industries due to growing demand of billets. The multiple outlets lead to varying degree of intermixing with time owing to their different distance (location) from the inlet. Use of flow modifier to minimize the intermixed amount, however has also not been discussed in detail so far. Further no work has been reported regarding effect of slope of F-curves obtained through different outlets on intermixing. Hence keeping these objectives in mind attempt has been made by authors to analyze the slope of Fcurves after dividing them into three different time zones and the effect of these time zones on intermixing."

Jan 1, 2012

By T. N. Chan

This paper provides some general discussions on the development of a new beneficiation process for the treatment of a highly complex monazite orebody located at Mt Weld, Laverton, Western Australia. The complexity of this rare earth ore and the associated problems encountered in ore preparation, desliming and flotation in beneficiation during the development study stage and the solutions to these problems are reviewed.

Jan 1, 1992

By Takahiro Miki

Soldering material widely used is Sn-Pb alloy, which have low melting point and excellent electrical, strength properties and wettability. However, Pb is one of the toxic elements, which is undesirable due to environmental and safety reasons, thus Pb-free alternative alloy is preferred for new soldering material. Sn-Ag and Sn-Zn based alloys have been viewed as very promising candidates, among many potential substitutes. Addition of third element to these alloys will decrease melting point of the alloys. Hence, Sn-Ag-In and Sn-Zn-Mg alloys are expected to be suitable for replacing Sn-Pb solder alloy. In order to design new Pb-free soldering materials, it is crucial to understand precise thermodynamic properties and phase diagrams of alloy systems. In the present work, ion current ratios of Ag to In and Mg to Zn were measured for Sn-Ag-In and Sn-Zn-Mg alloys by mass spectrometry, respectively. Also, the authors reviewed the thermodynamic properties of terminal binary alloys determined by other researchers and evaluated a thermodynamic functions to express the excess Gibbs free energy of each binary alloy. Thermodynamic functions to express the excess Gibbs free energy of liquid Sn-Ag-In and Sn-Zn-Mg ternary alloys were determined, utilizing the assessed Gibbs free energy of terminal binary alloys with the measured ion current ratios using mass spectrometer.

Jan 1, 2003

By F. Mucciardi

With the increasing trend to continuous smelting and converting, granulation of copper matte is gaining prominence as a means of decoupling the smelting and converting operations. Moreover, granulation is also being seen as a possible avenue to using higher grade oxygen in converters. By feeding cold solid matte, the oxygen concentration can be increased to compensate for the lower enthalpy feed. This leads to a higher grade of SO2 in the off gas and a lower total flow rate. Current granulation technology relies on the cooling of a falling matte film by water jets. This technology while effective has several drawbacks including those related to safety. Noranda and McGill University have developed a new process (patent pending) for solidifying copper matte (or slag). It overcomes many of the negatives of current technology. The system is based on an air cooled twin roll caster. This: new system uses no water and instead incorporates heat pipe technology to transfer the heat from the solidifying matte to the cooling air to produce a thin strip of 1 to 2 mm in thickness. Testing of a prototype unit demonstrated its viability. This paper describes this newly developed, twin roll casting system that is completely waterless. The advantages of this process as well as the findings from several tests are also detailed.

Jan 1, 1999

By Akira Yazawa

The composition of ferrous calcium silicate slag is located on the tie line between FeOx and calcium silicates in ternary FeOx-SiO2-CaO system. This slag has never been used as copper smelting slag because of high sulfidic copper solubility. However, when the dissolved copper in slag is just oxidic, as in direct white metal production or in converting process, this slag is quite attractive and can be regarded as the third copper smelting slag after fayalite and calcium ferrite slags. Based on the authors' studies on phase separation thermodynamics and laboratory experiments, it was clarified that the oxidic copper loss in this ferrous calcium silicate slag become the minimum not only %Cu in slag but also the total copper loss when the amount of slag is taken into account. It has been proven that calcium ferrite slag is suitable for continuous converting where the dissolved copper is oxidic, but there exist some drawbacks such as limited solubility of silica, low lead removability and too high fluidity. To overcome these difficulties accompanying traditional slags, ferrous calcium silicate slag is the hopeful alternative. In view of the general trends of modem copper smelting processes, the interesting features of this new slag system are discussed.

Jan 1, 1999

By K. Krishnapisharody

A mathematical model has been developed to predict the interface dynamics and droplet generation of the buoyant phase in a two-fluid system. The model employs the well-known SIMPLE algorithm for obtaining flow fields and the Volume of Fluid (VOF) method, for interface tracking. The implementation of the model in water-oil systems, where the oil layer is placed above a recirculating water bath, is discussed. The evolution of the water-oil interface leading to the formation of oil droplets is computed realistically.

Jan 1, 2008

By Luiz R. P. De Andrade Lima

This paper presents a mathematical model for the oxide copper ore heap leaching process. The data used in the model include physical-chemical, .geometrical and operational data, as: leachable metals ore contents, .flow rate and acid concentration, parameters of passivity, ore size distribution, the average residence time of the solution in the heap, height, irrigated area and weight of ore in the heap. In this model the heap is divided into horizontal and plane layers of constant area. The flow of the liquid in the heap is considered unidirectional and the solid-fluid reaction model is considered under diffusive control. The average residence time of the solution into the heap and the apparent effective diffusivity of the acid through the ore particles have .a significant influence on the rate of the copper extraction and its concentration in the pregnant solution; therefore these parameters are used in the model calibration. When this algorithm was applied to a laboratory test, the results showed that the model is adequate to predict the process performance.

Jan 1, 1999

By Kang Wan, Lei Tang, Jianchao Li, Jieyu Zhang, Minqi Sheng, Jifang Xu

"The viscous flow phenomenon in slag close to the liquidus temperature was considered. A simple approach that liquidus temperatures of melt could be derived from viscosity data was employed. The potential of this method for estimating the liquidus temperatures of pure water and binary alloy was demonstrated. The liquidus temperatures of the CaO-Alz03 based slags obtained from the second derivative method depends upon the number of viscosity values available at different temperature intervals. The results indicated that plots start deviating from the straight-line behavior at temperature as expect, and the second derivatives show the break points at a certain temperature, which is the liquidus temperature. Comparisons among the present observations as well as the characteristic temperature of the selected slags, which measured by the hemisphere method and DSC, indicated that it is possible to get a reasonable idea of estimate the liquidus temperatures from activation energies for viscous flow.IntroductionThe liquidus temperature of slag, which has a significant effect on the kinetics of chemical reactions and the slag-metal separation, is extremely important for metallurgical operations. Experimental measurements of the liquidus temperatures of slags are difficult, since slags invariable supercool. In addition, behavior of a single constituent in a multi-component slag is different in different circumstances due to its interaction with other constituents. Hence, it is essential to study the liquidus temperature of each particular slag resulting from a special process. Usually, the compositions of the slags aimed to the single liquid region of the phase diagram. However, the phase diagram of many slag systems, which back often to the 1950's, involves considerable uncertainties. Many liquidus temperatures are given as dotted lines in Slag Atlas [1]. Disagreements between the phase diagram and the reality have been found [2]."

Jan 1, 2013

By P. T. Velu

Solubility of metal oxides in the molten salt electrblytes is an important parameter in the electrochemical processing of metals and alloys. The efficiency of an electrochemical process primarily depends on the quantity of metal oxide present in the electrolyte in the dissolved form and its thermodynamic properties. The activity of CeO2 was calculated using the free energy of fusion of CeO2,{ AG°m, CeO2. The AGOm,CeO2 }was deduced from the values of enthalpy, heat of fusion and melting point of Ce02. The activity coefficients of CeO2 as a function of temperature and melt composition were calculated. The thermodynamic data such as integral molar enthalpy, entropy and Gibbs energy of formation were calculated as a function of composition and temperature.

Jan 1, 1994

By Ragnhild Aune

In fire refining of copper, the affinities of various impurity elements on dissolved oxygen is of great significance. Further, in the design of oxygen probes in liquid copper, the influence of solute interactions on the activity of oxygen need to be considered in order to evaluate the oxygen concentration in molten copper. The present paper presents a series of measurements of the activities of oxygen in liquid Cu-M-o alloys (where M stands for Mn, Zn, As, Se or Te) carned out by the present group employing the solid electrolyte galvanic cell technique. Extreme care was taken to control the oxygen potentials in the inert gas atmosphere, and to keep the oxygen levels very low in the molten metal. The oxygen content was determined by analysis of the samples taken out from the melt. The results obtained showed that Mn has a strong negative influence on the activity coefficient of oxygen in liquid copper. A similar, but less prominent effect was observed in the case of Zn. Arsenic had no influence on the activity of oxygen in Cu (liq.). Se and Te had slight negative effect on oxygen activities in copper at XQ >10-5, while at lower oxygen levels the interaction coefficients were found to be positive. The results obtained were compared with empirical models for the calculation of interaction coefficients available in literature.

Jan 1, 2003

By John L. Uhrie

Oxide stockpile leaching operations can realize increased copper recovery and decreased acid consumption from in-situ generated acid resulting from the oxidation of intentionally introduced pyrite recovered from mill tailings or other sources. While all oxide leach ores can benefit from pyrite addition, low acid consuming ores can show remarkably increased recovery and net acid generation; however, more highly acid consuming ores will show benefit more exclusively through increased copper recovery. Additional work shows that the value of highly acid consuming ores can be optimized by balancing copper recovery against acid consumption.

Jan 1, 1999

By Shengqin Zhang, Jagannath Pal, Yousef Mohassab, Hong Yong Sohn, Mohamed Elzohiery

The kinetics of magnetite reduction with mixtures of hydrogen and CO of various compositions has been investigated as part of the development of a flash ironmaking process at the University of Utah. This new process bypasses the cokemaking and pelletization or sintering steps required for the blast furnace. The particle kinetics were studied using magnetite concentrate particles of different sizes. Reduction degree of 60% was achieved in a few seconds in at 1350 oC using CO reductant alone and over 90% when H2 + CO gas mixture was used. The effects of reductant partial pressures, temperature, and particle size on the reduction kinetics were studied.

Jan 1, 2016

By B. S. Boyanov

The hydrometallurgical technology for zinc production in Bulgaria is characterized by the use of considerable quantities of imported zinc concentrates and several kinds of Bulgarian ones which are quite different in chemical, phase and granulometric compositions. In this connection, 7 sulfide zinc concentrates (Bulgarian and imported ones) were investigated by chemical analysis, DTA, TGA, X-ray diffraction analysis, sieve analysis. The accomplishment of optimal mixing of concentrates and providing stabile mix composition for a long period of time of roasting in fluid bed furnace is a task of primary importance in the technological process control in zinc hydrometallurgy. This can be achieved using mathematical optimization methods.

Jan 1, 2006

By D. J. Donaldson

The PAL process for recovering nickel from laterite ore requires large volumes of thick abrasive slurry to be raised lo high temperature (245°C+) and pressure (40 atm.+). Flow diagrams of the process typically result in facilities that have serious operating and reliability problems. Most of the problems can be attributed to using multiple pump stations to raise the slurry to autoclave pressure, large amounts of flash and live injection steam to heat the slurry to autoclave temperature and several steps of flash cooling to lower the temperature and pressure of the abrasive autoclave slurry down to atmospheric conditions. It is proposed that operating and reliability problems of PAL facilities can be mitigated by using Tube-in-tube heat exchangers and "float type" positive displacement pumps. The subject paper describes an innovative application of such equipment in the facility design of the PAL process. Keywords: Nickel, Laterite, PAL, Heating, Slurry

Jan 1, 2004

By Gunther Schimmel

Ag exudation in four different alloys (Ag-Cd, Ag-Sn, Ag-Sn-In and Ag-Zn) is characterized. The amount of exuded material is correlated with the volume increase due to oxide formation in dependence of the alloy concentration and different densities of the oxide and matrix phases. It is shown that all four alloys show similar amounts of volume increases, but different amounts of exuded material. It is concluded that internal stresses due to the volume increase cannot be the dominant driving force for Ag exudation. A gradient in the chemical potential of Ag that originates from the O concentration gradient inherent to internal oxidation is suggested as driving force. The exudation behavior is thus governed by the variation of the activity of Ag in the Ag fcc phase in the Ag-Me-O system that differs between the alloying systems.

Jan 1, 2010

By Frank Field, Randolph Kirchain, Elisa Alonso, Richard Roth, Nathan Fleming

"High material prices and price uncertainty can be harmful to manufacturing firms. Increased use of recycled materials, industry-wide, can lower both material prices and price variability; moreover, increased recycling decreases the use of primary material, which mitigates price increases due to scarcity effects. These stabilizing and price lowering effects are explored using an Aluminum industry model. We show that (a) increased recycling leads to smaller price fluctuations in the presence of a primary metal supply perturbation, and (b) that the more substitutable the secondary metal is for the primary metal, the lower the overall material price is.IntroductionThe price of an industrial metal is expected to be a function of both the marginal cost of extraction and its scarcity[l-2]: where scarcity can be defined as the degree to which anticipated demand exceeds the known supply. Recycling end-of-life metal increases the apparent supply of the metal, or-in a functionally equivalent, but alternative conception-lowers the demand for primary metal; this lowers primary metal scarcity and should, theoretically, reduce its price. To the extent that this theoretical prediction holds true, recycling can provide benefits to consumers of industrial metals in the form of lower prices.Using a platinum industry model, prior work by Alonso[3] has shown that increased industrywide recycling can reduce metal price volatility because the secondary metal production (a) offsets virgin metal depletion, and (b) responds to supply-demand balance fluctuations more rapidly than the primary market. However, Platinum is not a typical industrial metal in the sense that secondary metal is perfectly substitutable for primary metal: Both primary and secondary platinum metal are functionally equivalent and have a common price. Other metals, such as secondary aluminum which is used as an example case in this study, contain varying degrees of other elements that were either intentionally added, or were inadvertently mixed in with the metal during the scrap recovery process. Consequently, different grades of scrap exist that have different profiles of elements in their composition. Depending on their particular profile of elements, more or less of a given grade can be used as a mass fraction of the final alloy-the secondary metal is not perfectly substitutable for the primary metal. For the purposes of this paper, the aluminum mass fraction of the final alloy that can be made up of secondary aluminum is termed the secondary substitutability of that grade in that alloy."

Jan 1, 2011