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By G. Hanko, A. Lebleu, M. Sibony, J. Lecadet

The New Jersey distillation process is today the most important pyrometallurgical method for the production of zinc of very high purity. The flexibility of the pyrometallurgical zinc production process, especially its ability for recycling, makes it competitive, although it is energy intensive. A deeper knowledge of the New Jersey process is necessary to further increase its technical performance by ensuring its global safety. A project, integrated in the European research program EUREKA, has been started in order to define the process chemistry of distillation. Experimental measurements have been carried out with a column at the laboratory scale, and the results, linked with industrial measurements, support the development of a model based on material and thermal balances. The first conclusions indicate that the key parameters for process optimization are the column geometry and the distribution of the thermal losses.

Jan 1, 2000

By D. Ducharme, J. Lenz

Operation of the Kidd electrolytic zinc plant commenced in 1972 with a cellhouse capacity of 105,000 tonnes of zinc cathode. The original cellhouse layout consisted of 42 parallel rows for a total of 588 cells. As leaching capacity increased, the cellhouse was expanded to 630 cells. Zinc cathode was manually stripped from plant start-up until the development of a mobile automated stripping system in 1994. Machine development continued until a second unit was placed in production in 1996, from which point, 60 % of the cellhouse was being stripped with the automated system. The final phase of the project was implemented in 1999 with the commissioning of two more automated strippers. This paper describes the implementation of the automated stripping system and its impact on cellhouse productivity.

Jan 1, 2000

By T. Taniguchi

The existing Mitsubishi Process line at Naoshima Smelter and Refinery has been operating successfully since 1991, and its present production capacity is 270,000tpy of copper. Furnace relining works have been carried out every two years to coincide with the compulsory bi-yearly boiler inspection, but the next target is to extend the furnace refractory life to four years, while still undergoing the mandatory boiler inspection every two years. Although the damage of hearth bricks beneath lances in the Smelting furnace was a matter of concern, it was reduced by controlling gas velocity and evening solid distribution to each lance. The life of bath level bricks in the Converting furnace was also a concern, but four-years continuous use of the bricks was achieved in the course of the last two campaigns. Several other improvements were also carried out to the cooling systems during the shutdown in 2005 to ensure longer campaign life. This paper summarizes recent improvements implemented to enhance the advantages of the Mitsubishi Process.

Jan 1, 2006

By M. Benavides

An experimental study is carried out With sulphide ore obtained from Bailadores-Venezuela as well as artificial concentrates. Concentrates of the minerals from froth flotation are fused to study equilibrium between the matte and slag phases. The first part of the work deals with obtaining a concentrate by flotation experiments with collective and selective reagents, with acceptable metallurgical recovery, studying the influence of different parameters in the process. The second part gives the results of the experimental investigation. on thermodynamic equilibrium in smelting which facilitates knowledge of the elemental processes, giving bases for the possibilities of reducing the loss of metal in slag.

Jan 1, 1983

By V. Tsukerman, Ivanovam L.

"The potential of hydrocarbon resources in the Arctic oil and gas provinces is enormous. Oil, gas and condensate constitute the basis of mineral resource base of the shelf zone of the Russian Arctic; summary volume of hydrocarbons exceeds 100 billion tons of conventional fuel. Only in the Shtockman gas condensate field in the Barents Sea explored balance reserves equal to 3.2 trillion m3 of gas. It is necessary to establish a special regime of nature management in the Arctic. Environmentally oriented economic activities should be more actively stimulated. The Energy Strategy plans that starting from 2010 in the Barents and Pechora Seas up to 10 million tons of oil and 50 billion m3 of gas will be extracted, reaching the level of 30 million tons of oil and 130 billion m3 of gas in 2020. This task cannot be solved without intensification of geological exploration on the continental shelf. IntroductionThe elaborated strategy of mining enterprises should correspond to the modern paradigm of mining industry development which is not only for extraction of minerals but also for multi-profile structure having comprehensive use of the resources on the rational basis intended for rational complex utilization of mineral resources of the Arctic zone of Russia which by the definition includes maximally full use of the whole aggregate of resources on the economically rational basis with obligatory environmental with resource reproductive and socio-economic functions and deterrents"

Jan 1, 2008

Due to problems with old technologies more and more product designers have turned to liquid crystal (LC) displays, which have consequently experienced phenomenal growth. The success of liquid crystal displays has fostered continued development, to the point where full-color video displays have been realized which can rival. The details of the lens structure and of the devices fabrication and performance are described using the Jones matrix method. Director n can change from point to point and is, in general, a function of space.. The transition can be approached by changing the impurity concentration or, indirectly, by tuning the temperature since the pinning strengths of the random and crystal potential have in general a different temperature dependence. Light from the conventional light source or laser is passed through a polarizer and then incident on the specimen. The resist profile simulation is carried out using the combined data thus obtained. The nematic liquid crystal is clear only when a long range order exists, in the whole medium. At the nematic-isotropic, transition temperature, the medium becomes isotropic and looks clear and transparent.

Jan 1, 2006

By Sergio Demetrio

Based on the current reality of the copper smelters industry, besides the advances that have been and are expected for the next few years, the authors present a futurist vision of the processing of copper concentrates and copper smelters in the years 2000. Outlined new development strategies and ways of improvement in this business, including research, development and management of the works that today posses characteristics of a profitable operation, as well as the changes expected with respect to the entry of new actors and the creation of new products The authors finally bet for small or tailor-made smelters with ad hoc technology for their raw materials and few units to coordinate -devoted to specific concentrates using high technology and low manpower. Considering the in-situ hydrometallurgical route, as well as the pyrometallurgical route in works or conversion facilities that buy or process white metal and produce copper and other metals associated with this such as gold and silver, besides sulfuric acid, plants which should be strategically located in zones with high sulfuric acid price to make this a product which contributes to the profitability of the business.

Jan 1, 1999

By Fu-Shen Zhang, Mengjun Chen, Jianxin Zhu

"In China, hazardous e-waste—cathode ray tube (CRT) glass is usually left around, and it is likely to contact with water resources directly. To identify the real leaching characteristics and bioavailabilities of heavy metals Pb and Ba contained in CRT glass in the nature environment, experiments were carried out by simulating the nature environment. The results indicated that Pb and Ba contained in CRT glass were stable in most conditions, which only showed obvious leaching toxicities in strong acidic/alkali conditions. EDTA and DTPA extractable Pb and Ba amounts were extremely high, e.g., EDTA extractable Pb of color funnel glass was up to 1960.07 ìg/kg, indicating that the potential bioavailability of waste CRT glass is very high. IntroductionIn recent years, cathode ray tube (CRT) contained monitors or TV sets has been substituted by novel and better electronic and electric equipments such as LCD and PDP, leaving huge amounts of end-of-life CRTs. 50~85% of the total weight of a computer monitor or a TV set is glass'1-21, which was classified to three categories: black & white glass (BW), color panel glass (CP) and color funnel glass (CF), according to their chemical compositions'3' (Méar et ai, 2006). In order to provide shielding from X-rays generated during the picture projection process, lead, barium and strontium oxides were used in the glass. In general, a color CRT contains 1.6-3.2 kg of lead'4'. Concerning the high toxicity of lead, these waste glasses have posed a potential risk to the environment and human health and researches on these glasses have been attracting wide and tense attention currently."

Jan 1, 2011

By Roger Wilmoth

Exposed, open pit mine highwalls contribute significantly to the production of acid mine drainage (AMD) thus causing environmental concerns upon closure of an operating mine. Four innovative technologies were evaluated under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency?s, Mine Waste Technology (MWTP), Prevention of AMD Generation from Open-Pit Highwalls Demonstration Project. This project is funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and jointly administered by the EPA and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) through an Interagency Agreement. The objective of the field demonstration was to evaluate the technologies ability to decrease or eliminate acid generation from treated areas of the highwall in comparison an untreated highwall area. The field demonstration was performed at the Golden Sunlight Mine (GSM) a subsidiary of Placer Dome U.S., located near Whitehall, Montana. GSM is an operating gold mine. The highwall at GSM was divided into five plots measuring 15.24 by 15.24 metres (m) and each technology was assigned a plot with the fifth plot being used for comparison as a background control plot. The four technologies were spray-applied. The applied insitu treatment technologies included: 1) A modified, furfuryl alcohol resin sealant, utilizing wood and agricultural by-products to coat the rock surface. 2) EcobondTMARD, a phosphate based process that forms a stable, insoluble compound, coating the rock surface. 3) Two ARD passivation technologies, magnesium oxide and the Dupont technology developed to create an inert layer/coating on the pyrite, preventing oxidation. The technologies were evaluated using the following methods: 1) ASTM D 5744-96, Accelerated Weathering of Solid Materials using a Modified Humidity Cells, 2) mine wall residual wall rinse sampling, 3) microscopy, and 4) core drilling followed by water injection testing.

Jan 1, 2003

By Felipe P. D. Lopes, Ailton Silva Ferreira, Sergio N. Monteiro

"Environmental issues such as global warming and water pollution are motivating fast changes in scientific and technological paradigms. Special importance is now being given to the so called environmentally friendly materials, which are renewable, recyclable and biodegradable. An example is the natural fibers with increasing industrial applications beyond the conventional uses as baskets, fabrics, ropes and carpets. In addition to traditional natural fibers, others like curaua (Ananas erectifolius) are being investigated for possible use as reinforcement of industrial composites. Since epoxy matrix is not yet incorporated with curaua fibers, the objective of this paper was to study the basic properties of epoxy composites reinforced with different amounts of curaua waste fibers. A comparative analysis aiming at the use of these composites as substitute for conventional building materials was carried out.IntroductionThis new millennium, which initiates with the 21th century, is experiencing a fast degradation of the environment by pollution and climate changes. Most of the problems are related to our methods of development associated with the use of fossil fuels and the energy intensive processing and production of synthetic materials. As a consequence, environmental issues such as global warming and ocean pollution are motivating rapid changes in technological paradigms. One relevant example is the current importance given to natural materials like the lignocellulosic fibers extracted from cultivated plants or found as industrial wastes [1]. These fibers are considered environmentally correct alternatives to substitute energy intensive conventional synthetic fibers such as carbon, glass, nylon and aramid. In addition to the renewable recyclable and biodegradable nature of the lignocellulosic fibers, the low cost and abundance in developing regions are major advantages that justify their increasing application as reinforcement of composites [2,3].In fact, nowadays, the use of natural fibers is no longer restricted to baskets, ropes, clothes and carpets. Industrial composites are introducing these fibers in large technological segments associated with car making, building construction and furniture [4,5]."

Jan 1, 2008

By Emilia Visileanu, Eftalea Carpus

"The strategy of developing the Romanian textile industry sub-sectors envisages the achieving of certain superior production indices, from a physical and value point of view, in 2010, a quantitative increase of textile wastes by 14% in 2010 as compared to 2000, implicitly. The percentage of the turned-to-profit wastes will have an increasing tendency, from 53.6% in 2000 to 74.7% in 2010. The article synthetically presents the innovative elements of the technology of processing the industry textile wastes.1. Introduction“People will need to re-adopt this sense of rarity that has been forgotten over the last two centuries. Humans need to collect, sort, recover, going back to the old ideal of alchemists: complete the material cycle, turn waste into resource, reduce all forms of predatory behaviour as much as possible”Irrespective of the historical period, geographical positioning, economic power or employed technologies, wastes resulted and will result in a bigger or smaller quantity as long as life and activity on Earth go on. The negative effects of these over the environment factors and implicitly over population health are well known all over the world and not approaching this matter enough may have catastrophic consequences over life. Having in view these aspects, finding solutions for diminishing the general waste quantity and limiting the negative effects of those products is important, by effecting the reusing of the recyclable ones in the production processes as secondary raw materials, and by ecologically treating and storing those than cannot be reused.2. Experiments and researchesThe textile industry affects the environment by the high water, energy and chemical consumption, as well as by the high quantity of wastes that are the result of using an impressive number of chemical substances and technological processes.The development strategy of the Romanian textile industry sub-sectors foresees, for 2010, the achieving of certain higher production indices as compared to 2000, both in terms of materials (as merchandise) and in terms of value, which implicitly leads to a quantitative increase of wastes.The flexible, economic and ecologic technologies which include systems of waste preliminary preparing (cutting, opening) and conventional or non-conventional system of processing the recovered fibres lay at the basis of substantiating the activity of implementing the notion of zero wastes."

Jan 1, 2008

By František Molnar, Zsolt Szentirmai, Juraj Schmiedl, Felix Sekula

"Hydrometallurgical nickel production in Sered Nickel Plant (Slovakia) that treated roasted Albanian ore left behind a considerable amount of the solid leaching residue. About 6 million tons of this fine-powder residue containing approximately 52 wt.% of iron in the form of oxides is to the present day stored in a stockpile. However, its iron content makes it a potentially interesting secondary raw material for iron production. This secondary raw material is not, unfortunately, suitable for direct treatment in iron and steelmaking processes.This paper presents results of the laboratory tests of pyrometallurgical method of processing of the leaching residue by its roasting and subsequent refining melting. The objective of the selective reducing agglomeration roasting was to reduce iron oxides and to simultaneously avoid reduction of chromium oxides and silica. Refining melting is carried out in an inert atmosphere. The products of melting are technically pure iron and slag.IntroductionThe leaching residue stockpiled on waste dump near already non-existing Nickel Plant Sered, Slovakia, is considered to be one of the most important environmental burdens in this country. The 40-years of an on-going effort focused on finding the methods for extracting metals and thus remove the waste dump have not been successful [1,4,5,6]. From the literature survey it is evident that past investigations have been following three main routes:1.Removal of chromium by mineral processing methods prior to its metallurgical treatment to achieve final chromium concentrations below 0.3 wt.%.2.Pelletization of solid leaching residue and its subsequent reduction in blast furnace and steelmaking plant and simultaneous removal of chromium.3.Pelletization of solid leaching residue followed by metallurgical processing of preliminary reduced semi-product in electric arc furnace (EAF) accompanied by partial reduction of chromium."

Jan 1, 2008

By Caisa Samuelsson, Sina Mostaghel, Theo Lehner

"Rönnskär smelter of Boliden Mineral AB, Sweden, is well known for recycling of base and precious metals. Slag from the electrical furnace is processed at the fuming plant to produce zinc clinker. The granulated slag is a by-product used as e.g. construction material. In this paper, influences of Al2O3 on mineralogy of the slag, which can affect its chemical and physical properties, are investigated. Different mixtures of Al2O3/fumed slag were prepared. Re-melting was carried out in a Thermo-Gravimetry (TG) furnace with an inert atmosphere. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffractometer (XRD) were then applied for the analyses. Investigations depict that addition of alumina to slag, results in an increase in the number of spinels and a transformation from iron rich to aluminum rich spinels. Anorthite (CaAl2Si2O8) will also be formed.IntroductionRönnskär smelter of Boliden Mineral AB is located in north of Sweden; the main products of this smelter are: Copper, Zinc clinker, Lead, Gold, and Silver, while sulphuric acid, liquid sulphuric dioxide, and Iron sand are some of the by-products. Reducing the energy consumption and decreasing the usage of finite natural resources are becoming more and more important for the Rönnskär smelter; this result in use of different recycling and scrap materials. Metal residues, from brass foundries, steel mills, and electronic scrap are recycled at Rönnskär smelter [1]. Most of the electronic scraps contain mixtures of various metals together with plastics and ceramics, which can affect the composition and properties of the slag considerably [2]. At the same time, treatment of slag and controlling its composition and properties are of much interest for Base Metals producers from different aspects. Composition of slag influences the physical properties such as: 1) Liquidus temperature [3-4] 2) Viscosity, which controls separation of valuable metals, especially copper by gravity separation [2] and also heat and mass transfer [5] 3) Electrical conductivity [6]."

Jan 1, 2008

By James A. Warren

The phase field method has been successfully employed as both a tool to model heterogeneous materials and as numerical method for calculating the motion of interfaces and phase boundaries without explicitly tracking those interfaces. The method has been used to model a diverse suite of problems describing the microstructural evolution in materials. These models are derived from thermodynamic arguments and symmetry principles, and usually guarantee positive local entropy production for systems out of equilibrium. Descriptions of how phase field methods can be applied to the problems of solidification, grain growth, and electroplating will be presented.

Jan 1, 2001

By Jean-Louis Dirion, Guy Depelsenaire, Patrick Sharrock, Souhila Kribi, Ange Nzihou, Jocelyn Ramaroson

"This study assesses the Novosol® process, an emerging technology developed by Solvay to treat heavy metals from dredged sediments using phosphoric acid. The main goal is to convert toxic metal ions, such as Pb2+, Cd2+, Zn2+ and Cu2+ to insoluble metallic phosphates. The effectiveness of the treatment was evaluated by performing the chemical reaction in a tubular reactor, followed by convective drying and maturation of the treated sediment at ambient temperature and finally thermal destruction of the organic matter by calcinations (500°C-700°C). Selected variables (acid concentration, volume fraction of solids, flow rate, drying and calcination temperature and time) were investigated. Laboratory scale experiments were carried out with various combinations of these parameters. The influence of the quantity of acid and the temperature of calcinations on physical properties of the sediment and stabilization of the heavy metals are discussed. Introduction The French territory counts 525 000 km of rivers which transport each year on average 6 million m3 of sediments. Their deposit causes the silting of channels, rivers and lakes. This completely natural phenomenon is exacerbated by the introduction of industrial and urban wastes into the erosion and sedimentation process. This silting leads to clogging of rivers, with a reduction in their flow rates. Consecutively, other problems appear, such as flooding risks, decrease of biological purification capacity and associated loss of the biodiversity. The presence of toxic compounds (from industrial, household or agricultural origins) in the sediments worsens the situation, and requires curing to restore the natural environment and its function. The dredged sediments are either spread on agricultural land, land tipped, confined or sent for chemical or physical treatment [12]. The first research programmes on toxic sediments appeared at the end of the Eighties in the United States, in Canada, in the Netherlands and in Germany. Several techniques of treatment were developed for the sediments; these techniques can be used alone or in combination. These techniques include extraction and concentration of the pollutants: the pollutants are isolated from the sedimentary matrix and the sediment is decontaminated. In some cases of organic contaminations, the pollutants are destroyed by chemical oxidation or biodegradation and in other cases, the contaminated material is either stabilized (mixed with hydraulic binders), or destroyed (incineration) [14,15]. Phytoremediation by afforestation has also been reported [19]."

Jan 1, 2008

By William James Middleton

The life-cycle assessment (LCA) approach can be an important tool for the quantification and evaluation of environmental impacts associated with metal production systems. At the conceptual phase of a new metals development project, LCA can: ? Aid project decision making by evaluating the environmental consequences of design decisions ? Support project permitting and reinforce site/process environmental impact assessment ? Allow environmental impact comparisons between alternate flow sheets For existing metals production systems, LCA has been used to aid targeted process improvements by monitoring recent historical trends in environmental performance, either through local or external (externalities) process improvements. This paper discusses the life- cycle assessment methodology, and its application as a supportive tool for environmental decision-making in process design and operation, and for site environmental impact assessment and permitting. Selected examples from a recent LCA performed on the Pressure Acid Leach Process for treating nickel Laterite ores are employed to demonstrate the usefulness of the tool.

Jan 1, 2004

By Carla Lupi, Mauro Pasquali

"Photographic technology is based on light sensitivity of silver halides that, because of silver properties, are capable of forming photographic images. Photographic laboratories and hospital departments because of digital photographic systems less use this technology today. Nevertheless recovery of silver is still advantageous because environmental problems related to Ag ions danger to biological system. Many processes have been studied to treat silver containing photographic bath: cementation, chemical precipitation and electrowinning. In this work, after preliminary voltammetric tests, a batch electrometallurgical process has been studied to completely deplete the silver containing photographic fixing baths. The effect, of silver concentration in the electrolyte, varying over the range 0,2-1 g/L, bath stirring and current density ranging from 10 to 500 A/m2 on process yield and deposit quality, has been investigated. Introduction Photographic wastes, electronic scrap and spent catalysts constitute the main sources of materials for silver recycling. Among those silver secondary sources, the photographic discharged material could be still important and useful, even if photographic laboratories and hospital departments, because of digital photographic systems, less use photographic technology. Several processes have been developped in order to recover silver used in the field of photography from both photographic solutions and scrap film paper[1-5]. Fixing solutions are very complex baths but, because of silver position in the electromotive series, electrolysis could represent an advantageous method for silver recovery. Electrolysis produces high purity silver without generating new pollutants, while the fixer can be reused: obviously it is necessary to purge off a portion of this solution in order to avoid the excessive build up of other deleterious compounds into solution. A tested recovery method was constituted by the dissolution of silver from X-ray films with concentrated nitric acid. Internal electrolysis and external electrolysis methods were carried out using a steel electrode as cathode and a copper electrode as anode [6]. Silver recovery from photographic chemical solutions has been also performed in a special cell [7]: the solution is supplied to the bottom of a non-agitated cell having a vertically elongated form and including a central anode enclosed by a cathode. An other study discloses the use of an electrolytic cell comprising at least one anodic compartment and one cathodic compartment: the solution is treated in the cathodic compartment and then recycled in the anodic one [8]. A more recent work proposes the use of zirconium cathode for the recovery of silver from photographic fixing solution [9]: studies carried out by cyclic voltammetry showed that about 98% of total Ag can be recovered with an electrical efficiency close to 92%."

Jan 1, 2008

By Gunther Klamp

Disposal of arsenic compounds from washing acid in metallurgical plants is becoming a severe problem when using lime neutralization. A further problem is the disposal of relatively large quantities of gypsum which is produced during this neutralization step and which Is also conta-minated with other toxic metal compounds. The Sachtleben-Lurgi process removes arsenic and other metals from washing acid in the form of insoluble sulphides. The purified acid contains less than 0.5 ppm of arsenic and can be used for standard sulphuric acid applications. The process Is demonstrated commercially at Sachtleben's acid plant since more than five years.

Jan 1, 1992

By John R. Hugens

Modifications in the ALSCAN method of measuring hydrogen dissolved in liquid aluminum have made it possible to monitor the level of hydrogen dissolved in liquid copper. Measurements from the tundish show a correlation with eddy current readings from the continuously cast and rolled copper rod from the continuous casting and rolling system at Amarillo. The measurements also indicate that the copper in the tundish is supersaturated with hydrogen.

Jan 1, 1994

By Wang Dawan

During the process of arsenic bearing gold concentration biooxidation, the content of chloride ion in water is a very important factor to the activity of bacteria and the oxidation of sulfide minerals. In this paper, the influence of underground mine water with different chloride ion content to the biooxidation of arsenic bearing gold concentration and the limit of chloride ion content to bacteria were summarized. These results indicated if the content of chloride ion was less than 1.2g/L, the bacteria?s ability to oxidize sulfide minerals was little affected, and if the content of chloride ion were increased to 2g/L or more, the activity of bacteria was seriously restrained, and if the content of chloride ion were increased to 4g/L, the activity of bacteria was absolutely restrained. So, as the content of chloride ion in water was cumulated to 2g/L or more in biooxidation plant, the water must be refreshed to maintain normal production.

Jan 1, 2008