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By Jeremy Gregory

The disposal of end-of-life electronics is an issue receiving increasing scrutiny. This paper evaluates several alternatives for recycling cathode ray tubes (CRTs) within monitors and televisions. The primary recycling options for the glass, reuse in new CRTs or as a smelter flux, are examined from economic and environmental standpoints. The economics are modeled using a cost model that includes dependencies on processing costs, transportation logistics, and incoming material composition. The environmental consequences are modeled using life cycle assessment methodologies to determine the energy embodied in each processing alternative. Results map out preferred processing alternatives across a range of technological and operational conditions. The results indicate that economic costs and environmental consequences are heavily impacted by transportation. The preferred destination of CRT glass for a recycler is highly dependent on the proximity of the consumer to the recycler, although it is generally economically advantageous for the recycler to extensively dismantle the CRTs.

Jan 1, 2006

By Changqing Su

A batch incubation experiment has been carried out to investigate the optimal condition for the microbial remediation of hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) in soils contaminated by chromate ore processing residue at Hunan Iron-Alloy Factory in China. The optimal condition was obtained by comparing the remediation efficiency of Cr (VI) by indigenous bacteria under different culture media, the quantity of nutrient sources, the pH and the temperature. The results indicated that glucose and yeast extract was the optimal component of culture medium and the quantities of the above components were 8 g L-1 and 13 g L-1, respectively. The optimal temperature and pH value were 30_ and 10.0, respectively. A bioreactor was operated under the optimal condition to evaluate the efficiency of Cr(VI) remediation in the contaminated soil. The result showed that water soluble Cr(VI) in soils was reduced from 320 mg kg-1 Cr(VI) of the initial concentration to below detection limit after 30 h in a bioreactor. Thus, there is a large potential to make bioremediation for the reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) by the addition of optimal culture medium under aerobic condition.

Jan 1, 2010

By A. L. D. Skury

In the synthesis of diamond, the precursor graphite must present a degree of crystallinity to assure optimum yield and quality for the transformed crystals. X-ray diffraction, SEM and TEM analyses were carried out to investigate the structural and morphologic transformations produced in natural graphite by high pressure-high temperature treatment. The present study had as its objective to characterize the morphological and structural changes suffered by a natural graphite that was subjected to high pressure and high temperature treatments in the region of diamond thermodynamic stability. The results indicate that the material that constitutes the gasket, for the deformable capsule, could act as catalyst in the graphite recrystallization process.

Jan 1, 2006

By Gábor Csicsovszki

We have developed a novel method - at the laboratory scale - comprising an ion-exchange separation and a membrane-electrolysis step for the purpose of zero-waste regeneration of spent HCl pickling liquors originating from hot-dip galvanizing of common steels. It is aimed at the parallel regeneration of HCl and iron. Experiments revealed that iron can be electrodeposited at high current efficiencies by maintaining the following conditions: 0.04-0.08 M HCl, 500-1000 A/m2, 20°C and stationary electrolyte in a conventional cell. Zinc in the solution did not disturb the deposition of iron, however it contaminated the product and it poisons the anion-exchange membrane required to tackle acidity during electrolysis. For a preliminary separation, anion-exchange tests were carried out to produce pure iron solutions. Beyond the equilibrium studies, column experiments were carried out showing that low flow rates of the loading solution and the ~1.5 M HCl eluent are essential for separation.

Jan 1, 2006

By Ulises Crossa Archiopoli

We describe a technique that allows rapid imaging of the thermal diffusivity of the sample by a modified photo-thermal technique. The thermal diffusivity in hardened steels strongly correlates to the hardness. Hence in a noncontact manner and with optical microscope resolution, a 2D map exhibiting the crystallographic phases and hardness of the sample can be retrieved. Two almost collinear laser beams scan the surface, one as a modulated pump and a second as a CW probe. The deflection of the probe carries information on the thermal expansion of the sample and with it, on the thermal diffusivity. It is shown that a single determination of the time delay of the modulation of the probe beam can be used to retrieve the thermal diffusivity.

Jan 1, 2010

By Art Cooper

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

Jan 1, 2006

By Jian Li

Developing the Generation IV nuclear reactor is an international collaborative effort. One of the most promising Gen IV nuclear reactor designs is the supercritical water (SCW) concept, in which the water coolant runs at about 625 oC at the outlet. Under this temperature and high pressure condition, the cooling water is at supercritical state, which poses significant demand for both in-core and out of core materials. High-temperature mechanical properties, corrosion resistance and radiation damage are some of the key challenges. At present, no single commercial material can meet all the requirements of the severe SCWR conditions. Corrosion experiments per-formed under SCW condition yield various kind of corrosion modes, some are very challenging to characterize using conventional techniques. A combination of various advanced characterization techniques proofed to be essential to understand the root cause of materials? degradation.

Jan 1, 2010

By Xiaowen Liu

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

Jan 1, 2006

By Youze Xu

The effect of oxalic acid, acetic acid, citric acid and EDTA on extraction of Cr (?) in soils contaminated by chromium- containing slag was investigated using a batch of incubation experiment. The results show that the pH value decreases more obvious with the increase of the amount of organic acid. The amount of Cr (?) extracted increases with increasing the amount of organic acid. When the ratio of organic acids to total Cr was 5:1, citric acid revealed the highest extraction effectiveness, followed by EDTA, oxalic acid and acetic acid, respectively. The amounts of Cr(?) extracted by citric acid, EDTA, oxalic acid and acetic acid increased by 439%, 244%, 215% and 162%.

Jan 1, 2009

By Z. Sun

Imposing a strong magnetic field is considered to be an attractive method to prepare materials with aligned or textured structures due to its intrinsic properties, e.g. non-contact and easily controllable. However, the nature of the strong magnetic field effect still remains unclear and further research is needed. In the present paper, the effect of a strong magnetic field on the solidification of a hypereutectic Al-Cu alloy was investigated. After magnetic field treatment, the primary phase was aligned parallel to the magnetic field direction. Meanwhile, the eutectic micro-structural constituent became elongated and thinner. A theoretical analysis was conducted to have a better understanding of the phenomena. During solidification, the magnetic Faraday and dipole-dipole interaction forces are considered to decrease the solute pile-up in front of the solid-liquid interface and modify the eutectic cell formation. The alignment of the phase is due to the shape magnetic anisotropy and crystal magnetic anisotropy.

Jan 1, 2010

By A. R. Kiani-Rashid

Controlled graphitization has become known as a practical method for improvement of wear resistance and machining properties in steels. In this paper, the effect of heat treatment on microstructure of CK45 steel has been investigated. Austenitising was carried out at 920°C for 5 hours. Besides, isothermal transformation was conducted at 750°C in the time range of 1-20 hours. The microstructure of the steel considerably changes by this heat treatment process which exhibits the effects of temperature, appropriate austenitising duration and isothermal transformation. Conducted experiments show a suitable distribution of semi-spherical graphite particles especially on the surface of the steel. Also, analyses demonstrate that the amount of formed graphite in the austenitising temperature 920°C is more than graphite in single heat treatment temperature of 750°C.

Jan 1, 2010

By Yue-yuan Li

China has abundant magnesite resource, but the low-grade and powder ores have always been rejected, which influences the comprehensive utilization of resource and often causes circumstance problems. The present work investigated the preparation of magnesia whisker using magnesite tailings as starting materials by preparation magnesium carbonate whisker as precursor firstly in the route of calcination, hydration, carbonation and pyrolysis, follows by second calcination of the precursor. The influence of pyrolysis conditions and additives on morphology of magnesium carbonate crystal as well as the influence of calcination conditions on morphology of magnesia whisker was investigated. The results showed that thermal decomposition products was MgCO3?3H2O. Magnesium carbonate whisker with length of 10~60 µm and the length-to-diameter ratio of 10~20 was prepared when soluble magnesium salt was added. While temperature was elevated at 1°C?min-1, magnesia whisker with length of 10~60µm was obtained.

Jan 1, 2010

By Clara María Lamus Molina

The following minerals found in the residual black sands from gold mining in El Bagre Antioquia (Colombia) were identified as having major economic interest: Ilmenite (FeTiO3), with an average of 49% of TiO2, frequently altered presenting crowns; lamellaes of rutile and alteration textures; titanomagnetite with up to 25% of TiO2; magnetite (Fe3O4) in individual grains or associated with others minerals as hematite and ferromagnesian silicates rutile (TiO2) with considerable quantities of Nb2O5(0.1-3.7%Wt); zircon (ZrSiO4) with 66%Wt of ZrO2 and monazite with an average of 63.43%Wt of REE, this frequently associated to xenotime and thorite forming textures as little drops. Analysis in EPMA and SEM/EDS showed percentages of minor elements and traces, thereby clearly establishing the applications of these minerals in diverse industries. Furthermore, a detailed granumetric study of the different minerals and textural relationships among them also allowed for establishing the basis for possible processing and exploitation.

Jan 1, 2006

By Lijuan Chen

During the detoxification of chromium-containing slag by Achromobacter sp. CH-1, anionic surfactant Sodium Dodecyl Sulphate(SDS) and its mixed systems with different Tween surfactants(Tween 20, Tween 60 and Tween 80) were used to promote the interaction between the bacteria and the chromiumcontaining slag and the rate of acid-soluble Cr( ? ) leached from the slag. The effects were evaluated by the surface tension, the pH of the leaching solution and the leaching rate of total Cr( ? ) from the slag. The results showed that the surfactants systems improved Cr(VI) leaching and its detoxification of chromium-containing slag. The mixed surfactants of SDS combined with Tween surfactant revealed better effectiveness of detoxification than SDS only. When the mass ratio of SDS to Tween 80 was 1:1, the rate of Cr( ? ) leached from the slag increased by 12%.

Jan 1, 2009

By Zhiyun Li

Room temperature infrared reflection spectra of 2 n-type homo-epitaxial epifilms have been measured in the work. The effect of the refractive index on the determination of layer thickness using traditional calculation measurement is studied and some improvements have been added to the measurement to improve the accuracy and stability of the measured results. Results of the improved method have great agreement with the results from SEM and both variance and mean relative error decrease an order of magnitude.

Jan 1, 2010

By Tiezheng Li

Keywords: Laminate Composites; Mechanical Behavior; Damage Evolution The mechanical performance of Ti-6-4-Al3Ti metal-intermetallic laminate (MIL) composites synthesized by a reactive foil sintering technique was evaluated. Crack morphology of untested Ti-6-4-Al3Ti MIL composites has been characterized by optical microscopy. Mechanical tests were performed on Ti-Al3Ti metal-intermetallic laminate (MIL) composites and pure Al3Ti, and the principal mechanisms of damage initiation and accumulation were identified experimentally. The elastic properties and anisotropy of the laminates were calculated and successfully compared with Resonant Ultrasonic Spectroscopy (RUS) measurements. The effect of residual stress on the fracture toughness of the Ti-6-4-Al3Ti MIL composites was analyzed.

Jan 1, 2005

By Valerio Viti

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

Jan 1, 2006

By Wellington Pereira Inácio

This work investigated the toughness behavior of polyester matrix composites reinforced with up to 30% in volume of long, continuous and aligned sisal fibers by means of Charpy impact tests. It was found that the addition of sisal fibers results in a marked increase in the absorbed impact energy of the composites. Macroscopic observation of the post-impact specimens and SEM fracture analysis showed that longitudinal rupture through the sisal fiber interface with the polyester matrix is the main mechanism for the remarkable toughness of these composites.

Jan 1, 2010

By Meghan McGrath

Third generation advance high strength steels with microstructures of acicular ferrite and retained austenite were investigated and meet mechanical property goals. A good combination of strength and ductility were achieved with duplex ferrite and austenite microstructures where cementite formation was suppressed. Transformation induced plasticity (TRIP) behavior produced rapid work hardening. The mechanical properties of two hot-rolled steels with duplex microstructures were compared and had the following compositions: (1) Fe-0.14C-13.87Mn-1.42Si-3.51Al; and (2) Fe-0.06C-14.2Mn-1.85Si-2.38Al. These steels were cast, homogenized, and hot rolled at 900ºC to obtain a refined microstructure with ultimate tensile strengths and elongations to failure of 865 MPa and 39% and 1,217 MPa and 28%, respectively. The amount of metastable austenite in both compositions decreased after tensile testing from 58% and 28% to 6% and 0%, respectively. Microstructures were characterized using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and x-ray diffraction.

Jan 1, 2010

By Jewel A. G. Gomes

Green rust (GR) are layered Fe(II)-Fe(III) double hydroxides, having a pyroaurite-type structure consisting of positively charged hydroxide layers and hydrated ions in interlayers. This special feature of GR is very efficient for wastewater treatment as the pollutants are easily taken in or exchanged with the anions in the interlayers. It can be simply and cost-effectively produced by electrocoagulation (EC). Chicken processing plant (CPP) produces large amount of wastewater containing variety of readily biodegradable organic compounds, fats, and proteins. The possible re-use of properly treated CPP wastewater would be economic and environment friendly. In this study, we present our work on treatment of CPP wastewater using EC, specifically for the removal of COD. Analysis of the EC-treated water for reuse in the same plant is discussed considering the U.S.EPA regulations. Two types of EC-reactors were used for this purpose. To better understand the treatment mechanism, EC-floc was also characterized using XRD and SEM-EDS.

Jan 1, 2010