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By S. Surapunt, C. M. Nyamai, K. Itagaki

"The use of liquid copper as a medium for zinc extraction has been used in the Warner Process as a method of processing zinc-lead sulphide ore. The recovery of zinc metal is based on the reaction:ZnS(s) + 2Cu(l) = Zn(g) + Cu2S(l)In this method, thermodynamic and phase equilibria investigations of the Cu2S-FeS-ZnS and Cu2S-PbS-ZnS systems are of importance and form the basis for the liquid sulphide phase which appears as a product and is used as a solvent in the Warner Process. Phase relations in the Cu2S-FeS-ZnS and Cu2S-PbS-ZnS ternary systems were determined experimentally at 1473°K to provide a fundamental basis for the new zinc smelting process. The results show that the solid solubility of ZnS in the two systems is very small (2 wt% to 3 wt% ZnS in FeS, 4 wt% ZnS in Cu2S for the Cu2S-FeS-ZnS system; less than 0.5 wt% ZnS in both PbS and Cu2S for the Cu2S-PbS-ZnS system). The Raoultian Activity Coefficient of ZnS in the liquid mixtures and the vapour pressure of zinc over the matte in both systems is relatively large (?° = 7.7 – 15.8, Pzn(atm) = 0.088 – 1.026 for the Cu2S-FeS-ZnS system; ?° = 8.9 – 12.9, PZn(atm) = 0.075 – 0.214 for the Cu2S-PbS-ZnS system). On the FeS-ZnS join, the only phases detected are FeS and iron-rich sphalerite (Zn, Fe)S. The binary join mixture occurs at about 92 wt% FeS-8 wt% ZnS at 1473°K. Electron microprobe examination of the quenched samples indicate about 47 wt% to 48 wt% FeS in sphalerite and about 2 wt% to 3 wt% ZnS in the iron sulphide phase. On the Cu2S-ZnS join, microprobe analysis reveals that the maximum solubility is 4 wt% Zn in liquid Cu2S and 3.6 wt% Cu in solid ZnS. In the Cu2S-PbS-ZnS ternary system, microprobe analysis of the quenched samples indicate on average, 5 wt% ZnS in the liquid phase region. The only phases detected on the PbS- ZnS join are ZnS and PbS. The eutectic phase contains, on average, 13 wt% ZnS. The phase relationships, very low solid solubilities of zinc sulphide in the liquid mixtures of both Cu2S-FeS-ZnS and Cu2S-PbS-ZnS systems, coupled with the high Raoultian Activity Coefficient of ZnS as well as the high vapour pressure of zinc over matte all favour the partitioning of zinc metal into the vapour phase. This new process is cost effective and bypassesthe expensive and tedious conventionaltechnique of zinc production involving oxidationof the sulphide ore by roasting followed bya reduction process to extract the zinc. Theresults indicate that a new zinc smelting technologyusing the Warner Process would bemore efficient and preferable over the traditionalmethods of zinc extraction."

Jan 1, 2002

By Shoukun Wei, Cong Wang, Lin Cheng, Zhiyu Qiao, Jingkui Liang, Weidong Zhuang

"The subsolidus phase relations in the Sm2O3-CeO2-CuO ternary system sintered at 1000°C in air have been investigated by X-ray powder diffraction. The system can be divided into two ternary phase regions and three binary phase regions. Solid solution Sm2-xCexCuO4-y is the only ternary phase in the system. The maximum solid solubility was confirmed to be x = 0.2. The crystal structure, oxygen content and superconductivity of the solid solution Sm2-xCexCuO4-y have been investigated.I. INTRODUCTIONAfter the first discovery of the superconducting ceramic system La-Ba -Cu-O[l] with Tc = 30 to 40K, other families of cuprate-based ceramics have been synthesized with higher critical temperature. These oxides include the R-Ba-Cu-O (R: rare earth) systems (Tc=90K or so)[2,3], the Pb-Sr-(R,Ca)-Cu-O systems (T c = 50 to 100K), the Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O systems (Tc=80 to 105K)[4], the T1-Ba-Ca-Cu-O systems (Tc=85 to 125K)[5], the Hg-Ba-Ca-Cu-O systems (Tc=90 to 150K)[6,7], and some others. The improvement of Tc is very rapid. The measurement of the Hall and Seebeck coefficients shows that they all are p-type superconductors. In 1989, Tokura et al.[8] discovered the superconductors R2_XCexCU04_y(R = Nd, Pr, Sm) with Tc=20 to 24K (onset) and found that the charge carrier is electron in contrast to their hole doped counterparts. This discovery increases the fundamental understanding of the cuprate-based superconductors by comparing their characteristics and mechanisms to those of the p-type superconductors.One of the outstanding features of these n-type superconductors is the difficulty in obtaining samples in good charactors, such as the difficulty in obtaining zero resistivity state in single crystal or bulk samples; the semi-conductivity of bulk samples in ordinary state (opposite to the superconducting state) and a reducing reaction involved before the superconductivity has been found[9]. Therefore, it is necessary to optimize the sample preparation of the n-type superconductors. All the n-type superconductors have been found· considerable solid solubility. The compositional variations play a governing role in the carrier doping of the superconducting phases. Also, it is vital to the ceramic processing of superconductors to identify the compatible phases in the phase diagram. Finally, there is always the possibility of finding additional compounds, both superconducting and non-superconducting, in an unexplored system."

Jan 1, 1996

By Florian Kongoli

The so-called "fayalite" slag, despite problems associated with it, is the most widely used slag in copper smelting processes. Thirty years ago, in order to overcomes some drawbacks of this slag a new "calcium ferrite" slag was proposed especially for continuous copper converting. Since both slags have strong and weak points depending on the field of their application about 8 years ago another new "ferrous calcium silicate" slag was proposed that is expected to solve the drawbacks of each slag. This new slag is defined as mainly consisting of FeOx, CaO and SiO2 as its main components but it can practically have several combinations of these constituents. In order to determine the best area of this slag for possible industrial application the quantification of phase relations is an important subject. In this paper the work carried out by the authors in quantifying through an original physical model the phase relations, liquidus surface, liquidus regions, behavior of solid phases and the effect of minor components is reviewed. Several special compositions of this slag have been identified and discussed for possible applications in the industrial practice.

Jan 1, 2006

By A Vickerfält, J Huss, J Martinsson

The European Union has listed vanadium (V) as one of the critical raw materials for the transition to a future green society, as stated in the Critical Raw Material Act, written by Grohol and Veeh (2023). In the steelmaking industry based on V-containing iron ore, V is a possible by-product from the slag. A requirement for slags to be suitable for V extraction is a V content preferably above 8 wt per cent as V2O3 and a phosphorus (P) content below 0.1 wt per cent as P2O5. Hence, it is important to keep V in the slag phase while the P is moved to the metal phase during the steelmaking process.

Aug 21, 2024

By P. G. Carpenter, R. G. Nisle, F. W. Bubb

It is the purpose of this paper to describe an electrical computer which has been constructed to solve the equations for vapor-liquid equilibrium in multi-component systems. The instrument consists of seven component-computing units each with proper indicating means and power supplies. Each unit is a resistance network with a voltage matching servomechanism, and each provides an output voltage proportional to the mol-fractions for vapor and liquid phases. These voltages are summed and matched with a reference voltage to provide the solutions. Any reasonable number of such units may be put together to make a computer. The theory and operation of the computer is discussed. A number of applications and examples of computer results are given. The computer yields the over-all vapor or liquid fraction to a probable error of 0.002. An interpolation method is described which reduces the probable error to 0.0002. INTRODUCTION The process known as Flash Vaporization may be described as follows: A mixture of known composition of relatively volatile components is allowed to come to thermodynamic equilibrium at some given temperature and pressure by any path whatsoever. In general, a vapor and a liquid phase will be present at equilbrium. The problem is to determine the fractions of the mixture in the vapor and liquid phases, and to determine the mol fractions of the various components in each phase. The relations that exist between these various quantities at equilibrium are well known and will be given later. These equations are difficult to solve, yielding only to trial-and-error methods. The virtues of the analog computer are its speed and the automatic character of its calculations. The device is operated by turning a crank which varies the value of v, the total vapor fraction. This actuates a number of servomechanisms which perform automatically all computations. This computer facilitates the solution of such problems as (to mention a few] : Analysis of separator operation, studies of changes in composition of reservoir fluids with pressure decline, and analysis of natural gasoline plant operation. Examples of some of these problems are given in detail later. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM The essential equations are xm = 1+(km-l)v . . (1) Kmzm ym =------------------------. . (2) 1 + (Km-l)v ; n n S S xm= --------------------=1 1 + (Km-l)v m = 1 m=1 ......(3) n n S = S Km Zm =1 S ym 1 + (Km-1)v m=1 m = l ......(4) where ym = Vm/V = Mol fraction of m-th component in vapor phase. xm = Lm/L = Mol fraction of m-th component in liquid phase. Zm = Fm/F = Mol fraction of m-th component in mixture. KM = ym/xm = Equilibrium constant for m-th component at the given temperature and pressure. v = V/F = Mol fraction of vapor in the mixture. F = Total mols of a mixture of n components. V - Total mols of vapor in the mixture. L = Total mols of liquid in the mixture. Fm = Total mols of m-th component. Lm = Mols of m-th component in liquid phase. Vm = Mols of m-th component in vapor phase. Assuming the total mols of the mixture F and its composition (all the Fm) to be known — either from a quantitative analysis or from the amounts put together to make the mixture — the zm = Fm/F may be regarded as known quantities. From the given temperature and pressure of the mixture the K., are known (principally from experimental data). The primary problem is then: having given all the zm and Km to calculate v and all the fractions xm and ym. Having calculated these ratios, it is a simple matter to calculate V. L. Vm, Lm from their defining equations. SOLUTION OF THE PROBLEM Basic Computer Unit The computer consists of n units, each of which provides voltages xEo and YE, proportional to x and y as in

Jan 1, 1950

By Albert B. Horn, J. J. McKetta, O. L. Culberson

Since water is present in natural gas and petroleum reservoirs, it is of engineering value to have accurate experimental data regarding the behavior of water in hydro-carbon systems. Since experimental data of this nature are so scarce in literature, a program is under way at the University of Texas to obtain experimental data regarding the distribution of water in petroleum hydrocarbons. This initial paper is subdivided into three parts: A. The apparatus and analytical procedure are discussed. B. The equipment has been checked by comparing the experimental data with data of literature on the solubility of methane in water at 77°F and pressures to 10,000 psia. C. Experimental data are presented at 100, 160, 220, 280, and 340°F on the solubility of ethane in water at pressures to 1200 psia. As the temperature is increased the solubility of ethane in water first exhibits a minimum and then a maximum solubility. The range of applicability of Henry's Law is discussed. INTRODUCTION Although considerable experimental data have been published on water-hydrocarbon systems in the hydrate region, the information on these systems in the vapor-liquid and the vapor-liquid- 'References are given at end of paper. Manuscript received at the office of the Petroleum Branch August 31. 1949. liquid regions at elevated pressures is extremely scarce. A survey of the literature on hydrocarbon-water systems at elevated pressures was presented by McKetta and Katz12,13,14 showing the systems and phases investigated. In addition to these existing published data, Poettman and Dean" have reported the water content of propane in the three-phase region (only the propane-rich liquid and the vapor phases were studied) and Michels, et al.15 have reported the solubility of methane in water at pressures to 6800 pounds per square inch at 77°F and at pressures to 1500 psia at temperatures to 300°F. It has been shown12,14 that the presence of water will materially affect the phase equilibrium of hydrocarbon systems. In order to make experimental studies on the quantitative effect of the presence of water in naturally-occurring hydrocarbon systems, it is desirable to have data available on binary hydrocarbon-water systems. A program is underway at this laboratory to determine the phase relations of the hydrocarbon-water systems. Initially the investigation will be limited to binary systems with water as one of the components. Later ternary and complex systems will be investigated and reported. EQUIPMENT AND ANALYTICAL PROCEDURE Apparatus In order to avoid a description of the methods employed in each subsequent paper, a description of the apparatus and the analytical procedure will be given here. The apparatus is shown schematically in Fig. 1. The numbered items in Fig. 1 represent the high pressure valves. The equilibrium cell is of the totally enclosed type, with a volume of 550 cubic centimeters. The cell is mounted in an air bath which in turn is mounted on pillow blocks and connected to a rocking mechanism so that the cell and bath will oscillate approximately 30 degrees above and below the horizontal at 35 oscillations per minute. The air bath is heated by two resistance heaters. The first or primary heater is 250 watts and is controlled by a thermoregulator; the second heater is of 500-watt size and is manually controlled to aid in bringing the cell to equilibrium temperature. Air circulation in the bath is accomplished by means of a fan. the shaft of which is concentric to the heaters. The walls of the bath are insulated with 2-in. thick blocks of 85 per cent magnesia. Temperature observations are made with three calibrated thermocouples. One couple is sealed in a well provided within the equilibrium cell, and is used as the criterion of the cell being at the equilibrium temperature. The other two thermocouples are located on opposite sides of the cell to indicate temperature uniformity within the air bath. The thermoregulator, used in conjunction with a relay, gives a variation in the temperature of the air in the bath of plus or minus one degree Fahrenheit. However, since the equilibrium cell weighs approximately 55 pounds, the

Jan 1, 1950

By J. J. McKetta, O. L. Culberson

A preliminary investigation was made to determine the time required to attain equilibrium within the equilibrium cell for this system. Experimental and smoothed data are presented for the solubility of ethane in water for temperatures of 100°, 160°, 220°, 280" and 340 °F at pressures to 10.000 psia. The minimum solubility phenomenon disappears at 10,000 psia within this temperature range. INTRODUCTION .is a continuation of the investigation of the behavior of hydrocarbon-water systems, the experimental data on the solubility of ethane in water have been extended to 10,000 psia. The experimental apparatus, technique, materials, and analytical methods are essentially the same as previously reported.' TIME-CONCENTRATION STUDY Prior to the initial determinations of solubility in the ethane-water system. it was desired to establish the time

Jan 1, 1950

By Donald L. Katz, Michael J. Rzasa

With greater effort being devoted to the discovery of new oil and gas reserves and a consequent increase in bottom hole pressures due to greater drilling depths, the phase relationships of hydrocarbon fluids at pressures above 10,000 lb psi are becoming increasingly important. The present paper discusses the results of research with a windowed cell on a methane-Kensol 16 system to pressures of 25,000 Ib psi and temperatures to 260°F. Kensol 16 is a commercial high narrow-boiling-range oil. It is shown that for the temperature range of 60 °F to 260 °F, this particular system exists in two phases to pressures of approximately 14,000 lb psi, and data are presented giving the relative amounts of liquid and vapor phase? coexisting under these conditions. Partial phase diagrams are shown for six different mixtures of methane and Kensol 16, three of which include the critical region. In contrast to mixtures composed of substances of fairly close volatility. critical opalescence was noted for as much as 200°F of the critical temperature. The critical locus of the methane-Kensol 16 system was estimated and the conventional pressure-composition and temperature-composition diagrams were prepared. From these, the equilibrium vaporization factors for methane and Kensol 16 were estimated for temperatures from 60 °F to 700 °F and to pressures above 12,000 lb psi. The relations of this study to petroleum production problems and other phase equilibria research are discussed. INTRODUCTION A knowledge of the physical behavior of naturally-occurring hydrocarbon mixtures is fundamental to a thorough treatment of nearly all operations involved in the recovery, refining, and transportation of petroleum. The operations may involve the applications of phase relationships, and the relative

Jan 1, 1950

By William L. Boyd, Eugene L. McCarthy, Laurance S. Reid

Proper control of the moisture content of natural gas is essential to reliable operation of gas transmission and distribution facilities serving northern markets. The moisture content of natural gas is usually determined by dew point measurement at the existing pressure. For any gas of constant moistrire content. the dew Point varies with the pressure. A correlation of the data of several investigators is prezented in graphical form by the authors. These data were correlated by the authors and F. M. Townsend, C. C. Tsao. M. I). Rogers. Jr.. and J. A. Porter. graduate students in chemi(.a1 engineering at the University of Oklahoma. Of articular interest are the hitherto unpublished low temperature data observed by Wickliffe Skinner. Jr., which are included in this correlation. PRESENTATION OF DATA The problem of interpreting water dew points, or saturation temperatures. of natural gas in terms of specific moisture con-tent has increased in importance during the past decade bec.arl.;e of extensive development.; in the transmission and petro-chemical phases of the natural gas industry. Virtually all gas transported to northern and eastern markets must be dehydrated to a low water vapor content to prevent hydrate formation in transmission and distribution lines and resultant interruption.; in gas deliveries. Complete dehydration is required in certain phases of tile petro-chemical industry involving low-temperature operations. It is a well-known fact that the water vapor content of pure hydrocarbon vapors and their mixtures at superatmospheric pressures cannot be predicted with accuracy by assuming validity of the ideal gas laws." Earlier interest in the general problem was concentrated on the water vapor content of pure hydrocarhons and hydrocarbon mixtures in the pressure and temperature ranges common to gas and oil producing reservoirs in order to obtain fundamental data for the improvement of production techniques and the furtherance of reservoir studies. Excellent data are published for pressures ranging from atmospheric to 10,000 psig and for temperatures ranging from 100° to 460° F4,9,10,11 and are found to be in close agreement. However, experimental data at high pressures and temperatures below 100°F are comparatively limited in scope. Experimental data in the lower temperature range have been reported by Laulhere and Briscoe.8 Deaton, et al,2,3 Hammerscllmidt,5,6 and wade," In general, the pressures employed in these investigations ranged from atmospheric to 1.000 psig while temperatures ranged from 32° to 120°F; i.e., the usual conditions encountered in gas transmission line operations, Additional data were reported by Russell, et al,12 at pressures as high as 2.000 psig and covering a rather narrow atmospheric temperature range. In 1947, Hammerschmidt published a correlation of all available data,' in which the water vapor content of gases at saturation. under high pressure and low temperature. was predicted by extrapolation. In 1948, Wickliffe Skinner. Jr.. presented data on the moisture content of a low nitrogen content gas at low temperature and at pressures ranging upward to 1.500 psia.1-3 Comparison of Skinner's experimental data with the extrapolated data of Hammerscllmidt revealed an appreciable variation in the lower temperature range. emphasizing the need for a new correlation which would rely on Skinner's data at lower temperatures. Careful scrutiny of available data suggested that presence of an appreciable quantity of nitrogen in a gas mixture may affect its saturated moisture content so that data obtained from gases with more than three per cent nitrogen were not used in this correlation. CORRELATION OF DATA Data employed in this correlation are presented in Table I. The data of Dodson and Standing.4 McKetta and Katz,9 and Olds, Sage and Lacey10 were compared and found to be in close agreement so that the data of Olds. et al, re-plotted in a more convenient form by the Humble Oil and Refining Co.,' were used for temperatures of 100°F and above. Skinner's data were used for temperatures below 40°F. Between these intermediate temperature limits, the data of Hammerschmidt.7 Wade" and extrapolated data of Olds. et al.1 were tabulated

Jan 1, 1950

By Laurance S. Reid, Joe A. Porter

Gas dehydration plays an important part in the production of natural gas. Effective dehydration prevents formation of gas hydrates and the accumulation of water in transmission Systems,2,6,7 insuring uninterrupted gas deliveries at maximum efficiency under the most adverse weather conditions. At the present time, most gas companies require a maximum water vapor content of seven lb per million standard cu ft of gas. so that virtually all gas tendered for sale must he dehydrated to meet this specification. For a number of years it has been common practice to produce gas and gather it at a common point for dehydration prior to discharge into the transmission system.1,3,11,16,17 However, higher transmission line pressures, long gathering lines and relatively low ground temperatures have made it necessary to dehydrate gas at. or near. individual. wells in order to gather gas from a number of newly developed fields without unusual difficulty. Where gas has been dehydrated at pressures ranging from 300 to 800 psi in the past. future trends indicate that these processes may be operated at pressures as high as 2,000 psi. Economics of gas dehydration are of great importance, partitularly where facilities must he provided to process relatively small quantities of gas, such as the production from an individual well. Although the adsorption of water vapor from gas on a granular sorbent material such as activated bauxite, activated alumina, or one of the alumina-silica gels is highly effective and produces virtually "bone dry" gas, the cost of a small unit of this type is substantially greater than that of an absorption process which, through proper selection of the absorbing liquid, will dehydrate the gas sufficiently to meet pipe line specifications. For this reason, a great deal of emphacis has been placed on the development of small, inexpensive dehydration units8,24 and the search for more effective absorb. ent liquids has been intensified. A wide variety of methods for dehydrating gas are known' and many of these have been used in industry. Earlier applications of the absorption process employed concentrated solutions of calcium and lithium chlorides as the absorbent. The severe corrosion problems inherent in handling these solutions and the relatively small dew point depressions obtained caused early abandonment in favor of, or conversion to. diethylene glycol when it was found that aqueous solutions of this organic liquid were more hygroscopic than the brines and were non-corrosive. Processes employing diethylene glycol-water solutions are widely used for gas dehydration at pressures ranging as high as 1,200 psi.13,14,15 At nominal pressures a dew point depression of 45° to 50°F may be be and the data of Russell et al." indicate that a minimum dew point is obtained from the effluent gas at a pressure of approximately 1,200 psi when the gas is in equilibrium contact with a 95 per cent by weight diethylene glycol solution. In a number of instances the dew point depression obtained with diethylene glycol-water solutions is not sufficient to produce a specification product without cooling the inlet gas. In a recent search for a better absorhent, triethylene glycol was used in a small commercial dehydration unit and subjected to rather exhaustive field tests.' The data obtained were encouraging and indicated that, at pressures ranging from 300 to 500 psi, triethylene glycol porduced a substantially greater dew point depression than diethylene glycol. These results led to an investigation of the system natural gas-water-triethylene glycol in an effort to obtain vapor-liquid equilibrium data, to determine pressure limitations, and to develop other data pertinent to the design of gas dehydration processes. A review of the literature has failed to reveal any data which permit reasonably accurate calculation of the vapor-liquid equilibrium conditions for a solution of water and triethylene glycol in contact with natural gas at high pressure. Since these constituents form a non-ideal system, the Poynting equation18,21 or the usual combination of Raoult's and Dalton's laws19,20,22 would not be valid. Correction of Raoult's and Dalton's laws by the use of activity coefficients2' is not feasible for available data are insufficient for the prediction of the actual increase in the ratio of the activity of one component in the vapor phase to its activity in the liquid. Therefore. experi-

Jan 1, 1950

By Y. A. Chang

The objective of the present study is to evaluate and compile the relevant phase equilibria and thermodynamic data reported in the literature for the ternary system Cu-Fe-S. It is hoped that the results presented here will be useful to practising engineers and scientists in industry who are attempting to improve continually the existing processes of copper extraction and refining. At the same time, the present work will undoubtedly reveal the lack of some basic data which are important for the improvement of our existing extractive processes. Lastly, this work will also show that the development of theoretical models for the alloy phases in the Cu-Fe-S system is essential before complete consistency between the phase equilibria and the thermodynamic data can be achieved.

Jan 1, 1976

By Antonio Luraschi

The constituents iron, oxygen, silica and cop- per are of principal interest in slags utilized in pyrornetallurgical processes for producing copper. Accordingly, phase relationships in the.Cu-Fe-0-SiO2 system are important when one considers the physico- chemical behavior of slags. These phase relation- ships for the quaternary and constituent ternary systems are developed from available information. Isothermal composition and composition-oxygen potential diagrams, and oxygen potential-temperature diagrams are utilized to describe the' important relationships.

Jan 1, 1976

Ni and samaria-doped ceria (Ni-SDC) cermet are desirable materials for making a solid oxide fuel cell anode working at intermediate temperature (800°C or lower) due to its good ionic/electronic conductivity at the reduced operating temperature. An advantage of the use of a Ni-SDC anode is the enlargement of the effective reaction zone in the interfacial area between the anode and the electrolyte. As a result of the mixed ionic/electronic conductivity of the anode, the electrode reaction rate is enhanced. Investigations into the properties of the ceria-based anode reveal that the performance of the anode is closely related to its microstructures, which are dependent on the composition and fabrication conditions of the ceramics. In this paper, a method for quantitative characterization and correlation of Ni-SDC cermet microstructures to the performance of an anode is investigated. A series of Ni-SDC anode samples are prepared by screen-printing (SP) and spin-coating (SC) techniques, and different microstructures of the samples are obtained through controlling the SP or SC conditions and the sintering temperature. Individual phases (Ni, SDC and pore) in the tri-phase boundary (TPB) microstructures in the electrode are differentiated and segmented from each other in optical and SEM images based on the differences in refractivity and atomic contrasts among the phases. The geometric properties of the segmented phases are characterized using image analysis methods, so that a quantitative skeleton illustrating the TPB microstructures of the Ni-SDC electrode is obtained. Statistical analysis of the distribution of the three phases in the TPB microstructures is performed and the relationship of the microstructures with the optimum electrode is interpreted in terms of the microstructure analysis data.

Jan 1, 2005

By R. P. Ehrlich, D. A. Dahlstrom

In the hydrometallurgical circuit, many phase separation steps are usually necessary. Typical steps are pregnant liquor - leach residue separation by counter- current decantation or continuous vacuum filtration, clarification of liquids prior to precipitation, ion exchange or solvent extraction, dewatering of final product, etc. The paper discusses the more recent advances in these areas and considers general operating parameters and cost factors. In addition, emphasis is placed on future needs because of the growing importance and necessity of hydrometallurgical processing of minerals.

Jan 1, 1973

By R. R. Swanson

Liquid ion exchange is becoming more and more important in hydro-metallurgical processing and recovery of metals. The key to success for this process are reagents which have suitable operating characteristics. One of these important characteristics is a relatively fast phase separation rate in the extraction and stripping circuits, as this greatly affects the size of plant required. A test for measuring phase separation rate is needed to help evaluate liquid ion exchange reagents. Such "a test also would be useful for evaluating carrier solvents that are used for diluting the re-agents. In fact, one standard test method would be very desirable as it would provide a common basis for comparing reagents and sol-vents. The phase separation test described in this paper has been used successfully for several years with the copper reagent, LIX®64N. The test is set up for feed liquors containing low copper concentrations. For other types of systems, modifications in procedure probably would be necessary. However, this test and the associated apparatus could be the basis for a standard phase separation test.

Jan 1, 1972

By Dan Wang, Qian Xu, Guangshi Li, Xionggang Lu, Xingli Zou, Zhongfu Zhou, Hongwei Cheng, Changyuan Lu

The preoxidation of the ore has a profound significance to the concentration, separation and purification of nickel and copper from the lean complex ore. In this paper, the natural Ni-Cu sulfide mineral samples under the elevated temperature condition in air were investigated, as well as under isothermal condition at 600 oC in air. The mineralogical characterization was studied using XRF, ICP and the Rietveld method. The oxidation behavior and the element migration of the Ni-Cu sulfide ore were studied by XRD, SEM-EDS and TG. The XRD Rietveld method was successfully developed in the phase identification and quantification of this complex ore powder sample. The oxidative intermediates (Cu/Ni-ferrite) were detected by XRD, and the process of the element migration was obviously revealed by the line scans using SEM-EDS. It is the preoxidation of this mineral that provides guidance for the extraction of valuable metals from low-grade Ni-Cu sulfide ores in the future.

Jan 1, 2015

By Baozhong Ma, Qian Li, Yonggang Wei, Shiwei Zhou, Bo Li, Chengyan Wang, Hua Wang

The magnesium-rich nickel oxide ore (w (Ni) =1.09 %, w (MgO)=29.08 %) mixed with 6 % and 8 % anthracite were roasted at different temperatures. XRD and SEM/EDS techniques were utilized to characterize the phase and microstructure transformation of the ores. The results show that lizardite and chrysotile of raw ore were converted into forsterite and enstatite during reduction roasting process. Simultaneously, iron and nickel oxide were reduced and migrated from the initial magnesium silicate. Fe3Si were formed when the roasting temperature went up to 1300 ℃ and 1350 ℃, and a small amount of Ni was observed in it. Temperatures got too high were not benefit to the polymerization of ferronickel.

Jan 1, 2015

By Bowen Li

Andalusite is an excellent raw material for refractory applications due to its high aluminum oxide content and phase transformation to mullite at high temperature. Granular andalusite in particle sizes of about 1 to 2 mm was traditionally utilized for the manufacturing of refractory brick. However, if powder andalusite in micron particle size is utilized in high-alumina refractory products, reinforcement on the refractory brick can be obtained and the sintering temperature can be decreased. The phase transformation of powder andalusite plays a key role for the difference.

Jan 1, 2006

By Yuanbo Zhang, Yingming Chen, Zijian Su, Bingbing Liu, Guanghui Li, Tao Jiang

High calcium type tin, iron-bearing tailing is recognized as one of typically complex iron ore resources in China. A process of magnetizing roasting process followed by magnetic separation was used to utilize the tailings in our previous paper. Under the optimal conditions, qualified magnetic concentrates were obtained and could be used for direct reduced iron production. In this study, the phase transformation of these tailings during the magnetizing roasting process was investigated. And the reaction behavior between calcium oxide and iron oxide was revealed by using XRD, TG-DSC, VSM, etc. The results indicated that calcium ferrite was easily formed under CO–CO2 atmosphere, which has an unfavorable effect on the separation of iron and tin oxides from the tailings.

Mar 1, 2017

By Yingbao Yang, Jinyue Liu, Yonggang Wei, Bo Li

Due to the depletion of copper ore with high-grade and low impurity contents, the raw materials for copper smelting exhibit low copper contents and high impurities. High-impurity elements lead to the poor performance of the final copper product; thus, the removal of impurity elements during the oxygen-enriched copper smelting process is crucial. In this study, based on the production of high-grade matte, the occurrence states of impurity elements (such as As, Pb, and Zn) are analyzed in the input and output materials of the oxygen-enriched smelting process, and the phase transformation mechanisms of impurity elements are revealed during the oxygen-enriched smelting process. The effects of temperature, Fe/SiO2 ratio and oxygen concentration on the distribution behaviors of impurity elements in dust, slag and matte and the removal rates of impurity elements in matte are clarified. The results show that the impurity elements mainly exist as As4, As4S4, As2O3, Pb, PbS, PbO, Zn and ZnS in dust, as FeAsO4, As2O3, FeAsS, PbSiO3, Zn2SiO4 and ZnFe2O4 in slag, and as As, FeAsS, PbS, PbO and ZnS in matte. High smelting temperature, low Fe/SiO2 ratio and low oxygen concentration are beneficial for improving the matte grade and the removal rates of impurity elements Pb and Zn in matte. Low smelting temperature, low Fe/SiO2 ratio and high oxygen concentration are beneficial for removing impurity element As in matte.

Aug 8, 2023