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By M. C. Ruiz

The conventional pyrometallurgical methods to treat copper sulfide concentrates include generally, one or more oxidizing steps where the formation of SO2 gas can not be prevented. From the economical point of view and the nature of some of the processes in which SO2 is produced, its complete capture is not feasible; therefore an important fraction is released to the atmosphere as fugitive emissions. In this research, the reduction of chalcocite was studied in the presence of lime as an alternative method, which overcomes the pollution problems related to SO2 emissions. The effect of temperature, time, concentration of carbon and CaO on the reduction rate were studied. Among these variables, temperature affects most the reduction rate. Conversions over 95 % can be obtained in less that 20 minutes at temperatures over 1000 ° C. The measured partial pressures of the gaseous components indicated that the chalcocite reduction proceeded through the gaseous intermediate species CO, C02, and the overall kinetics was controlled by the Boudouard reaction. The kinetic model In(1-X)= kt fits well the experimental data. Apparent activation energy of 3 14 kJ/mol was calculated for the temperature range of 900 0C-1050 °C.

Jan 1, 1999

By E. A. Chavarriaga, L. J. Jaramillo, O. J. Restrepo

"This paper presents the results of the manufacturing ceramic pigments with spinel structure, using methods of synthesis of low temperature. In this work we obtained spinel structures type by the methods of Self-combustion, Coprecipitation, Microemulsion, Gel citrate and Pechini. These methods become an attractive alternative to traditional method (ceramic method), since we can work at a lower temperature, reducing manufacturing costs, lower fuel consumption, less wear on equipment and other environmental and economic implications. Also it is possible to have control over features such as stoichiometry, morphology of the products, reaction times and structures. The products obtained by these routes will be used in the manufacture of ceramic pigments and characterized using different techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and UV-VIS spectrophotometry.IntroductionSpinels are ternary oxides AB204, where A and B are cations occupying tetrahedral and octahedral positions respectively. These oxides exhibit interesting electrical, magnetic and catalytic properties [1-4], depending on its nature, charging and intrinsic distribution of ions [5].The most widely used method to prepare spinels has been through solid state reaction, which consists of mixed oxides at high temperatures [6, 7]. In the last years, there have been a strong tendency to use chemical routes for the synthesis of crystalline ceramic particles at low temperatures [8,9]. Unconventional methods currently employed for the synthesis of complex oxides are Gel citrate method, Pechini, Spontaneous combustion, Microemulsion and Coprecipitation. Pechini method [10, 11], based on polymeric precursors, does not require high temperatures and allows stoichiometric control for greater reproducibility. This method involves the formation of a polymeric resin between a metal quelate and polyhydroxy acid of alcohol by polyestirification.Coprecipitation is important for many environmental problems related to water resources, including acid mine drainage, migration of radionuclides in waste repositories dirty, transport of contaminant metals in the industry, metal concentrations in aqueous systems and the technology of wastewater treatment. The coprecipitation process can vary in each case; the partition in the solid phase can be carried out by surface adsorption, ion exchange, surface precipitation, occlusion and formation of solid solution. The formation of solid solution is the result of structural incorporation of the marker in structural support sites resulting in a minor component in the solid solution with the host phase that has a very low solubility of pure solid [12]. Synthesis by gel citrate method allows the use of a route to obtain ceramic pigments from a very simple experimental system in which the stoichiometric control, the size and shape of the particles and the purity of the phases obtained can be controlled more accurately [13]."

Jan 1, 2012

By P. Mazumder

Numerical analysis is carried out to examine the effects of thermosolutal convection on the formation of complex patterns in directionally solidified binary alloys. A finite-difference analysis is used for dynamic modeling of a two-dimensional prototype of Vertical Bridgman system that takes into account heat transfer in the melt, crystal, and the ampoule; melt flow and solute transport. Actual temperature data from experimental measurements are used for accurately describing the thermal boundary conditions. A range of complex dynamical behavior is predicted in the melt flow due to flow transitions and this is found to be directly related to the spatial patterns observed experimentally in the solidified alloys. The model is applied to single phase solidification in the Al-Cu and Pb-Sn systems to characterize the effect of convection on the macroscopic shape of the interface. The application of the model to hyper-peritectic alloys in the Sn-Cd system shows that the presence of oscillating flow can give rise to a novel convection induced microstructure in which a tree-like primary phase in the center of the sample is embedded in the surrounding peritectic matrix.

Jan 1, 1999

By Chris Doyle

From 1997-2000. PT INCO undertook the Fourth Line Expansion Project (FLEX) to increase annual production rates from 90-100 to 150 Mlbs Ni/year (68,000 MT Ni/yr). In 2003, PT INCO nickel production underwent a major sustainable step jump that finally exceeded the targeted rate. This paper presents the changes that led to this achievement. The focus of mining changed. Improving Ni grade was important but only if electric furnace feed met target chemistry so that on-specification slag could be produced. The intensity of diamond core drilling for exploration was dramatically upgraded, mine planning strategy was totally re- vamped and an ore chemistry quality assurance team was formed. In the processing plant, measurement systems were upgraded for better control. Teamwork between sections vastly improved. The final step jump in production occurred when the fifth hydro-electric power generator was added to the furnace grid to allow the power-starved furnaces to cruise in operation at 70+ MW. Keywords: Free cash flow, Ore Chemistry, Measure, Control, Improve

Jan 1, 2004

By Guo Gongyi

An extraction chromatography by which 99.99 % pure scandium oxide can be prepared from the starting materiel containing about 70% scandium oxide has been developed by taking advantage of some peculiar properties of the complex chemistry and extraction chemistry of scandium. The purification of scandium was performed at room temperature with relatively fast rates in two chromatographic columns. The preliminary separation of scandium from impurities was done by extraction chromatography using tri-butyl phosphate as the stationery phase in the presence of citric acid, and the nearly complete separation in the presence of perchloric acid. The scandium recovery was greater than 90 %.

Jan 1, 1989

By Andreas Weber

Batrec operates a plant for the recycling of used dry batteries with a capacity of 3000 tons per year. The plant Is situated In a tourist area of Switzerland and has complied with all the strict emission restrictions. The process yields four products: FeMn. Zn, Hg and slag. No hazardous waste Is produced. All types of batteries can be treated.

Jan 1, 1995

By G. E. Lagos

This paper analyses the scope and instruments employed by the Basel Convention for regulating the transboundary movement of hazardous wastes, the present and projected hazardous waste regulations of Chile, reviews the Chilean import/export trade of wastes of the period 1985-1995, and discusses, the influence that the Basel Convention has had on mining trade, its perceived benefits and costs, and possible effects on Chile's trade of the application of the Convention's Decision III/l. There is no quantitative estimation as to the effect of the Convention on the general volume of imported or exported materials destined for recovery, recycling, reclamation, or reuse. All recycling imports, with the possible exception of residues of petroleum oil, which occurred during the decade 1985-1995, can be classified tentatively as non hazardous. The entry into force of the Convention has had several effects on Chile's trade. It has brought home the need to have a comprehensive hazardous waste legislation, it has been a base for applying import restrictions, which in all likelihood, would .have otherwise not been applied, The benefits and costs of this import restriction, as well as those of the multilateral export ban are analyzed.

Jan 1, 1999

By Hang Goo Kim

A mathematical analysis based on equilibrium modeling has been developed to describe the distribution behavior of minor elements such as Pb, Zn, Bi, Sb, and As among gas, slag and recovered copper phases during the reduction of copper oxide in slag cleaning with CO gas. The results show that large fractions of the impurities transferred to slag during smelting or converting are recycled to the recovered copper metal. It is also shown that there is a limit to the recovery of copper from slag because iron oxides are also reduced to form a copper-iron alloy at low oxygen potentials. The effects of various operating parameters such as temperature, the activity of FeO, the initial amounts of the elements in the slag and CO content in process gas, on the behavior of these minor elements are discussed. The predicted results were compared with the results of a pilot plant operation in which pulverized coal was used as a reductant. Consistent trends between the two cases were obtained.

Jan 1, 1992

By M. Barkhudarov

The results are presented of research aimed at validation and development of a general purpose CFD code FLOW-3D. FLOW-3D is a commercial code developed by FLOW SCIENCE, INC. A number of physical modeling experiments involving the filling of cavities of different geometries with coloured water have been performed in order to compare the measurements with the results of computer simulations. Other numerical calculations were also done to be compared with the known analytical solutions.

Jan 1, 1992

By M. Zamalloa

Slag foaming is an important phenomenon in many metallurgical processes. It creates large surface areas for multi-phase reactions to take place. In other applications, it protects electrodes and improves the energy efficiency by reducing radiation from hot surfaces. However, it may also be a source of serious disturbances. To control and optimize the use of slag foams, an extensive knowledge of the factors controlling the foam formation and stability is required. Slag foaming experiments were carried out using synthetic FeO-CaO-Si02 slags at temperatures ranging from 1200 to 1350 "C. A data acquisition system was used to continuously measure the foam height, gas flow rate, bubble frequency and temperature. The experimental results show that the gas injection rate has a strong effect on the behaviour of slag foams. At high flow rates and rapid bubbling, unstable foams with short decay times were created. The addition of P20, favours the foam formation and stability by lowering the surface tension of the slag. The average foam life increases with decreasing basicity (CaO/Si02). It is proposed that this is attributed to the increase of the surface viscosity due to surface adsorption of a thin film of silica, retarding the drainage of the liquid films.

Jan 1, 1992

By Yang Wang, Xiancong Zhao, Hao Bai, Qi Shi, Zhancheng Guo

Linz-Donawitz converter gas (LDG) or basic oxygen steelmaking gas (BOSG) is one of the most important secondary energy sources in iron and steel industry, whose effective use plays a vital role in energy saving and emission reduction. However, the generation of LDG suffers from great fluctuation with respect to the production status of steel making. Therefore, a long term prediction model of LDG generation would be essential in gas system balancing and optimization. In this paper, a long term prediction model for the generation volume of LDG was proposed based on the steelmaking production estimation from Gantt chart and k-means clustering algorithm. Compared with the previous model, this model considered the influence of different steel type on LDG generation. The experimental results of a steel plant demonstrate that the proposed model exhibits high accuracy and can provide an effective guidance for balancing and scheduling of byproduct gases.

Jan 1, 2016

By Jenq-Gong Duh, Jyh-Wei Lee

"Hard chromizing process is a method for developing a surface modified coating providing wear, corrosion resistance and high temperature surface protection. Two carbon steels with 0.45 wt% and 0.95 wt% carbon contents, respectively, were chromized with pack cementation process at 950'C for 4 and 9 hours, respectively. The phase transformation and microstructure phenomena of chromized coating layer and matrix of two steels were studied with X-ray diffractometer and electron probe microanalyzer. (Cr,Fe)23C6 and (Cr,Fe)7C3 carbides and (Cr,Fe)2N1-x nitride phases were observed on the chromized surfaces. The thickness of chromized layers obeyed the parabolic rate law. The mechanism and diffusional kinetics of the chromizing process were proposed. The diffusivity of chromium in the (Cr,Fe)7C3 carbide phase was calculated using the moving boundary method.IntroductionChromizing process is one of the surface treatment technologies that can produce a chromium contained surface layer with sufficient corrosion and wear resistance on the steel matrix [1-7]. The relatively low cost and no ""line-of-sight"" restrictions are main advantages of chromizing. Adequate bonding strength of these coatings to the substrate was reported [7]. Chromizing process can be classified into soft chromizing and hard chromizing [2]. Soft chromizing is applied to steels containing less than 0.1wt% carbon through which chromium will be diffused. High temperature oxidation resistance improvement is the main purpose of soft chromizing process. On the contrary, the hard chromizing can be applied to steel containing more than 0.3wt% carbon, and very hard chromium nitride and carbide layers will be formed on the surface, which are very resistant to wear, corrosion and temperature [5-7]. In the previous studies on the Fe-Mn-Al-Cr alloy [5,7] and carbon steels [6], the thickness (X) of chromizing layers was analyzed and found the parabolic rate Jaw prevailed:"

Jan 1, 2004

By Stavros A. Argyropoulos, Henry H. Hu

"The assimilation of exothermic additions in liquid metals exhibit an array of unique coupled heat, mass and momentum transport phenomena. These phenomena are further complicated by the presence of a moving boundary.This paper describes a) A mathematical model which simulates the complex phenomena, and b) An extensive verification of the mathematical model. The SIMPLER algorithm was employed to solve numerically the pertinent partial differential equations. The computational results indicated that the exothermic heat of mixing led to a rapid increase in temperature around the moving boundary, which produced an enhanced convective flow in the liquid phase. The intensification of fluid flow around the moving boundary resulted in an acceleration of the melting process.Verification of the model was carried out in two contexts. The first was, in a low temperature physical model consisting of ice immersion in different sulfuric acid solutions. In this physical model, both temperature and velocity measurements were carried out. The model results were compared with experimental measurements and they were found to be in excellent agreement. The second context employed high temperatures, involving the assimilation of silicon in high carbon liquid iron. The model was also applied to predict fluid flow, heat and mass transfer for these high temperature experiments and a good agreement was obtained.In addition new dimensionless heat transfer correlations that quantify these complex phenomena will be presented."

Jan 1, 2001

By Pinakin C. Chaubal

Today?s steel industry is in a vibrant and resurgent mode. This transformation has been in the making for some time now. Over the last few decades, the industry was steadily transforming itself into becoming a high tech industry. New technology was adopted, efficiencies were enhanced, lean manufacturing concepts were brought in and a strong customer focus was developed. Today?s mills employ sophisticated instrumentation, computerized monitoring, on-line smart systems etc. driving processes that are producing at rates of many tons/minute. All this is not possible without judiciously using the latest available technologies in various fields and developing a more sophisticated work force. Prof. Sohn has been a pioneer in driving the concept of process engineering in process metallurgy. In this paper the focus is on some aspects of process engineering ? primarily process modeling - as applied to iron and steelmaking processes. Examples are shown to demonstrate how problems have been addressed. Some thoughts on future directions are presented.

Jan 1, 2006

By Gökhan Demirci, Ishak Karakaya

"Energy consumption in electrolytic magnesium cells is well above the theoretical values. However, the mechanism of the back reaction, the main cause of the current losses, has not been fully understood yet. Magnesium dissolution into the melt is generally regarded as the limiting step for the back reaction. Accordingly, present cell designs are made with priority given to fast magnesium removal from the cell. However, experimental data and modeling results in this study indicate that the limiting step for the back reaction between magnesium and chlorine is the chlorine dissolution into the electrolyte when physical contact between electrolysis products was eliminated. Effects of chlorine bubbles on the current efficiency and the cell potential were investigated. Results show that the extent of back reaction is proportional to the chlorine surface area in contact with the electrolyte per unit time, and the cell potential increases with the amount of chlorine bubbles inside the electrolyte.1. IntroductionMagnesium is less dense than the electrolyte in electrolytic magnesium production. Therefore, both electrode products, magnesium and the chlorine gas, move upwards inside the molten salt electrolyte during electrolysis. The upward motion of electrode products promotes the most important current loss mechanism, the ""back reaction"". Separation of the highly reactive species; liquid magnesium and the chlorine gas in the cell, to prevent their recombination is one of the main concerns in cell designs. The employment of large inter-electrode distance or a separation wall in early cell designs; decreased the extent of recombination, but increased the cell voltage and energy consumption. Recent cell designs, on the other hand, make use of lifting action of chlorine gas [1,2] by utilizing smaller inter electrode distances to separate the magnesium and chlorine gas faster. Although energy consumption was reduced, but more physical interactions between electrode products make electrolytic magnesium cells still highly inefficient when energy consumptions are compared with the theoretical values. Today, the most efficient industrial cells utilizing high purity feed operate at 10.5-11.5 kWh kg-1 Mg [3-5] and it is considerably higher than the theoretically attainable value of about 6.0 kWh kg-1 [6]. This large gap demonstrates the necessity of more research on physics and chemistry of magnesium cell electrolysis."

Jan 1, 2011

By Yoshinao Kobayashi

he removal of oxygen from titanium and zirconium is important for use in application because it significantly affects the mechanical and physical properties such as ductility and toughness. However, thermodynamic properties of oxygen in molten titanium and zirconium have not been clarified and the effective deoxidation process of molten titanium and zirconium has not been established. In this study, the standard Gibbs energy of reaction of oxygen and yttrium in molten titanium and zirconium have been measured by a chemical equilibrium technique. Molten titanium, zirconium, and their alloys with aluminum were equilibrated with a Y2O3, A12O3, or Zr02 pellet in a cold crucible. The results are summarized as follows:

Jan 1, 2000

By Dirk Bergmann

During the spray forming process, a continuous molten metal stream is atomized by impinging high speed inert gas jets. In the generated spray cone, the resulting metal droplets are rapidly cooled by the huge temperature difference to the surrounding gas phase and thereby partly solidified during flight. After a certain flight and residence time inside the spray cone, the droplets impinge onto the solid substrate and form the product (deposit) by compaction. Material properties of this preform strongly depend on several process parameters and especially on the thermal and kinetic state of the deposited droplets at the point of impingement. Smaller droplets may cool very fast due to their low mass and impinge onto the product in a completely solidified state as solid metal powder particles. Larger droplets with big mass contain a higher amount of thermal energy and impact during the state of phase change or still as completely liquid. It is obvious, that a certain amount of liquid content in the droplets is needed for forming a homogeneous deposit. Therefore, the thermal history of metal droplets during flight in the spray cone is of great importance for overall process modelling and control. Modelling the effects of the impinging droplet mass on the formation and heat balance of the deposit, the thermal conditions of the droplet stream need to be temporary and spatially averaged at different locations. Averaging may be achieved in different ways, giving alternative results. A first method is averaging over the droplets total enthalpy which consists of the thermal content and the remaining latent heat of fusion within the droplets. A second method may yield the average over the heat content and the solid fraction separately. Results of these two methods depend on the application and the kind of information which one wants to achieve and show some deviations, which will be discussed in terms of consolidation and energy conservation of the deposit.

Jan 1, 1999

By V. Vergara

Four copper composites were obtained by mechanical alloying, using as dispersed phases of four carbide powders; they were: boron carbide, chromium carbide, silicon carbide and zirconium carbide. The purpose of this work was to study some characteristics of these compounds and their feasibility for use as materials for electrical equipment. Raw materials used were copper powder finer than 150 mesh, and 2-4 vol % of powder carbides finer than 325 mesh. The alloying process was carried out using both a Spex 800-D mill with tungsten jars and balls and a hardened stainless steel jar and balls, the purpose of which was to measure the degree of contamination induced by the milling media. The changes in particle size, morphology and microstructure of copper alloys were studied with SEM and TEM for each alloyed powder. The degree of saturation of copper by the carbides was measured by X-ray diffraction. Sound samples were obtained by hot isostatic pressing at 1073°K. The best characteristics were obtained for the compound copper-chromium carbide, based on their hardness, tensile strength and electrical conductivity values. The other alloys failed due to their excessive brittleness after hot pressing.

Jan 1, 1999

By P. R. Khangaonkar

The variety of intermediates, middlings, complex materials and wastes produced in the conventional processing of tin ores as experienced in the tin industry in South East Asia is reviewed. The problems associated with the treatment of these materials so as to produce useful products by hydrometallurgical or pyro-cum-bydrometallurgical approaches are discussed. Results of treatment of amang middlings consisting of cassiterite, struverite, ilmenite, zircon, monazite etc by chlorination with carbon tetra chloride are presented. The efforts to leach tin without letting iron coming in, by alkali leaching of certain wastes of tin processing are also briefly indicated. It is felt that pyro-cum-hydrometallurgical approach can help a viable treatment of these materials so as to obtain usable or value added products.

Jan 1, 1994

By G. Upadhya

Of late, solidification modeling has progressed considerably to emerge as a viable simulation tool for the foundry engineer. A wide variety of tools exist in the commercial market to cater to the various needs of the design/ foundry engineer. In fact, recent developments in the area of solidification modeling have been so rapid that a comprehensive review of the state-of-the-art is very much needed. In this paper, an attempt is made to summarize the various issues of solidification modeling, at the same time addressing the historical evolution of the subject. The various phenomenological issues covered in this paper include: heat transfer, fluid flow during mold-filling, solidification kinetics and microstructural evolution, quick-analysis schemes for approximations, porosity prediction models, and the phenomena of fluid flow in the mushy zone. Modeling issues related to the development of solidification stresses which lead to defects such as hot tears and the development of artificial intelligence concepts in the area of rigging design are also discussed. Due emphasis is given to the various phenomena which add to the complexity of the whole subject, and the various alternatives available for solving a particular problem. For example, the heat transfer problem can be approached by the use of simple modulus schemes or by solving the conduction equation to obtain a more accurate temperature distribution. Similarly the microstructural evolution can be handled in a deterministic way by use of nucleation and growth models, or in a probabilistic way by use of empirical models. The main goal of this paper is to put the multi-faceted problem of solidification modeling in proper perspective so that it can serve as a guide for future developments in this area.

Jan 1, 1994