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By Lichao Ding, Chunhua Liu, Yunnen Chen

"In this paper the simulated acid magenta dye discoloring the reaction process was researched. The results showed that it attained highest decolorization efficiency for acidic magenta simulation dye wastewater when pH 9 and reaction time 10 min. With the initial dye wastewater concentration increased, the decolored rate decreased. The decolored rate in general kept a tendency to increase with the temperature increased. Kinetics researches showed that when pH 9, reaction temperature 20 and 35 ?, the decoloring reaction process for the dyes accorded with the First-order dynamic equation. The decoloring reaction rate constant was influenced by initial concentration of dye wastewater and temperature.1. IntroductionIn China, textile printing and dyeing industry is one of industrial departments which using more water and discharging more wastewater. There is about 7 billion tons of waste water discharge each year, of which 80% from the process of printing and dyeing. Being complex ingredients, high chroma, more toxic substances and severe environment pollution, the treatment of printing and dyeing wastewater becomes problem urgent to be resolved. The traditional treatment methods such as adsorption [1], coagulation [2], biochemical method [3,4], which has advantages of simple equipment, simple operation and mature process, but they can cause waste accumulation and secondary pollution [5,6].Magenta is a kind of organic compounds, which classified into acid and alkaline magenta. Considering the advantages of simple operation, low cost, simple experiment equipment and friendly to environment, acid magenta dyes wastewater was chose as object in this paper. Some parameters such as pH, contact time, temperature and the initial concentration on of simulative acid magenta dyes wastewater were studied."

Jan 1, 2012

By Masahiro Sasaki, Wu Kepeng, Chang-Yong. Kang, Kohji Okada, Naohiro Igata, Kazuya Miyahara

"The damping capacity of the Fe-12 mass % Cr-6 to 30 mass % Mn alloys has been investigated. Particularly the effects of microstrucutre composed of the phases of a , a ' , y , and e on the damping capacity have been clarified. Various fraction of these phases were formed depending on the Mn content and cold work degree. The combination of 22 mass % Mn and 50% cold rolling formed the largest volume fraction of e martensite and showed the highest damping capacity. The other phases of a, a' and y had very small effect on the increasing of damping capacity.IntroductionFe-Mn alloys are known to be one of the high damping capacity materials [l-3]. In the present research, the damping capacity of the Fe-12 mass % Cr-6 to 30 mass % Mn alloys, in which 12% Cr is added for the improvement of corrosion resistance of the Fe-Mn alloys, has been investigated. Particularly the effects of microstrucutre composed of various phases of a (bee), a ' (bet martensite), y (fee), and e (hcp martensite) on the damping capacity have been clarified. The results of preliminary research on Fe-Cr-Mn alloys are reported by Igata et al. [4] Various volume fraction of these phases were formed depending on the Mn content and cold work degree. The combination of 22 % Mn and 50% cold rolling formed the largest fraction of e martensite and the measurement indicated clearly that e martensite had the largest effect on the damping capacity. The other phases of a ' y and a I had very small effect on the increasing of damping capacity."

Jan 1, 2000

By Nozomu Uchida, Uematsu Keizo, Daisuke Shouji

"Grain orientated microstructure was developed for the improvement of ceramic characteristics. Novel polarized light microscopy was developed to examine the grain orientation quantitatively. The degree of grain orientation was estimated from the retardation determined with a Berek compensator. The method was essential to determine a minor grain orientation, which could not be analyzed by means of conventional X-ray measurements. The data were favorably related to ceramics characteristics. The comparis of the ceramics with various degree of orientation was very important to explain the change of ceramic characteristics with processing.IntroductionMicrostructure with grain orientation has a high potential for greatly improving characteristics of ceramic. However, there has been strong restriction on processing and material for developing this structure. It has been crucial to apply forming methods involving high shear such as injection molding1). Grains must have an elongated shape.In recent years, much attention has been paid on the effect of high magnetic field on diamagnetic materials2)3)4), Many ceramic materials are known to be diamagnetic. High magnetic field has a high potential to orient grains. The principal driving force for grain orientation is the magnetic anisotropy of material, which is generated by non-cubic crystal symmetr5). This method of grain orientation is not restricted by grain shape, and can be applied to all materials having non-cubic crystal structure.This study uses alumina as raw materials, and produces alumina ceramics with orientated grain in high magnetic field (10T). Alumina has a magnetic anisotropy due to hexagonal crystal structure. The degree of grain orientation in the green and sintered bodies will be examined and their relevance to magnetic field will be discussed."

Jan 1, 2000

By A. V. Tarasov

A flow-sheet for waste-less processing of spent lead batteries comprises mechanized separation of batteries, smelting of the metallic fraction in a kettle, electrothermal smelting of oxysulfate fraction, refining of crude lead and processing of reverts to produce commercial products. Smelting of lead-containing fraction is performed in an electrothermal furnace using a processing technology developed in the Gintsvetmet Institute and differing from conventional processes by the fact that it does not require any fluxing agent (soda); no matte is formed in the process and the amount of slag produced is minimal, because its formation depends only on the ash content of coke and the quality of battery scrap separation. The process has been patented. It has been introduced on a commercial scale in 1.8 MVA furnaces at the plant of A0 "RyazTsvetmet" (Ryazan, Russia). The process has the following main advantages as compared with conventional shaft-furnace smelting and smelting in a short-drum furnace: the process does not require technical-grade oxygen, the amount of process gas generated is minimized ensuring a decrease in lead-containing dust and sulfur dioxide emissions by 3 to 5 times per unit of lead recovered; a decrease in dust entrainment resulting in lower amounts of recycled dust; lower slag yield (a decrease from 20-25% to 3-5%); lower coke requirement (a decrease from 10-14% to 3-4%). Refining of crude lead is performed using conventional technology but there are several unique features for which know-how is available. Processing of by-products of electrothermal smelting and secondary lead refining (slag, drosses, skimmings) and ebonite fraction (crushed battery casings) is performed in a slag-fuming furnace.

Jan 1, 2002

By J. H. Huang

In this investigation, the selective precipitation of cobalt and molybdenum from Co-Mo aqueous solutions was studied in order to recover efficiently valuable elements from industrial effluents generated from a novel electrodeposition of nanocrystalline Co-based alloys process and reduce the effluent impact on environment. It was found that the behavior of cobalt in aqueous solutions was substantially affected by the presence of molybdenum. When adding 11.6 to 46.6g/L molybdenum to a 50g/L cobalt solution, the co-precipitation of molybdenum and cobalt started to occur at pH value of 3-4. However, without the presence of molybdenum, cobalt could only be precipitated out of the solution at about pH 6. Most of the molybdenum was found in the solid phase when the solution pH reached 5. After further increasing pH to greater than 7, the molybdenum dissolved back into the solution. Cobalt kept precipitating as the pH increased. When the pH was greater than 7, most of the cobalt was present in the solid phase. The chemical and physical characteristics of the precipitated materials were investigated by SEM, XRD, AAS and EDX. It was revealed that the precipitate was initially present as cobalt molybdate oxide hydrate and subsequently transformed as sodium cobalt molybdenum oxide. With further increasing the solution pH, the precipitate was transformed into cobalt hydroxide. Further investigation implied that most of molybdenum was chemically tied to the precipitate produced at the low pH, yet at the same time, physically entrapped at the high pH. The paper also presents the influence of reaction temperature and time on the precipitation process and kinetics.

Jan 1, 2003

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 Fernanda Margarido

Recovery of metals contained in the electrode materials of batteries was studied considering an integrated recycling process constituted by physical and chemical operations. The physical treatment included the shredding of the spent batteries, followed by a wet sieving operation of the fragmented material. The physical behavior of Ni-Cd and Zn-Mn based (alkaline and saline) system batteries was studied and compared. In that sense, shredding operation was performed and the sieving of shredded fractions was accomplished to evaluate the efficiency of the separation of electrodes and scrap. For Ni-Cd batteries the loss of electrode material with the supra fraction (scrap) after the shredding operation was lesser than the Zn-Mn batteries. Especially for saline-type batteries, the electrode attached to the scrap was substantial leading to important losses. This difference can be explained by the composition of the case materials and the internal physical constitution of the electrodes. The wet sieving studies carried out allowed optimizing the separation of the electrode fine fractions from the scrap materials through the analysis of selectivity Cd/Fe or Zn/Fe. For Ni-Cd batteries, maximum selectivity was achieved for the granulometry of 1.4 mm, while for alkaline and saline systems best selectivity were obtained at 2.8 mm and 5.6 mm, respectively. This process allowed the recovery of about 70% of electrodes for Ni-Cd and alkaline systems, and 50% for saline batteries, with less than 5% of scrap as contaminant. This physical step can be considered as a pre-treatment of this type of waste material envisaging its valorization by chemical treatment, as improves the concentration of the elements of interest and decreases the iron content.

Jan 1, 2006

By José Sancho, Julia Ayala, Purificación García, Begoña Fernández

"Electrofilter dust, a residue generated in the last stage of the Bayer process in the hydroxide aluminum calcination, was characterized to evaluate the alumina that was potentially extractable with sulfuric acid. The process studied aims to produce aluminum sulfate for water coagulant uses, taking advantage of the residues that accumulate in large quantities in the proximity of plants with difficult recycling for storage. Acid leaching is carried out at different concentrations of sulfuric acid, at different temperatures, pulp densities, and times, to dissolve gibbsite and transition aluminas. The result is an aluminum sulfate solution without iron and with commercial specifications.IntroductionElectrofilter dust is a residue generated in the last stage of the Bayer Process [1] in the hydroxide aluminium calcination. The residue is a mixture of alumina and hydrates which have not completed their calcination process.Electrofilter dust, composed by alpha alumina, gibbsite and transition aluminas [2] can be leached in an acid medium by putting most of the aluminium in solution; the remaining residue should be mainly andisolved alpha alumina. In many hydrometallurgical processes, sulphuric acid has been selected as the cheapest and the most effective leachant [3,4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15]The aim of this study is to determine the effect of temperature, acid concentration and pulp density on the sulphuric acid leaching of electrofilter fines for aluminium dissolution, in order to produce aluminium sulphate for water coagulant uses. This will provide a commercial product and at the same time eliminate the environmental problem created as a result of the storage of large quantities of electrofilter fines in the vicinity of the Bayer plant."

Jan 1, 2008

By Zhang Huaiwei, Shi Xiaoyan, Li Xinlin, Sun Fei, Hong Xin

"The control of the slag properties has become very essential in improving the separation between the slag and the matte in the copper slag cleaning process. The goal of the present work is to characterize the copper converting slag through chemical analysis (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy detection (EDS) and thermal analysis (DSC). The majority of the identified elements were Fe, Cu, Si and 0. The XRD has presented compounds such as Fe2Si04, Si02, CuFe204, Fe304, and Cu. The main existence of copper element was the metallic copper due to the entrainment loss. Slight amounts of copper were existed as the CuFe204 in the slag. The density, viscosity, electric conductivity and the thermodynamic property of the molten copper converting slag were also investigated in the study.IntroductionCopper slag, which is produced during pyrometallurgical production of copper from ores, contains materials like iron, alumina, calcium oxide, silica etc. For every tonne of metal production about 2.2 ton of slag is generated [l]. The slags of copper converting process contain about 5% of copper and about 20% magnetite. The copper are present in the slags either as physically entrapped or in chemically dissolved [2-3]. The traditional slag cleaning method is electric furnace process including two steps, intensive slag reduction and quiet sedimentation. Although the process is suitable for the various copper slags, it is also with the higher energy consumption [ 4-7]. The slag characterization studies are the fundamental step in the definition of an appropriate recycling process for saving the energy consumption."

Jan 1, 2013

By Leah Penner, Thomas J. Ruth, Paul Schaffer, François Benard, Edouard Asselin, Stefan K. Zeisler, Thomas J. Morley

"This paper details the electrodeposition of metallic molybdenum from an aqueous, acetateelectrolyte containing molybdate ions. The deposition is carried out in a highly concentrated (up to I 0 M) acetate bath in the presence of a very low concentration of bone glue (60 µg/L). The molybdenum metal deposits are up to 20 µm thick and adherent. The deposits were characterized by XRD and XPS analysis. The deposition process is very inefficient, as up to 99% of the current is used to generate hydrogen during electrolysis. The effect of acetate concentration, pH, additives and current on the deposition efficiency and physical properties of the molybdenum deposit were investigated and optimized to obtain smooth, adherent coatings.IntroductionMolybdenum has increased thermal and wear resistance properties that are often utilized in material coatings [I]. These coatings are most often manufactured by sintering, pressing or spraying molybdenum powder at elevated temperatures, as a substitute method for standard metallurgical practices, such as electroplating [2, 3]. The lack of reports describing molybdenum deposition is most likely due to the highly oxophilic nature of molybdenum and the stability of its oxides, especially in water. Previous attempts to electrochemically reduce molybdenum from molybdate (Mool·) ions to molybdenum metal have reported the production of either a poorly adherent mixed oxide [4-6], or a thin(< 0.1 µm) metallic film [7-9]. Thick metallic molybdenum is capable of being co-deposited with one of the iron-group metals (Ni [10], Co [11] and Fe [12]) to produce an alloy [13, 14]. These alloys, however, may not be suitable for applications requiring pure molybdenum as they usually contain less than 50% molybdenum (often less than 30%)."

Jan 1, 2012

By Ashish Kumar

Comminution is an essential mineral processing operation to liberate the minerals from the ore. This however, is an energy intensive step in mineral processing industries. This work highlights the possibility of saving in grinding energy for ore comminution reducing work index of the ore by effective utilization of microwave energy. This reduced work index results in increased throughput of the grinding circuit in mineral beneficiation plant in order not to shift the product size. The fundamental principle behind this application remains the ability of microwave to heat individual phases within the ore matrix. The constituents of the ore typically having different thermal and mechanical properties develop stress of sufficient magnitude to create intergranular and transgranular fractures during heating and subsequent quenching of the ore. The experiments conducted with the ore samples of Zawar Mines and Rampura Agucha Mine of Hindustan Zinc Limited, India (A member of Vedanta Resources Plc) reflect a substantial up-shift in cumulative weight percentage passing in finer sieve fractions under quenched conditions. Further, the experiments carried out on Rampura Agucha ore reveal 20-30% reduction in work index, which result in decreased milling time or saving in grinding energy. The simulation studies estimates a 2-4% increase in plant throughput. Moreover, preliminary flotation studies indicated a significant increment in total metal recovery and concentrate grade for the desired grade and recovery values respectively. This paper is a technical note on the laboratory investigations carried out at Central Research & Development Laboratory of Hindustan Zinc Limited. Results have been encouraging to progress the work further. It is also proposed to carry out modeling work for simulation so as to predict the changes in minerals.

Jan 1, 2006

By Wang Haibei

China is the important country in terms of Ga, Ge reserves and products. These elements usually associate with lead and zinc ores such as in Fankou, Dachang and Lanping mines. Until now these metals could not be extracted from zinc residues effectively. The main reason is that it is difficult to separate zinc and iron. BGRIMM has carried out considerable research on this subject and some hydrometallurgical processes were developed. Zinc residues were pressure leached with a reducing agent such as zinc concentrates or SO2 at 110~130C. The final concentrate of H2SO4 was 30~50g/L. The metals such as Zn, Fe, Ga and Ge were dissolved into solution. In the leaching residue Pb and Ag could reach 20% and 2000g/t. The feed of solvent extraction was prepared from the leaching solution by pre-neutralization ? precipitation of Ga, Ge and acid dissolving. Then Ga and Ge were extracted by solvent extraction through P204 and G315 produced by BGRIMM. After stripping, metallic Ga was produced by electrowinning. GeO2 was produced by precipitation. The iron in raffinate was removed by the hematite process. The solution after removal of iron came back at the zinc neutral leaching stage. In 2003-2004, pilot tests were finished in BGRIMM in cooperation with Fankou Lead and Zinc Mine Ltd. And the extraction rate of Ga and Ge in the leaching stage was 94% and 83% respectively. The total recovery rate was 90% and 80%. It is estimated that the technology has a wide commercial use in the coming five years.

Jan 1, 2006

By Cameron Hams

Noranda&apos;s Process Reactor and Codelco&apos;s Teniente Converter are physically similar vessels, which leads to the commonly held misconception that the two processes are the .same. However, notable differences in chemistry, operating philosophy, and construction make them quite dissimilar. This paper compares and contrasts the Noranda Reactor and the Teniente Converter, and attempts to explain some of the apparent differences in behaviour and performance. The results of a worldwide survey of most operating Noranda Reactors and Teniente Converters, along with those processes that have ceased operation or are planning to be started-up in the future, are presented.

Jan 1, 1999

By Marco Pasetto

The possibility to re-use marginal materials (by-products) deriving from industrial activities in the construction of road infrastructures, as total or partial substitution of natural aggregates, successfully combines demands for economy and environmental sustainability. The paper presents the results of a laboratory study, conducted at the Experimental Road Laboratory of the University of Padova, to verify the suitability of a particular type of electric arc furnace slag to be recycled in the lithic skeleton of high-performance asphalt mixes (porous asphalt, high modulus mixes, stone mastic asphalt, nonskid surfacings) for road and airport flexible pavements. the process of transformation of iron and steel slag into a product that can be used in road building is described, along with the characterisation of the mixtures, plus an analysis of the results of a wide battery of mechanical-performance tests. This study forms part of wider theoretical ? experimental research being done at the University of Padova in order to improve knowledge of the characteristics of succedaneum materials and check their possible applications in road and airport construction.

Jan 1, 2006

Today’s world relies upon advanced green technologies that are made of critical elements with unique properties. Examples include rare earth elements (REEs) that are critical in the manufacturing of wind turbines and electric/hybrid vehicle batteries, key components of a greener future that face supply uncertainty and near zero recycling. To tackle their supply challenges, activities have begun for urban mining from waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) that contain considerable amount of REEs, but their current level of recycling is less than 1%. Current recycling practices use either pyrometallurgy, which is energy intensive, or hydrometallurgy that utilizes large volumes of acids and solvents and generates large volumes of hazardous waste. In this study, we developed a novel and sustainable process to recycle REEs from WEEE, NiMH batteries in particular. The developed process relies on supercritical fluid extraction (SCFE) utilizing CO2 as the solvent, which is abundant, safe, cost effective, and inert. The effect of seven operating parameters, namely temperature, pressure, residence time, sample to chelating agent ratio, agitation rate, complex formulation, and methanol addition on REE extraction efficiency was investigated, and optimum operating conditions were determined. This work is the first to utilize a very efficient and safe process that runs at low temperature to extract metals from postconsumer products with minimum hazardous waste generation, while offering about 90% leaching efficiency for REEs. We expect our process to find widespread applicability in urban mining of REEs using green chemistry.

By Dale T. Peters

In the United States, the United Kingdom and numerous other countries, copper has long been the plumbing material of choice. This has been the case since the late 1920s in the United States and since World War II in the United Kingdom. However, in recent years the plumbing tube market has caught the eye of the chemical industry, and several plastic resins have been introduced to the marketplace as substitutes for copper in household plumbing systems. One of these, polybutylene tube, had so many failures in the United States that a class action law suit was filed, and the manufactures of this product were forced to create a trust fund of nearly one billion dollars to repair damages caused by their product. Chlorinated polyvinylchloride (CPVC), in rigid pipe form, on the other hand, has been mechanically acceptable albeit its recent introduction precludes the test of time enjoyed by copper tube in this application. This paper reviews the State of California&apos;s portrayal of copper&apos;s environmental effects and will be largely based on the data and information assembled by the Copper Development Association Inc. in its presentation to the State of California in August, 1998 in response to the State&apos;s Draft Environmental Impact Report for Chlorinated Polyvinyl Chloride (CVPC) Pipe for Use for Potable Water Piping in Residential Buildings. The paper is intended for use as a model for the use of other copper organizations and individuals in responding to similar situations.

Jan 1, 1999

By Peter Koh

The velocity solid charge attains when dropping down concentrate chutes is an important boundary condition when developing mathematical models of flash furnace burners and reaction shafts. In this work an experimental rig was developed to measure the velocity attained when nickel concentrate and sand were dropped down a vertical pipe 3m long. The velocity measurements showed that the nickel concentrate did not fall as individual particles. The measured values of the velocity approached, but did not attain, those calculated for solid bodies, the disparity being attributed to friction at the pipe wall and fluid drag losses. After falling 2 m velocities between 5-6 m/s were attained. The analysis was extended and applied to understanding the intermittent problem of puffing which sometimes occurs from the top of the concentrate chute. The pressure at the bottom of the chute is the net result of two opposing pressures, namely that developed by (a)the process air entering through the velocity control device, and (b) the solids falling down the concentrate chute. Flow back up the chute occurs when the former exceeds the latter. The process air pressures in the burner were obtained from CFD simulations of a full burner. Variables considered included air speed through the velocity control device, drop height and furnace draft. The analysis was useful in highlighting the operating conditions which were conducive to puffing and in establishing procedures to minimise its occurrence.

Jan 1, 2006

By Robert T. Oxnard

"EXECUTIVE SUMMARYThe history of Refractory Recycling indicates there was little recycling until the 1950s. Energy incentives were the primary reason for the beginnings of a recycling effort by the refractory brick manufacturers. Quality benefits quickly became evident and fewer rejects were the result. Today, economic factors including higher valued raw materials and increased competition are the driving forces of refractory recycling.There are some success stories in refractory recycling but we have a long way to go. Few incentives, quality concerns, relatively cheap energy, comparatively lax government regulations, inexpensive landfills and inexpensive substitutes make recycling a difficult choice for many companies. Marketing advantages such as ISO 14000, eliminating multiple audits and reduced liability exposure can tip the scales toward recycling viability. Increasingly, the ideological philosophy of a company, a desire to minimize environmental impact and develop favorable public and other interested party perceptions can drive recycling and waste minimization efforts.Recycled materials can be more trouble ""up front"" and harder to ""manage"" due to their suspect quality. However, due to their nearly inexhaustible supply and the fact that once developed, they constantly contribute to the bottom line, they are certain to be the materials of the future. Waste refractory materials will likely see the same bright future as the steel scrap yards and slag piles of yesterday. In hindsight, we will realize that now was the perfect time to prepare and plan for the bright future of refractory recycling."

Jan 1, 2000

By Rong Yang, Qijie Zhai, Wenbin Xia, Changjiang Song

"Tills paper focus on the influence of carbon content and cooling rate on the microstructure and phase formation of Fe-Mn-C alloys under near-rapid solidification. When manganese content is about 11wt.%, more s-martensite can be obtained with cooling rate increasing when carbon content is 0.14wt.%, the formed phase changed from a phase to y phase when 0.74wt.% carbon is added to the samples, and when carbon content up to 2.1wt.%, carbide can be obtained in the sample. A host of stacking fault, which attributes to the strain-induced martensite, can be observed in the sample. The microhardness increased with cooling rate increasing, and under the same cooling rate, the microhardness of samples with 0.14wt.% carbon is highest.IntroductionTo obtain high performance materials is eternal pursuit of material science research. Material scientists have explored many new ways to obtain high performance materials from long time ago. Rapid solidification is one of most popular ways to produce advanced materials by obtaining metastable phases, because it is widely known that the solidification of metals in metastable phases gives access to a whole range of materials with novel properties [1]. Furthermore, nowadays metastable materials have been extensively used in many fields, for example, many of our modem high performance materials such as steel products or aluminum alloys for aeronautical applications are in the form of metastable rather than stable phases [1]."

Jan 1, 2012

By Hiroaki Kawamura, Takeshi Yoshikawa, Kazuki Morita, Yutaka Yanaba

"To develop an alternative metallurgical process for phosphorus removal in the production of solar-grade silicon (SOG-Si), slag treatment of metallurgical-grade silicon (MG-Si) was conducted, followed by acid leaching. Phosphorus-doped silicon alloy or MG-Si containing certain amounts of phosphorus and calcium was reacted at 1723 K and 1773 K with CaO--CaF2 of several compositions. Phosphorus removal from the molten silicon into the slag phase was confirmed by reduction to phosphide ions, P3-, and phosphate ions, P3-. These ions were separately determined using a wet chemical analysis method developed by ourselves. The highest phosphorus distribution ratio obtained was 2. 7 after reaction for 18 h with 17.5 mass% CaO--CaF2 slag. We then conducted acid leaching of the silicon and achieved removal of a large fraction (over 90 % ) of the phosphorus, which was much higher than that obtained by ordinary oxidizing slag treatment.IntroductionIn recent years, the production of solar cells has been increasing rapidly. Because of this, the demand for solar-grade silicon (SOG-Si) has also been growing rapidly. The development of lower-cost mass production processes is therefore needed to provide silicon feedstock. Phosphorus is one of the impurities in metallurgical-grade silicon (MG-Si). Because of its large segregation coefficient (kp = 0.35) [l ], it is difficult to remove phosphorus using a solidification refining process. Vacuum melting is considered to be a promising method for removing phosphorous from MG-Si [2], but the issues of high cost and large energy consumption have still to be resolved.Slag treatment is often used to remove impurity elements by oxidizing reactions during general oxidation refining processes. For example, phosphorus in molten steel is removed into a slag phase as phosphate ions, PO4 3-l-, by the following reaction:"

Jan 1, 2013