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By Derek Fray

Molten salts have been used for the extraction of metals since the 19th century but, recently, many interesting processes have been investigated using mixtures of molten salts and different cathodic materials. In several existing processes, the cation is simply discharged from melt but, in some cases, complications arise when the electrode potentials of the cations are relatively close. For example, the co-deposition of sodium with aluminium in the Hall-Heroult process is discussed in terms of electrode potentials of the components in the molten electrolyte. Similar considerations will also be given to the anodic reactions with respect to chlorine, oxygen, carbon dioxide or monoxide evolution from chloride-oxide melts. In some cases, the cathodic product interacts with the cathode to produce new and exciting products such as nanotubes from carbon or titanates and reduced titanium oxides from titanium dioxide. Depending on the electrode potentials, it is also possible to completely change the cathodic reaction from discharge of the cation in the salt to ionisation of the anions in the cathode. Examples are given of the reduction of metal oxides to produce metals, high technology alloys and nanomaterials and the cathodic refining of liquid metals.

Jan 1, 2006

By Jr. Robison

"Aluminothermic (""thermite"") smelting became commercial with the development of tonnage aluminum, and prospered producing metals and alloys with higher cleanliness, consistency and elemental control than competing technologies. We explore the scope of thermite smelting, and metallothermic smelting in general; the thermochemistry of the process; and its advantages and limitations as applied to industrial production. We review currently-produced products of thermite smelting in several forms and a wide range of heat sizes. As these products serve several industries, we relate the demands of those industries to the requirements imposed on the thermite process, leading to process dynamics and mechanisms to control/alter those dynamics. We review ways to lower the process costs by altering process stoichiometry, using other energy sources and utilizing less costly materials while considering effects on product quality and customer requirements. Finally, we examine overall emissions control and waste disposal.IntroductionAluminothermic smelting is the reduction of various oxides by aluminum to produce metals or alloys with varying levels of residual aluminum. One of the earliest uses of the process was the production of liquid iron to weld railroad rails, later modified in ""thermite grenades"" used to ""spike"" artillery pieces in World War II. Then during the 50's, 60's and 70's the growth of jet aircraft created a demand for new superalloys and titanium alloys, both requiring master alloys for efficient production. Aluminothermic smelting grew with the aerospace industry and with the expansion of microalloyed steels. It is very much a niche industry, dependent on the specialized demands of the specialty steel, superalloy and titanium industries. In this paper we introduce the characteristics of aluminothermic smelting, the scope of smelting operations, the markets served, and the environmental aspects of the process, as seen through the eyes of a company using aluminothermic smelting for over fifty years"

Jan 1, 2012

By David T. Hobbs

Large quantities of highly alkaline, radioactive, liquid wastes are stored in underground tanks throughout the Department of Energy complex. These wastes will be pretreated to separate radionuclides and the remaining decontaminated liquid wastes incorporated into solid waste forms for permanent disposal. Significant savings in disposal costs could result by recovering .the sodium as sodium hydroxide for reuse or disposal as nonradioactive waste. Recent testing demonstrated an electrochemical separation process for the recovery of sodium hydroxide from alkaline waste solutions; The separation process uses ion-selective membranes to separate sodium from the bulk of the waste constituents under an applied electrical field. The sodium is recovered as a 10-15 wt % solution of sodium hydroxide. Results of bench-sc3Ie and pilot-scale tests with simulated and radioactive waste solutions are presented.

Jan 1, 1999

By T. R. A. Davey

Previous publications on the application of EIETSIM include the modelling of an electrolytic zinc plant and a copper flash smelter. In the present case METSIM has been used to model the desilverising of lead by the reagent zinc, whereby a silver-zinc intermetallic compound is formed, and floats out of the lead. This compound has a variable composition, depending upon the ratio of dissolved zinc/silver in the lead bath. Its solubility in lead decreases with falling temperature. A number of variations and modifications of the Davey Desilverising Procedure are modelled, and applied to a wide range of silver contents in lead bullions at several plants. METSIM uses both feed- back and feed-forward controls to simulate plant conditions, and a logic control to distinguish between different phases in the Zn-Ag system. Use is made of extensive (previously unpublished) fundamental data on the ternary Pb-Ag-Zn system, and of plant data, to establish certain operating parameters.

Jan 1, 1993

By B. K. Chakrabarti

Modeling and a screening design of experiment (DOE) was performed with the process variables to identify the greatest effect of variables on the response quality in the dead burning of magnesite refractory in a rotary kiln. Among various interdependent variable factors, the design variables chosen were raw magnesite (RM) feed rate, kiln rotation time i,e, seconds per rotation(SPM) and burning zone temperature (BZT). The response variables chosen were exit gas temperature and density of dead burnt magnesite(DBM). ANOVA and normal plots were used to evaluate the effects.This work had enabled to correlate the BZT, RPM, RM feed with the exit gas temp and density of magnesite produced. The result opens up an avenue to look into the optimum region of operations within the ranges of variables considered in order to conserve energy and to minimize the exhaust gas temperature and to maximize the density of the DBM produced

Jan 1, 2015

By Ailton S. Ferreira, Rubén J. Sanchez Rodriguez, Sergio N. Monteiro, Felipe Perissé D. Lopes, Teresa E. Castillo

"Polyester composites reinforced with natural lignocellulosic fibers have, in recent times, been gaining attention in engineering areas as lighter and cheaper alternatives for traditional composites such as the ""fiberglass"". One of the strongest, the curaua fiber, is today being considered as reinforcement of composites for automobile interior parts. In fact, several research works are currently being dedicated to curaua fiber composites since physical and mechanical properties are required for practical uses. In this work, the thermal behavior of polyester composites reinforced with up to 30 % in volume of curaua fibers was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry, DSC. The results showed endothermic and exothermic events associated with water release and possible molecular chain amorphous transformation. Comparison with similar composites permitted to propose mechanism that explains this DSC thermal behavior.IntroductionThe modem composite materials, especially those reinforced with synthetic fibers such as glass and carbon, have been used since last century to attend the demands required by most technological fields, from home appliances to aerospace [1]. In fact, fiber composites offer significant advantages over monolitic materials, such as common metallic alloys, plastic and ceramics. One of the most important is the ratio between the ultimate stress and the density, known as the specific strength. For example, in common glass fiber polymer composites, the so called ""fiberglass'', the specific strength of around 400 MPa.cm3/g is higher than any conventional monolitic material. However, drawbacks exist. The energy required to fabricate ""fiberglass"" generates large emissions of C02, which are responsible for global warming. Moreover, ""fiberglass"" is not recyclable and cannot be incinerated [2]. As a result, most synthetic fiber composites end up in landfills or contribute to rivers and oceans pollution."

Jan 1, 2011

By G. C. Amstutz

The topic of the industrial applications of mineralogy is a vast field which can be adequately covered only in a large book or by a two or three semester course. This paper recalls experiences of the writer in this field, a task requested by the Process Mineralogy Committee. Therefore, this paper is largely an account of the industrial mineralogy problems I was involved with, since my student years, Although I will treat each application only briefly, it is hoped that they will illustrate to the students in the field how varied are the applications of mineralogical methods. In this respect, I want to emphasize that it is important for mineralogy teachers to point out the usefulness of mineralogical methods much more often in their courses. Not only does that help prepare young individuals for industrial careers, but also it arouses their feeling of consciousness of public responsibility which is an important attribute for the world's scientists. When professors utilize the varied applications in their teaching of mineralogical methods students then understand better the significance of learning those methods and appreciate the many years of necessary university preparation. The first time I was involved in an application of mineralogical methods was about 1944 as a student of Professor Paul Niggli. He was asked to study the problems of ice crystallization on wings of airplanes. The ice formed at high altitudes and during the winter. This was not outside his realm of expertise because he was the main initiator of the Snow Research Institute on the Weissfluhjoch in Switzerland. I believe that the work of this Institute was an important factor in stimulating much of the snow research subsequently carried out at the United States Army Snow Research Center, which was located at that time in Willmette near Chicago. Dr. Bader, one of Paul Niggli's former students, was the Director of Research at Wilmette at that time and for quite a number of years thereafter. A mineralogist-crystallographer can make important contributions to a better understanding of the problems of snow and ice formation, avalanche hazards, and the prevention of hail. The habits of snow crystals are essentially a function of the temperature and the humidity,

Jan 1, 1982

By Isabela Leao Amaral da Silva, Felipe Perisse Duarte Lopes, Alice Barreto Bevitori, Sergio Neves Monteiro, Ruben Sanchez Rodriguez

"The fibers extracted from the stem of the ramie plant are among the strongest natural lignocellulosic fibers with a potential to be used as reinforcement of polymer matrix composites. Characterization of the ramie fiber has recently been conducted for its physical and mechanical properties. However, the effect of increasing temperature on the ramie fiber behavior has not yet been fully investigated. Therefore, the objective of this work was to perform a thermal analysis on ramie fibers with different diameters within the naturally found range of practical interest. The analysis was conducted by thermo-gravimetric, TGA and DTG, as well as differential scanning calorimetric, DSC, techniques. It was found that the ramie fibers present thermal stability up to 200°C and then suffer a sharp deterioration between 300 and 500°C, resulting in characteristic peaks.IntroductionSince the middle of last century, polymer composites have substituted many conventional monolithic materials in applications ranging from aerospace to sport [l]. The main advantages of these composites are the low density and flexible properties specially using fiber as reinforcement to suit the mechanical performance requirements [2]. These are usually high strength and stiffness requirements that could be reached with synthetic fibers such as glass, carbon and aramid fibers. In recent years, however, the use of synthetic fibers is being questioned in terms of problems caused to the environment. In fact, as non degradable material, synthetic fibers are associated with long term pollution when discarded. Moreover, the expended energy for fabrication and processing can be related to relatively large amounts of C02 emissions and represents a contribution to global warming [3]. Glass fiber, in addition, is toxic and cannot be incinerated as a waste in thermal power plants [ 4]. Possible substitutes for glass fiber are the natural fibers. Many natural fibers are today being considered as viable alternatives to replace glass fiber as reinforcement of polymer composites. In particular, some natural lignocellulosic fiber extracted from plants present a real potential for this replacement [2-8]. Their comparative advantages are lower density and reduced cost as well as renewability, biodegradability, recyclability and neutrality with respect to C02 emission [3]."

Jan 1, 2011

By Versiane A. Leão

The adsorption of oleic acid and amine, by Expanded Hydrophobized Vermiculite (EHV) was studied. In appropriate conditions EHV is a good adsorbent for these flotation re-agents and the best results are obtained at situations where the chemicals are at non-dissociated form. The adsorbent shows good chemical stability and may been used in many adsorption-desorption cycles.

Jan 1, 1996

By Leonard J. Friedman

The recovery of sulfur dioxide from metallurgical gases for the production of sulfuric acid has been an effective means of reducing sulfur dioxide emissions from non-ferrous smelters. Sulfuric acid has been produced from gas originating from fluid bed roasters, electric furnaces, reverberatory furnaces, flash smelting furnaces, Pierce Smith and flash converters, sinter machines, etc. The gas from each of these sources has a unique set of variables that affect the design and operation of the sulfuric acid plant. In addition, the sulfuric acid plant itself has been evolving, with new equipment designs and materials. This paper will review each of the unit operations in the gas cleaning and contact sections of the metallurgical sulfuric acid plant, discussing various equipment designs, materials and the handling of gas stream variables and impurities. The paper updates to 2006 previous works on metallurgical sulfuric acid plants by the authors.

Jan 1, 2006

By A. Dadgar

The adsorption kinetics of AuBr4 on Dowex ® -21K ion-exchange resin were studied and found to be independent of the initial gold, bromine, and base metals concentrations. A commercially-available undivided hypochlorite generating cell was used to generate bromine from simulated mixed halide (Br-/CI-) solutions. Electrolyses were performed with solutions containing very low Br' ion concentrations. The current efficiencies were 80-90%, and Br- ion utilization was maximized. A detailed economic assessment was made considering the capital and the operating costs for a 1000 mtpd gold ore processing plant. The toxicity and discharge levels of bromide, bromine, and cyanide were compared from a detailed analysis of the published literature data. Comparing bromine vapor with hydrogen cyanide gas for a given length of exposure, the lethal concentration of bromine is about 3 times less than hydrogen cyanide. The toxicity of sodium bromide is similar to that of sodium chloride. Acute poisoning to bromides and chlorides is rare because of their low toxicities. The allowed discharge levels of Br-, Br2, and CN- in fresh water are 250, 0.1, and 0.005 mg dm-3, respectively.

Jan 1, 1992

By Dolf Gielen

This paper discusses the results of a Western European energy and materials systems engineering study that analyses the impact of greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction on the future of the steel and aluminum industry. he technology selection will be significantly affected by future CO2 policies. The avail- ability of C02 removal and storage technology and the social acceptance of this strategy for GHG emission reduction is of key importance for the strategy selection. The use of coal based smelting reduction technologies is optimal in case of weak C02 policies or in case of strong C02 policies and low CO2 removal and storage costs. The selection of CCF or Corex technology depends on the penalty regime. However, if C02 removal proves to be problematic, CCF development fails and strong C02 policies are introduced, the gas based DRI production processes will become more attractive. In both cases, the energy efficiency of the iron and steel industry will further increase in the next decades. The impact of GHG emission reduction on aluminum prices and aluminum use can be significant. However contrary to common notions the aluminum production will be positively affected by GHG emission reduction, notwithstanding the currently high emissions in aluminum production. A combination of emission mitigation in production and significant GHG emission reduction effects further down the product chain cause this effect. A significant potential exists for improved materials efficiency. This potential is generally neglected in energy efficiency and CO2 reduction studies. However improved steel qualities are of similar importance for C02 emission reduction as increased energy efficiency. It remains to see if this potential will be used to its full extent in the next decades. Model calculations indicate that the impact of C02 policies on the competition with other materials will be limited. Greenhouse gas emission mitigation will have much more impact on materials production and waste handling than on materials consumption.

Jan 1, 1999

By Denise Cristina de O. Nascimento

Natural lignocellulosic fibers are increasingly being used as polymeric matrix composite reinforcement owing to economical and environmental advantages as renewable and biodegradable materials. Among these, the piassava fiber extracted from a palm tree native of South America stands as one of the most rigid with a potential to be used as composite reinforcement. Therefore, the present work investigates the notch toughness behavior, by Izod impact tests, of epoxy composites reinforced with up to 40 % in volume of continuous and aligned piassava fibers. It was found that the incorporation of piassava fibers results in significant increase in the impact energy of the composite. Scanning electron microscopy analysis showed that the nature of the piassava fiber interface with the epoxy matrix is the major responsible for the superior toughness of the composite.

Jan 1, 2009

By K. Lillkung, O. Forsen, J. Aromaa

"The dissolution rates of Pt, Pd and Rh in 250 g/L NaCl solution were calculated from the current densities determined by polarization curves and potentiostatic measurements measured with wire electrodes at atmospheric pressure. The results achieved with the two methods were similar. The dissolution rates at the corrosion potential were in the order of few nanometers per hour. The polarization curves indicated that to achieve dissolution rates required for economical operation on an industrial scale, the samples need to be polarized to higher potentials. When polarized to higher potentials, the metal dissolution rates were in the order of micrometers per hour. As the Tafel slopes of the metal dissolution region are fairly steep, the potential affects the dissolution rate greatly. Based on the activation energies, the dissolution reactions were controlled by a charge transfer step.IntroductionPlatinum group metals (PGM) have some very unique properties such as their inertness, giving excellent corrosion resistance, and a high melting point. At the same time, these factors make the refining of these metals very challenging. The main applications where PGMs are used are different catalytic converters, mostly in automotive catalysts. The used catalysts are also an attractive secondary source of PGMs. The exact concentrations of PGMs in catalysts vary widely depending on the manufacturer, the age and the capacity of the catalyst. The concentration of Pt in a new catalytic converter range from 300 to 1000 ìg/g, Pd from 200 to 800 ìg/g and Rh from 50 to 100 ìg/g [1]. Precious metal catalysts usually consist of a coat of the metal supported on ã- alumina. The recovery of metals from automotive catalysts has received much attention during the last few years [1-3]. In the near future, the use of PGMs in fuel cells is predicted to increase the amount of secondary PGMs available [4]."

Jan 1, 2012

By H. H. Kellogg

The thermochemical properties of molten solutions in the binaries Cu-Bi, Cu-Sb and Bi-Sb, as well as the ternary Cu-Bi-Sb, have been correlated and described in mathematical form by use of the associated species concept combined with the three-suffix Margules equations to account for the non-idea 1 behavior of the solution species. Agreement of the correlations with experimental data is excellent (relative deviation of less than 2.5% in the values of the activity coefficients) in most cases. The correlations are applicable over the entire composition range of each system, and in the temperature range 700°-1250°C.

Jan 1, 1985

By Hebi Yin

A coupled cellular automaton (CA) - finite element (FE) model was developed to calculate the growth of dendrites during the solidification of cubic and hexagonal metals. The model solves the conservation equations of mass, energy and solutes in order to calculate the temperature field, solute concentration and the growth morphology of dendrites, including the grain structure and the dendritic microstructure. Validation of the model was performed by comparing the simulation results with calculation results from previously published works, showing qualitatively good agreement in the dendritic morphology. Application to magnesium alloy AZ91 illustrates the difficulty of modeling dendrite growth in hexagonal systems, observed as deviations in growth direction caused by mesh-induced anisotropy. The model was applied to the simulation of small specimens with single- and multiple- equiaxed grain growths and columnar grain growth in directional solidification. The influence of cooling rate and some kinetics parameters on the grain morphology are also discussed.

Jan 1, 2009

By Georgios N. Anastassakis, Nickolaos Georgiou

"Soil contamination by oil as well as by other organic pollutants poses a major problem to the environment. Various methods have been used to remove organic contaminants from soil, such as: biological, thermal, chemical and physical. Methods based on Mineral Processing principles have also been used (cyclone separation, gravimetric separation, attritioning and washing). This paper studies the possibility to remove a rich-in-contaminant soil fraction by applying flotation. The contaminated soil was artificially prepared by mixing soil with diesel fuel. Sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) and a tertiary amine (TA) were used as collectors. The effect of collector quantity added and conditioning time was studied. The results showed that the removal of a rich-in-contaminant soil is feasible while a clean fraction is also obtained. In several cases, the removal of oil-contaminated soil approaches or reaches 100%. Introduction Human activities are intimately associated with environmental pollution to the air, water and soil, as well. Soil pollution from inorganic and organic compounds is of equal importance with that of air and water, as it results in soil degradation and its concomitant problems with respect to meeting the human needs (house building, agriculture etc). Heavy metals along with their compounds are encountered among the most usual soil inorganic pollutants. The corresponding organic soil-pollutants are oil, oil-derivatives, pesticides, various aromatic (benzene, phenols, cresols, toluene etc) and poly-aromatic (naphthalene, anthracene etc) hydrocarbons, as well as various other organic compounds (pyridine, cyclo-hexane etc). Oil remains the basic energy source sharing 38% of the global needs, being followed by coal and gas with a share of 26 and 21% correspondingly [1]. The entire activities related with oil production, transport and consumption promote pollution in the air, water and soil. Consequently, soil pollution from oil is favoured at refineries, storage sites (due to possible pipe and tank leakage, tank cleaning works, loading and transportation) and, finally, at the oil-selling sites. Oil (or diesel-oil) fuel is a mixture of hydrocarbons, with 10-20 carbon atoms in the chain of each. It is mainly composed of paraffins, naphthenes and various aromatic compounds. In general, oil is composed of 20-30% in aromatic compounds, 5-6% in naphthenes and the rest is paraffins [1]."

Jan 1, 2008

By Hélio Wiebeck, Fabio J. Esper, Wildor T. Hennies, Guillermo R. Martín-Cortés, Francisco R. Valenzuela-Díaz

"Natural rubber reinforced commonly with carbon black to produce vulcanized material, turns into a new environmentally friendly nanocomposite when carbon black is replaced by organically modified clays of Brazil. Carbon black is substance derived from the oil refining process with consequent pollution to the environment. Its substitution in this industrial process must contribute to diminish the oil derived products dependence. As the added clays are only a third in weight of the traditionally carbon black added, then, to obtain the same final volume it is necessary to add low cost neutral filler that does not damage the technological characteristics of the final material. This paper presents results using as neutral filler of this type rice husk ashes from industrial wastes. Experiences realized with this nanocomposite material show results of quality and technological characteristics similar or superior to those of the rubber made with carbon black.IntroductionTraditionally rubbers are black or a very dark color. But they can have different appearance when filler of distinct composition of the carbon black is used. The carbon black is substance derived from the oil gotten during the final phases of the mineral fuel treatment with consequent pollution of the environment. Carbon black show nanometric grain sized distribution and a depth black color, because these properties it is also used for computer printers inks production. The substitution of this substance, traditionally used as a reinforced load in the rubber production, will have to contribute in such a way to diminish the dependence of these products as to diminish the pollution of the environment. The present work shows the results of the use of another kind of mineral nanoparticulate material substituting carbon black in the production of some rubber products. This nanoparticulate material is the organic modification of smectite clay treated with some types of ammonium quaternary."

Jan 1, 2008

By C. Dupuis

Thiourea is a promising reagent for gold extraction especially from refractory ores that cannot be treated by traditional cyanidation route. In this study recovery of gold from thiourea leaching solutions was investigated by direct electrowinning. The electrolysis cell consisted of a carbon flow-through cathode and a lead anode. The anodic and cathodic compartments were separated by a membrane. Galvanostatic mode was chosen for operation of the cell. Factors affecting recovery efficiency such as cathode thickness, linear flowrate, current intensity, thiourea and gold concentrations were investigated. The influence of some species in solution on efficiency and selectivity of recovery was investigated. Gold recovery reached 99% but current efficiency was lower than 10%. The complex formed with ferric ion and formamidine disulfide are reduced before gold-thiourea complex. Thiourea consumption occurred during leaching mainly by oxidation and reaction with dissolved copper.

Jan 1, 1989

By Eulogio Velasco, Jose Nino, Marcos Cardoso

"Recycling of aluminum scrap for production of secondary alloys used for automotive applications is increasing continuously. Automotive alloys require a strict control to remove alloy impurities, inclusions and excess of magnesium. The advantage of aluminum is its recyclability with large energy and emission savings with minimal loss in material properties. The aim of this work is to study the magnesium removal from recycled aluminum by chlorine injection in a reverberatory furnace, and removal by an oxidation process at high temperature in an industrial rotary furnace.The magnesium removal by gas injection is carried out by the reaction between chlorine and magnesium, with its efficiency associated to kinetic factors. In the rotary rapid oxidation of aluminum and magnesium elements at high temperature is characterized by the formation of surface films composed of magnesium oxide. Additionally this work reviews the benefits of an efficient demagging process.IntroductionThe advantages of using light alloys for automotive applications include fuel economy improvement, greenhouse gas reductions and polluting emissions. These characteristics makes the aluminum alloys an attractive option for automotive components such as powertrain products and other critical parts like cylinder heads and blocks. [1]Aluminum alloys coming from recycled automotive components, used beverage cans (UBC) and wrought alloys have positive effects in the energy savings and current environmental trends. Producing a scrap recycled aluminum ingot consumes approximately 5% of the energy required to produce a primary aluminum ingot from bauxite ore. [2]"

Jan 1, 2011