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By J. Howarth

Two electrochemical processing methodologies have been used to electrogenerate bromine-laden solutions for gold-leaching purposes. In the first process, a laboratory-scale cell in which the anode and cathode compartments were separated by a cation-exchange membrane was employed. The bromine produced by electrolysis of a 4% bromide solution was used to leach gold from a low-grade ore. The pregnant leach solution was then returned to the cell to recommence the cycle. High current efficiencies (90-93%) were maintained over six cycles. In the second process, an undivided hypochlorite generating cell (Chloropac"') was used to generate bromine from a simulated leach solution. Electrolyses were performed on a pilot-scale (100-150 gallons) with solutions containing different levels of bromide ion. The current efficiencies were also high (80-90%) and unaffected by the bromide concentration (over the range 2.5-5%) provided the electrolysis was run to low conversion « 15%). The Chloropac module was capable of delivering 0.6 kg bromine per hour at a power cost of $0.09 per kg. Using these figures, a detailed economic assessment for a 1000 metric tonnes (MT) per day gold ore processing plant was made. Electrolytic regeneration of bromine in a gold leach/recovery circuit dramatically improves the process economics over cyanidation.

Jan 1, 1991

By Gang Qi

The solubility of nitrogen in pure molybdenum was measured over the temperature range 2173 to 2473 K and up to one atmosphere (101 kPa) of nitrogen gas pressure. Both thermochemical and kinetic aspects of this phenomenon were considered in this study. The solution of nitrogen in molybdenum may be expressed by the reaction 1/2N2(g) = {N} (Mo,s), for which the standard Gibbs energy is given by the expression {A}G° = 78,500 + 27.36T Joules/g atom N. The formation of molybdenum nitrides, specifically Mo2N, was considered. Attention was also focused on the mechanism of nitrogen solution in molybdenum. Estimates of the diffusivity of nitrogen atoms in solid molybdenum were derived from the kinetic data.

Jan 1, 1991

By James R. Craig

The General Image Processing System (GIPSY) is being employed for the quantitative textural analysis of complex sulfide ores from the Southern and Central Appalachians and for the determination of liberation characteristics of the mineral constituents during grinding. Optical images from a microscope-mounted TV camera or from 35mm film are converted into digital images which are subsequently analyzed by GIPSY, a transportable image processing software package. Properties measured by GIPSY include spatial distribution of mineral constituents, grain sizes, grain shapes, grain orientation and mineral co-occurrences.

Jan 1, 1982

By Ping Long, Bin Yang, Jian Wu, Xiumin Chen, Wenli Zhang

In this study, the analysis method of trace element in pure indium using glow discharge mass spectrometry (GD-MS) has been established by correcting the analysis result, which was obtained from non-standard quantitative method of GD-MS. The effect of instrument operating parameters, the resolution and isotopes and the pre-sputtering time on the determination results were investigated respectively. The optimized operating parameters of the instrument were obtained as follows: the discharge current was 37.5mA and discharge airflow was 475ml/min. Mass spectral interferences have been eliminated using selected resolution and isotope. The pre-sputtering time was 30 min. 4 trace elements in two pure samples were determined for 6 times. The RSD were less than 20%. The content of trace elements in indium samples was determined by GD-MS and Chemical Analysis Method of Indium which is tested by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry, respectively. The results were consistent with each other.

Jan 1, 2016

By B. Mishra

Calcium and lithium gallides have been synthesized by powder metallurgy techniques in the stoichiometries that can be used as reduction alloys for the Rocky Flats Plant Salt-Scrub (SS) process. The SS process is performed to recover valuable metals from salts generated in the electrorefining and the molten salt extraction processes. Combustion synthesis has been optimized for variable heating rates up to the reaction ignition temperature and for green densities of the powder compacts in terms of the ignition temperature and the exothermic heating of the product in an effort to develop LiGa and CaGaz alloys. The problems arising from the melting point and density differences of calcium, lithium and gallium have also been studied. The SS alloy compositions were produced by mixing, pressing and sintering the metal-powders. The efficiency of the intermetallic alloy, Ca-17 wt. pct. Ga, as a reductant and the effect of gallium on salt clean- up has been discussed. Measurement of actinide recovery has been studied with cerium as the surrogate for the actinide metal. The development of an alloy for SS reduces a major contaminated waste disposal problem besides recovering the valuable reactive metal.

Jan 1, 1993

By C. Peter Hayes

The world continues to change and with it the supply of minerals and metals, the location of centres of production of primary metal and the increasing levels of metals and materials recycling. New technologies are being developed to meet the ongoing search by industry for lower costs, cleaner production and new markets. To keep abreast with these changes, and to utilise fully, the potential benefits of these technical advances, the industry will need a professional workforce having different knowledge, skills and professional attributes than in the previous millennium. What are these skills and attributes? How to best attract and develop the metallurgists of the future, and provide for the ongoing educational and research needs of the industry?

By S. W. White

Plasma arc technology is increasingly being used to process a number of waste materials. In present research, plasma technology is being investigated to treat waste magnesium baghouse dust, which is a waste material from the Magnetherm process. This dust contains mostly MgO, but also contains NazO, CaO, and KzO. Plasma energy is to be used along with a reducing agent to produce pure gaseous magnesium while keeping the other materials in a slag. The magnesium will then be collected by rapid quenching. A non-transferred arc plasma torch is ideal for this reaction because of its high enthalpy and improved energy efficiency over conventional methods. Another advantage of plasma is that it allows for the pre-heating or pre-reacting of fine particles before contact with the melt. Thermodynamic calculations using the Gibb energy minimization method were used to determine the most stable compositions of the materials at various temperatures. Energy balances have also been calculated. These results conclude that we can recover approximately 98% of the magnesium with a proper quenching technique. The calculated results are compared with the experimental data, and good agreement between them was observed.

Jan 1, 1999

By Cailing Zhen, Jian Pan, Deqing Zhu, Xianlin Zhou, Yanhong Luo, Guixiang Huang

The grate-kiln process has been widely applied for oxide pellet production with the quick development of steel industry in China, but ring formation takes place which adversely affects the productivity and properties of fired pellets. Rotary kiln at high temperature seems a black box, and ring formation is difficult to measure directly by current technology. It’s of great importance to monitor ring formation during firing of pellets. Therefore, a method for estimating the thickness of ring formation in rotary kilns was studied, based on working out theoretically the relationship between ring thickness and the outside surface of the kiln, according to steady-state heat transfer across a cylinder, which provides a soft-sensing technique for ring formation at high temperature, and achieves stable pellet production .

Jan 1, 2015

By J. Smuts

The mixed-valence iron silicate ISCORITE (Fe7Si010) was identified recently in a number of ironmakingmater1als, some of which were first produced more than a century ago. Although the existence of iscorite was not reported before 1967 and published phase diagrams do not make provision for it, the morphology of the phase in all the materials that were examined suggests that it is stable under a variety of conditions. It is shown that is-corite can accommodate various foreign cations in its lattice where they can replace Fe and/or Si. The morphology of is-corite in a number of materials of different origin is shown in relation to iron oxides and silicates in optical and SEM/BSE images.

Jan 1, 1991

By Joseph Gambogi

In 1998, approximately 57,000 tons of titanium metal was consumed in the form of mill products (1). Only about 5% of the 4 million tons of titanium minerals consumed each year is used to produce titanium metal, with the remainder primarily used to produce titanium dioxide pigment. Titanium metal production is primarily based on the direct chlorination of futile to produce titanium tetrachloride, which is then reduced to metal using the Kroll magnesium reduction process. The use of titanium is tied to its high strength-to-weight ratio and corrosion resistance. Aerospace is the largest application for titanium. In this paper, we discuss all aspects of the titanium industry from ore deposits through extraction to present and future applications. The methods of both primary (mining of ore, extraction, and purification) and secondary (forming and machining) operations will be analyzed. The chemical and physical properties of titanium metal will be briefly examined. Present and future applications for titanium will be discussed. Finally, the economics of titanium metal production also are analyzed as well as the advantages and disadvantages of various alternative extraction methods.

Nov 26, 1999

"The theoretical basis of ideal smelting reduction using coal as reductant in a process employing closed loop forced-circulation of hot metal is outlined. In the proposed process, an extensive area of relatively slag-free hot metal is available as a heat sink for absorbing the large amount of heat produced by complete combustion of CO within the furnace. Any slag that is formed within the oxidizing arm of the furnace loop is quickly swept away as a thin floating layer by the bulk movement of hot metal which is induced positively by forced melt circulation and sustained by causing the hot metal and the thin slag layer to overflow into a lower level hearth in which coal is carbonised and dissolved directly into the circulating melt.The proposed process is shown to offer very substantial cost savings over all other direct smelting technology. This is mainly because of its inherently low capital cost and its high energy efficiency. Furthermore, the favourable economics are not reliant on fuel gas credits as all the process gas is combusted within the reactor itself.IntroductionMetallurgical processes in the year 2000 will be compromise solutions to the metallurgical problems that already exist today. It is common knowledge that the mineralogical complexity of certain polymetallic sulphides, for example, precludes high degrees of separation and recovery by conventional mineral beneficiation. steps are therefore being taken towards the development of a truly polymetallic smelting process which will produce simultaneously zinc lead and copper as, metals from complex ores without prior beneficiation(l). In the ferrous extraction industry, the shortcomings of the highly efficient modern blast' furnace are well known and world-wide there is considerable effort being directed towards coal-based ironmaking without the requirement of metallurgical coke as a process intermediate. The current status 0f2Joal-based ironmaking has recently been reviewed by Smith and Corbett. (2)"

Jan 1, 1988

By Osarnu Inoue

In Mitsubishi Continuous Copper Smelting and Converting Process, smelting, slag-matte separation and matte converting are continuously carried out in series in three furnaces connected by launders. As a result of this operational configuration of the furnaces, influence of the change in operating condition in upper stream, such as variation of feeds in the smelting furnace, propagates to down stream with some delay. In order to achieve stabler operation, process control algorithm based on the dynamic characteristics of each furnace would be very effective. In this study, the dynamic process simulation model was developed for the smelting furnace. The model consists of two mathematical modules, i.e. the thermodynamic module and the mixing module. The calculation results using operating data obtained at Naoshima Smelter showed good agreement with the actually observed change in temperature, composition and flow rate of matte and slag at the outlet of the furnace. In addition, operation parameters such as reaction efficiency of oxygen and coal, dead volume of melts were estimated.

Jan 1, 1999

By Tianzu Yang, Weifeng Liu, Lin Chen, Wei Chen, DUCHAO ZHANG

Ni-M (Metal=Cu, Fe, Co, Mn, Zn, Cr) aerogel catalysts were tested for CH4 oxy-CO2 reforming. It was found that the Ni-Co bimetallic aerogel catalyst had the highest activity and stability in methane oxy-CO2 reforming among all the Ni-M aerogel catalysts. It exhibited a steady activity of 79 % (in terms of CH4 conversion) at 750 oC, which is the highest activity under a similar reaction condition as compared with those published in literature. Characterizations for the reduced catalysts indicated the formation of Ni-Co alloy, while other transition metals separated from Ni during the reduction process. Therefore, the active species in the Ni-Co bimetallic catalyst showed a stronger interaction than those in other Ni-M catalysts, which might be one of the main reasons for the better catalytic performance of the catalyst.

Jan 1, 2016

By Louis J. Mittoni

"It is well known that gas injection systems can exhibit a wide range of dynamical behaviours, ranging from linear periodic bubbling through to highly complex turbulent jetting. Recently, it has been observed that an important intermediate regime exists under certain system conditions, where the dynamics are complex in nature yet predictable for short time periods. This paper reviews the evidence to support the above hypothesis, and discusses the invariant quantitative measures such as density, return maps, Lyapunov exponent and dimension which may be used as pattern recognition features in a mOnitoring and control strategy.INTRODUCTIONThere has been a great deal of research on the submerged injection of gases into liquids. This interest is primarily due to the large number of applications in the pyrometallurgical and chemical engineering industries. Gases are typically injected into liquids to achieve goals such as heat and mass transfer, or physical mixing and agitation. Only recently though has the possibility of using the evolution of the gas dynamics as a probe to internal system conditions been raised [1, 2].At very low gas injection rates and small upstream chamber volumes, gas normally disperses in the form of stable bubbles of constant volume [3]. With increases in gas flow rate, the dynamics become more complex, bifurcating into double bubbling, multiple bubbling and complex coalescence behaviour. Irregularities measured in pressuretime series acquired upstream of the injection port under these complex conditions have usually been treated as bothersome noise or contamination to be filtered from the signal and ignored in the analysis. These irregularities, however, may contain physically interesting and useful information on the system from which they were produced if the system may be classified as deterministically chaotic [4]."

Jan 1, 1996

By Vaughan R. Voller

"The wide range of length and time scales found in solidification processes are outlined and discussed. Methods for Direct Microstructure Simulation (DMS) are introduced. Key features in sharp interface and phase field models are presented. Concepts in micro-macro solidification modeling are covered. Basic details of microstructure and segregation models are provided. A description of a recent segregation micro-macro model is presented in detail.IntroductionA solidification process involves the containment of a liquid region, which, due to cooling, transforms over time to form a fully solid product. The development of the solid microstructure and the segregation of solute components during this transformation are controlled by phenomena that occur across a wide range of length and time scales. A ""successful"" model of a given solidification process needs to account for these phenomena. Standard models of solidification employ a discrete grid of node points and associated volume elements in the special domain, with a discrete time step to track the transient changes of nodal values, describing the composition and microstructure. Through the use of such models significant progress has been made towards a complete understanding of solidification process and phenomena (see the conference proceedings in Refs [1-9]). As solidification models become more sophisticated, however, they all run into the problem of resolving the full range of disparate space and time scales.Two approaches can deal with this problem1. Direct Microstructure Simulation (DMS) where the grid size and time step are chosen to scale with the smallest length and time scales of the given problem.2. Micro-macro modeling where the grid size and time step scale with the macroscopic process scale and phenomena at smaller scales are accounted for via sub-grid modeling and volume averaging.Currently full DMS of solidification is beyond the reach of available computer power and the application and development of micro-macro models is an important and critical research area."

Jan 1, 2001

By Andrew Case

The Port Nickel facility in Braithwaite, Louisiana, is known for pioneering hydrometallurgical processes for the 'separation and recovery of nickel, cobalt and copper. Ten years ago, in 1985, a new CRI-MET process for the recovery of molybdenum, vanadium, nickel, cobalt and alumina from spent catalysts was developed and implemented. Spent- catalysts from the petroleum industry consietute the majority of feed. These are not only a valuable-source of metals, but due to EPA regulations are frequently classified as hazardous under RCRA. Molybdenum and vanadium are selectively leached in an oxidative hydrothermal step. Alumina is then extracted in a caustic digestive leach. The unique technology produces four primary commercial products l molybdenum trioxide, vanadium oxide, aluminum trihydrate and nickel-cobalt concentrate. This paper discusses the process, modifications. during ten years of operation, and the relationship of these modifications to the future of the catalyst recycling business.

Jan 1, 1995

By C. Coetzee

Additives are commonly used in copper electrowinning to improve cathode morphology. Polysaccharides such as guar are generally favoured as additives due to their compatibility with solvent extraction. Polyacrylamides are, however, being considered as possible alternatives. Understanding the influence of the structural chemistry of additives on electrowinning performance is critical to utilise them efficiently. This paper investigated polyacrylamide additives which are structurally different; their effects on copper electrodeposition were characterized and compared to that of guar. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were used to characterize the effects of molecular weight and ionic charge of the polyacrylamides on electrodeposition. The findings were compared against results obtained with an industrially used guar product. Equivalent circuit modelling of EIS data indicated that an increase in polyacrylamide concentration and a decrease in additive molecular weight increased the overall system resistance.

Numerical simulation of the fluid flow and heat transfer has been carried out for a waste-heat boiler in an Outokumpu type copper flash smelter. In this boiler, SO2-containing off-gas flows into the waste-heat boiler radiation section at about 1350°C. A fraction of cooler off-gas from the electrostatic precipitator at about 200°C was recirculated into the radiation section, and a small amount of ambient air was leaked into the boiler from the bottom. The computational results show that the flow is strongly recirculating and distinctly three dimensional in most of the boiler, particularly in the radiation section. The hot off-gas cooled down rapidly after entering the radiation section due to radiation. The predicted flow pattern and temperature distribution were in a good agreement with laboratory models and industrial measurements.

Jan 1, 1995

By L. E. K. Holappa

Iron and steel making plays a significant role in global energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions. The target of limiting the global warming by 2050 is extremely challenging for this energy-intensive branch of industry. In order to be responsible for its own share in cutting CO2 emissions, great advancements must be done. A brief history, present situation and different scenarios are discussed. Possibilities to decrease CO2 emissions in current processes via improved energy efficiency, alternative process routes, energy sources and recycling are examined. On-going and planned efforts and programs of steel producers and institutions, as well as trends of energy generation in the long run are reviewed and evaluated.

Mar 1, 2017

By Takashi Miyamoto, Hideo Nakae, Hideki Yamaura, Takeshi Yanagihara

"For the production of partially composed metal matrix composites, namely discontinuous MMCs, using a casting· process, the interpenetrated phase composites with SiC particles were fabricated by pressureless iDfiltration using molten Al-Si alloys. This process is based on a wetting phenomenon, therefore, we discussed the technique based on the reactive wetting. The SiC particles coated by diluted water glass were sintered in a mullite Tammann tube and simultaneously infiltrated with molten Al-Si alloys in air at 1173~1573K. As for the improvement of the wettability between the SiC and the liquid aluminum alloy, Fe3O 4 powder was mixed with the water glass due to the thermit reaction between Fe3O4 and molten aluminum alloy. In some experiments, pure aluminum powder was placed on the sintered SiC to increase the interfacial area and the chemical reaction between the sintered Sic. and the melt. By combining these conditions, we succeeded in the complete infiltration without pressure at 1173K.IntroductionAs is well known, the mechanical properties of metal matrix composites (abbreviated MMCs) are superior than that of ordinary metals. However, their use has not been widely accepted because the production cost is very high due to their poor machinability. Therefore, the production of partially composed, namely discontinuous MMCs, by as the Lanxide process [l,2] has been investigated for many years. The Lanxide process, it takes a long time, sometimes up to 10h, in a nitrogen atmosphere for the infiltration. Therefore, the cost will be higher for common use. On the other hand, a high 'pressure process has been adopted for the production of discontinuous MMCs by the Toyota Motor Corp.[3]."

Jan 1, 2000