Search Documents

By Stober, Frank Allan

The paper describes the development of components in an lntegrated Furnace Control system for shielded-arc smelting focusing on operation and crucible integrity enhancement. The paper reviews the mechanisms of power, feed and energy input and losses into the shielded-arc smelting process and describes the furnace control system module development and integration to tailor the process. The ultimate success of a furnace control system application is transfer of knowledge, training, and operational support during furnace start-up and ramp-up phases and a model for how this has been achieved is discussed. The control modules of a shielded-arc laterite smelting furnace are described in detail including measured results and screen captures from application in a laterite smelting furnace. This paper focuses on developments in Integrated Furnace Controls tailored to shielded-arc laterite smelting but development of common furnace control modules for improved crucible and tapping operation integrity applied to other furnace processes, including immersed-arc smelting, is also covered. Keywords: IFC, Power, Feed, Supervisory, Control

Jan 1, 2004

By Guanghui Li

Nickel pig iron (NPI), used as a substitute for electrolytic nickel, is able to reduce the production cost of stainless steel greatly. Aiming for preparing NPI from nickeliferous laterite ore, a pilot-plant scale test of coal-based rotary kiln direct reduction of laterite ore was performed and reported in this study. In this process, the ground laterite sample (18.85% TFe and 1.52% Ni) mixed with additives, pulverized coal and binder was briquetted into briquettes with the size of 40mm×40mm×31mm, laterite ore briquettes and reducing coal were charged into a rotary kiln with the diameter of 1.6 m and the length of 16 m, for a retention period of 6~7 hours, in which reduction section temperature was ranging from 950~1050 oC. The reduced briquettes were water quenched, ball mill ground and beneficated via low intensity magnetic separation. A magnetic concentrate, Ferronickel powder, with 86.9% TFe and 8.0% Ni was obtained, and the corresponding magnetic recovery of iron and nickel are 75% and 96.3%, respectively.

Jan 1, 2014

"Injection technology has been an important subject from the early days of ladle metallurgy until the present. During the last decade, there have not been many publications in the area of injection technology. It is the author's opinion that with the challenge to find new solutions especially to environmental and energy related problems as well as better understanding of phenomenas from computer modelling, a new era of inventive injection technology developments is at hand. This is illustrated in the article with examples from six different areas where MEFOS is or have recently carried out R&D work related to issues from the injection technology field. IntroductionThe boom in injection technologies came with the introduction of ladle metallurgy treatment during the '70s and '80s. Since then, the theories and principles have been thoroughly laid down by a number of scientists and also published at several early SCANINJECT conferences.Not many new technologies/applications have been presented during the last ten years. This might lead one to believe that everything is known and done. Those, like MEFOS, who are challenged to find technological solutions to a number of environmental problems and energy saving issues in the pyrometallurgical field are, however, continuously faced with the task of developing new injection technologies.Especially, the call for sustainable technologies to solve environmental problems is a challenge for metallurgists all over the world and it will surely induce a revival of injection technologies. So, in order to encourage all injection experts, let us share some new experiences and let us encourage each other's creativity to solve some of the demands of the future society.The following show some examples of technologies under development, or recently tested."

Jan 1, 1996

By A. K. Kyllo

A study has been carried out on the dusts from Hudson Bay Mining and Smelting's Flin Flon copper smelter. The aim of the work was to determine the mechanisms of dust formation and the deportment of the various constituents. The work concentrated on the copper converters, but the electrostatic precipitators and baghouse also clean the reverberatory furnace off gas, so some mixing will have occurred. The dust composition was found to vary with distance from the furnace, and to be made up of three major components: solidified droplets, unreacted flux, and condensed particles. The solidified droplets were formed from material ejected from the converter during blowing, while the flux was blown out of the converters immediately after charging. The condensed particles contained the majority of the lead and zinc, as well as the volatile impurities. There was also a significant soluble content of the dusts, increasing with distance from the furnace. The condensed material may be separated from the remainder by a simple washing and sizing technique.

Jan 1, 1996

By William A. Hockings

Methods for the measurement of liberation of finely ground iron ores are described. The general method consists of separating a sample of the ground ore into a number of size fractions, followed by measuring the liberation of each fraction. The size separation has been done using electro-formed screens of 20-, 10-and 5-micrometer apertures, and also by air elutriation. Liberation (i.e., the distribution of compositions of individual particles) has been measured by optical microscopy. A computer pro-gram was used to adjust the raw count data so that it agrees with the chemical analyses of the size fractions. Various ways of presenting the results are given, and Some applications of the results to flotation processing are discussed.

Jan 1, 1981

By Richard Krentz

Two separate on-line analyzers are operated at the Corefco metals refinery. The first application is an on-line refractometer which measures the ammonium sulphate concentration in the primary feed slurry tank. The second application is a multi-stream X-Ray fluorescence analyzer which measures the metals and sulphur concentrations in eight key refinery streams. Specific applications of the on-line analyzers with advanced control systems for improved process control will be discussed.

Jan 1, 2003

By C. A. Natalie

Prediction of average residence times for different particle size intervals during sulfide roasting was investigated. Calculations were done to predict average residence times using a model which employs empirical correlations for elutriation constants. Experimental average residence times were determined using a continuous., six inch diameter,. fluid bed roaster and compared with calculated residence time values. Comparison of calculated and experimental data showed that geometry effects may have .been significant when attempting to apply elutriation data to this roaster.

Jan 1, 1985

By D. L. Yopps

Platinum-group metal (PGM) flotation .. concentrate from the Stillwater Complex, MT, was subjected to biooxidation using Thiobacillus ferrooxidans in an effort to break down the sulfide minerals and liberate the ? associated PGM's for subsequent chemical leaching. Bacterial treatment oxidized up to 94 pct of the sulfide present, destroyed the PGM-bearing pentlandite [ (Ni,Fe),9Ss) mineralization, and dissolved most of the nickel in the concentrate. Results showed that increased sulfide oxidation during the biological stage led to improved PGH recovery in the subsequent. chemical leaching stage. cyanidation at 80° c proved to be the best chemical leachant tested. It removed 7.6 pct of the palladium, 94 pct of the rhodium, 97 pct of the gold, but only 34 pct of the platinum from the biooxidized concentrate.

Jan 1, 1991

By Zhong Juya, Wang Yong, Guo Xueyi, Song Yu, Tian qinghua

"In this work, the flow of zinc in China, 2004, was traced within the STAF model, and the situation of production, consumption and recycling of zinc resources in China were introduced. The SFA is performed on zinc flows during its one year life cycle in detail. The result reveals that China produces and utilizes a large amount of zinc, while the efficiency of renewable zinc resources is still relatively lower. As one of the biggest producer and consumer of zinc in the world, China is facing a severe depletion of zinc resources. How to increase the resource efficiency is a significant issue for zinc industry of China. Based on the result, several advices were proposed in the paper, aiming to contribute important reference information for the industrial metabolism and resource management and recycling of zinc industry in China. IntroductionZinc is one of the important metals in national economic development in China; it has good conductivity and corrosion resistance, with high scalability when heated to 100 ~105_. Zinc is mainly used for galvanized zinc industry, as the coating of steel and various parts, and it has also been applied to the manufacture of brass, bronze and corrosion-resistant alloys, which are widely used in machinery manufacturing, printing, national defense and so on. In addition, zinc compounds are utilized in various fields, for example, ZnO is used for infiltration wood, paper, rubber, paints, etc.; ZnSO4 for leather, ceramics, textiles, medicine, etc.; ZnCl2 for infiltration wood; ZnS2O4 and Zn (HSO2 • CH2O) 2 for the paper and textile bleaching, etc. [1]. The extensive use and consumption of zinc in industrial production and social life promot the rapid development of zinc industry, which made zinc the third largest non-ferrous metals in the world."

Jan 1, 2008

By C. J. Boreiko

Traditional patterns of lead and zinc utilization are being evaluated in accordance with new paradigms that seek to ensure the long-term compatibility of global industrial activity with precepts of sustainable development and sustainable consumption. As a consequence, both industry sectors are experiencing intense scrutiny from the international community, and numerous regulatory options are being considered that may impact upon international industry practice. This paper reviews the growing expectations being placed upon industry, and highlights some of the common regulatory concerns being expressed regarding both metals despite their differing toxicological profiles.

Jan 1, 2000

By D. C. Austin, P. J. Hazell, A. A. H. Ameri, J. P. Escobedo-Diaz, D. East, M. A. Bevan, A. D. Brown

Additive Manufacturing (AM) has become increasingly popular due to the ability to produce components with complex geometries and properties. The efficiency of this manufacturing method is investigated in this paper by examining the mechanical performance of AM austenitic stainless steel 316L under different strain rates. Dynamic compression experiments were conducted by using a Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar (SHPB). Microstructural observations were performed by utilizing optical microscopy. The behavior of this material is compared against stainless steel 316L manufactured by conventional methods. The results show that theAM316L used in this study display a considerable difference in the mechanical properties compared with conventional stainless steel alloys.

Mar 1, 2017

By Baozhong Zhao

In-situ vitrification (ISV) is a new technology used for treating radioactive, organic and inorganic contaminated soils. In this process, electricity is applied through electrodes buried in the contaminated soil to melt it and form an environmentally stable glass-like solid. The organic contaminants and volatile metals are vaporized during heating up, the non-volatile inorganic elements are dissolved and incorporated into the melt. In present full-scale operation, the ISV process can treat 4 to 6 tons of soil per hour at consumption of about 1000 kwh per ton of soil. In this study, various configurations of electrodes were examined in a mathematical model. The results may be used to optimize the ISV process.

Jan 1, 1994

By G. Mawire

The extraction of scandium from its oxide with a task specific ionic liquid [Hbet][Tf2N] offers potential advantages of lower energy consumption, recycling of the extractant and reduced environmental impact compared to conventional methods. In this paper, the influence of reaction temperature, solid to liquid ratio and water to the ionic liquid ratio on the extraction of scandium from a synthetic scandium oxide (Sc2O3) system was studied. The influence of investigated parameters on leaching was very significant as approximately 98% scandium was extracted from its oxide after 72 h. Furthermore, the ionic liquid also selectively extracted 47% scandium after 48 h from a mixture of pure metal oxides containing oxides of tantalum, niobium, and scandium. The research demonstrated the potential of [Hbet][Tf2N] to selectively extract scandium from columbite processing tailings and other scandium bearing ores like Ixiolite, Heftetjernite and Tantalite which predominately contain tantalum and niobium.

By Claude Lorenson

"The Spyrometer™ imaging pyrometer brings new dimension of imaging capabilities to temperature measurement technology by combining a high temperature video camera with scanning optical pyrometry. This gives the operators the ability to observe process conditions while measuring the temperature of virtually any object or region in the field of view. Since the lens tube of the camera can be air or water cooled, it is possible to see inside furnaces giving a very good view of many different types of metallurgical processes. Specific benefits in process knowledge and maintenance tasks for furnaces in different types of metal industries are discussed.1-Principles of Imaging PyrometryLens tube, camera and processorImaging pyrometry is the combination of video imaging and computer-driven pyrometry that measures the temperature of certain zones (selected by the operator) within the image viewed on the monitor screen. To obtain a detailed image of the metallurgical process under observance, it is necessary to place the optical objective of the camera close to the process. The Spyrometer™ (which is Quadtek's tradename for its imaging pyrometer) objective is housed in a lens tube that is cooled and permits insertion inside the vessel of interest. The length of the lens tube is chosen on the basis of making sure that the tip of the tube is just beyond the refractories lining the inside of the furnace. In most pyrometallurgical processes, we have found that the most reliable system set-up uses a water cooled shroud to cool the lens tube optics. A sapphire window provides maximum protection from the environment. Even in the case of the water cooled version, there is an air purge for the lens that keeps the objective clean and protects against hot metal splashes."

Jan 1, 1997

By S. Pirzada, P. R. Taylor

A reactor was designed and constructed to perform experiments on the generation of value added products using a plasma heat source. The engineering drawings were developed to include multiple sample ports for temperature and velocity measurements and view ports were designed to allow the Physics group to make optical measurements. Two methods for feeding solids into the system were developed and installed. Preliminary experiments were performed to characterize the system at various flow rates and power settings. Experiments were performed using zinc metal and oxygen to form zinc oxide. The particles that were generated were characterized chemically using atomic absorption and x-ray diffraction; and physically using scanning electron microscopy. The particles appear to be of value added size; but there is a tendency for the fine particles to adhere to one another forming agglomerates. Additional experimental work will continue the evaluation of the major parameters.

Jan 1, 1988

By F. Patisson

One of the major issues with multiparticle reactors is to handle their multiscale aspect. For modeling, it usually comes to coupling a reactor model (describing the phenomena at the macroscopic scale) with a so-called grain model (simulating the behavior of a single grain or a particle). An interesting approach proposed by H.Y. Sohn (1978) is to use the law of additive reaction times in order to calculate, approximately but analytically, the reaction rate of a particle in the reactor model. Its great advantage, compared to a numerical grain model, is to drastically reduce the computation time, particularly in the case of complex reactor models. This is the approach we retained for modeling the moving bed furnace, a counter-current gas-solid reactor used in the nuclear fuel-making route for producing uranium tetrafluoride from uranium trioxide. The numerical model we developed is 2-dimensional, steady-state and based on the finite volume method. It describes solid and gas flow, convective, conductive and radiative heat transfers, and six chemical reactions involved in the process. The law of additive reaction times is used to calculate analytically the rate of the three principal gas-solid reactions at every discrete point in the reactor. We have demonstrated the validity of this approach by comparing its results with those calculated from a numerical grain model. Also detailed in the paper are the main results of the moving bed furnace model itself and the possibilities of optimizing the process revealed by the calculations.

Jan 1, 2006

By Petr Sulovsky, Pavel Leber, Jaroslava Ledererova, Miroslav Svoboda

"The properties of raw materials used for the production of building materials play an essential role in their choice. Industrial waste materials can in some cases improve the performance of new building materials, when compared with classical raw materials. The addition of waste can however negatively impact some of the building material´s characteristics, influencing its stability, service time, durability, and can introduce undesirable variation of certain characteristics over time. It is necessary that each secondary raw material intended for such use be thoroughly investigated in terms of its chemical, physical, and mechanical properties, with special attention paid to the risk components and risk parameters. It is necessary to make many- sided technological tests in relation to the required characteristics of the resulting materials for each chosen application. Moreover, the limit values for the critical (risk) parameters, which the given secondary raw material must satisfy to be used in a specific technology, need to be defined. Introduction The risk components in the industrial waste materials to be used in the production of building materials fall into two groups: - components that pose a risk of development (instant or delayed) of a process deleterious to the utility properties and durability of the resulting materials. Such processes include volume change (expansion as well as shrinkage), alkali-silica reaction, delayed ettringite formation, thaumassite attack, aggressive carbonation, etc. - elements or components that can, if released from the waste-containing building material, pollute the environment. They involve the so called potentially hazardous elements as well as compounds like fenols, PCB, PAHs etc. From the viewpoint of the presence of both groups of risk components, the wastes can be classified as: • environmentally inert waste materials. They are produced in the largest volumes and do not pose a threat to human health. Their physical and/or chemical characteristics fail to satisfy all requirements for utilization in ordinary production. The aim of technology design is to work them into the building products with suitable utility properties. • easier workable waste materials containing toxic components are produced in large volumes. In spite of the content of toxic components, their physical and chemical properties make them suitable for ordinary production, provided that the harmful substances are immobilized by the chosen technology."

Jan 1, 2008

By Matti Hämäläinen

Outokumpu has developed a new chloride leaching process, HydroCopper?, for copper concentrates. The process utilizes the cupric ion as oxidant, which is able to dissolve chalcopyrite. After solution purification monovalent copper is precipitated as cuprous oxide, Cu2O, using sodium hydroxide. Copper product is produced from Cu2O by reduction, melting and casting. An essential part of the new process is chlor-alkali electrolysis, which regenerates the reagents used. All impurity metals are removed before Cu2O precipitation, because otherwise they would report to the copper product, impairing its quality. A multistage solution purification scheme has been developed consisting of firstly, chemical precipitation of impurity metals by pH increase, secondly, cementation of silver and thirdly, removal of trace multivalent ions using ion exchange. This paper describes the characteristics of solution purification in the HydroCopper? process based on the laboratory tests and pilot runs made by Outokumpu Research Oy.

Jan 1, 2003

By T. J. A. Smith

This paper provides an overview of some of the key issues in design of smelter gas handling systems, with particular reference to sulphide smelting plants. In both primary smelting and converting. gas handling and treatment systems often represent the major capital cost component. There is also ample evidence that poor system design can be a major cause of smelter down time, lost production and unforeseen high maintenance costs. The paper discusses these issues and offers guidance for improved design.

Jan 1, 1992

By T. J. A. Smith

This paper provides an overview of some of the key issues in design of smelter gas handling systems, with particular reference to smelter smelting plants. In both primary smelting and converting, gas handling and treatment systems often represent the major capital cost component. There is also ample evidence that poor system design can be a major cause of smelter down time, lost production and unforeseen high maintenance costs. The paper discusses these issues and offers guidance for improved design.

Jan 1, 1992