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By Nobuhiro Kuriyama

Electrochemical activation behavior of an AB2-Laves-phase type hydrogen storage alloy, Zr0,9Ti0.lNi1.lCo0.1Mn0.6V0.2 was studied to make clear activation process of pellet-type metal hydride electrodes. An alkaline treatment of the electrodes with heated alkaline solution gave alloy surface enriched with nickel, and the treated electrode was more easily activated. The treated electrode desorbed more hydrogen during the first charge-discharge cycle, and was activated without induction period. A cross sectional view of the activated electrode showed finer pulverization of alloy particles than the annealed alloy, and impedance spectroscopy indicated larger surface area of the electrode using the as-cast alloy. Since the as-cast alloy contains inhomogeneities, multi-phase microstructure and stress in the particle, the finer pulverization of alloy particles with hydrogenation are considered to increase surface area in an earlier cycle in the case of the as-cast alloy, which leads larger reaction area and faster activation of the as-cast alloy electrode.

Jan 1, 2002

By Jun Li

Rate processes of silver cyanidation were studied with the objective of understanding the reaction mechanism. The research was divided into three sections: anodic dissolution of silver in cyanide solutions, cathodic reduction of oxygen on silver surfaces and the direct leaching of silver in oxygenated cyanide solutions. The charge transfer steps plus the diffusion of reactants from bulk solutions to the silver surface were identified as rate-limiting and the rates of both anodic and cathodic reactions can be calculated using the Butler-Volmer equation and Fick's first law. Based on mixed potential theory and the results of electrochemical studies, a comparison of the rate obtained from direct leaching with that predicted from the calculation is made. Calculated results agree well with the experimental data.

Jan 1, 1992

By Jozef Zmik, Sergey Dobatkin, Martin Fujda, George Raab, Libor Kraus

"The present work, likewise, deals with grain refinement of medium carbon steel AISI 1045 having different initial microstructure resulting from thermal and/or thermomechanical treatment (TM) applied prior severe plastic deformation. In case of TM treated steel, structure refinement was conducted in two steps. Preliminary structure refinement has been achieved due to multistep open die forging process which provided total strain Eef ~ 3. Uniform and fine recrystallized ferrite structure with grain size of the order of 2-5 µm and with nest-like pearlite colonies was obtained. The further grain refinement of steel samples having different initial structure was accomplished during warm Equal Channel Angular Pressing (ECAP) at 400°C. The microstructure development was analyzed in dependence of effective strain introduced ( Eef ~ 2.5 - 4). Employment of this processing route resulted in extensive deformation of ferrite grains where mixture of subgrains and ultrafine grain was found regardless the preliminary treatment of steel. As straining increases the dynamic polygonization and recrystallization became active to form mixture of polygonized subgrains and submicrocrystalline grains having high angle boundaries. The intensive straining and moderate ECAP temperature caused the partial cementite lamellae fragmentation and spheroidization as straining increased. The lamellae cementite spheroidization was more extensive in TM treated steel samples. The deformation behavior of for both steel structural state confirm the strength increase; however the work hardening behavior was modified with respect to initial structure of steel prior SPD processing.IntroductionIn the last years, ultrafine grained materials have attracted considerable research interest because they tend to possess high strength without sacrificing toughness and ductility. Microstructural refinement of steel is usually achieved by alloying and/or by thermomechanical treatment process, which modifies phase transformation. Recently, advancement of severe plastic deformation (SPD) techniques provides another efficient access for grain refinement of metals and alloys. The fabrication of bulk materials with ultrafine grain sizes has attracted a great deal of attention over the past two decades because of the materials' enhanced properties [ 1, 2]. In last decade a worldwide effort in manufacturing process to obtain ultrafine grain structures in steels is persisting."

Jan 1, 2011

By Robin D. Rogers

Room temperature ionic liquids (RTIL) can replace certain traditional organic solvents in liquid/liquid extraction of metal ions from aqueous systems. The very low vapor pressure and non-flammable nature of RTIL warrant consideration of these neoteric solvents for new processing technologies which will reduce pollution, Increase safety, and lower costs. Metal ion separations in RTIL, however, will typically require the use of an extractant and research is needed to identify suitable selective extractants which have appreciable solubility in the RTIL and low solubility In the aqueous phase. Choice of extractant should also take into account the toxicity, expense, and disposal of the ligand.

Jan 1, 1999

By Kiyoshi Shibata, Jun-ichi Hayashi

"Steel making technology poses strong potentials for environmental protection in three direction. One is pollution control on steel making process itself. Japanese steel industry has cut down various type of emission drastically since 1970's. Secondary, those process technology can be applied to reduce environmental burden in other industrial sectors. One of the successful examples is municipal waste treatment facility. Thirdly, development of high performance steel products, such as high strength steel for automobile body, can contribute to improve environmental performance during their use, based on the concept of life cycle assessment. Some examples of the successful development and future task is discussed.IntroductionsStack and smoke used to be a symbol of energy intensive industry such as steel making. But, scenery of steel works and its surroundings have been completely changed, and steel products have been changing, as well. The steel making industry consumes huge quantities of energy and resources. Variety of technical development have been carried out to reduce the pollutant release. The steel industry in Japan has been making direct and indirect contributions to reducing of various kinds of environmental impacts through development of high-performance process and products: Its potential technical capability accumulated in steel making is fundamental and essential infrastructure for the vein systems of our society. In this paper, the activity of steel making industry for better environment is discussed"

Jan 1, 2000

By Saskia Duyvesteyn

For many applications in hydrometallurgy and water treatment it would be advantageous to use ion-exchange resins in stirred reactors. However, attrition of the resin may lead to significant losses of both resin and metal values and prevent water quality goals from being reached. We have studied the recovery of fine resin particles by froth flotation, using the model copper - Dow XFS4195 chelating resin system. As the functional group on the resin is a bis-picolylamine, the resin should be amenable to flotation by anionic collectors, such as sodium dodecylsulfate and sodium dodecylsulfonate. The kinetics of copper loading from dilute aqueous solutions in an agitated vessel were studied as a function of copper concentration, pH and resin bead size. The flotation of unloaded resin was investigated for different types of collector, collector concentration, conditioning time, and resin bead size. Potential applications are discussed.

Jan 1, 1995

By Yuzo Hiroshige, Kiyotaka Tahara, Hiroki Hatayama, Masaharu Motoshita, Tomohiko Akahori

Large amount of rare earth metals is stored in the used electric products. Hitachi has started to develop the environment-friendly process for rare earth metals recovery from used magnets. We report here the environmental impact of our process, in comparison with the conventional recycle process utilizing solvent extraction. As an evaluation method, Life-cycle Impact assessment Method based on Endpoint modeling ver.2 (LIME2) developed by the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) in Japan is applied. It was found that the environmental impact of the new process was more than that of the conventional process. For further reduction of its environmental impact, minimization of energy consumption to operate the equipment was most effective. Decreasing the amount of magnesium, used as an extractant, and the improvement of the extraction rate of rare earth metals were also considered as specific options for reducing energy consumption in the plant development.

Jan 1, 2014

By Jilai Xue, Jun Zhu, GermainKouma Ndong, Luxing Feng

High-temperature corrosion behaviors of Fe-Ni-Cr alloy as inert anodes for aluminum electrolysis have been studied. The effect of anodic overpotential on layer growth of anodic surface is specially considered. The corrosion layers on the anodes tested were analyzed using XRD and SEM-EDS to provide a fundamental understanding of the layers growth at metallic anode surface. The dissolution of the scale layers on the metal anode occurred with low overpotential, while AlxM3-xO4 spinel phase within the scale layers was found with an increased overpotential. A mixture of multiple MyO layers existed on the anode substrate. The results may be useful for understanding and controlling the corrosion behaviors of Fe-Ni-Cr anode for potential application in aluminum electrolysis.

Jan 1, 2015

By Hubert Bril, Priscilla Pareuil, François Bordas, Emmanuel Joussein, Jean-Claude Bollinger

"According to the legislation, valorization type, origin and characteristics of waste material, various standard procedures are available to evaluate environmental impacts. A Mn-rich slag was sampled from a metallurgical plant. After its characterization (elementary analysis and mineralogy), five standard procedures were carried out (i.e. TCLP, EN 12457-1). Each fixed parameter of the standards was systematically studied in a large range: pH, Liquid/Solid ratio, contact time. For example, EN 12457-1 led to a low ME mobilization, increasing with the L/S ratio, the contact time and an acidic pH. As a conclusion, the representativeness of the considered parameters and their potential variations are predominant to assess of the real environmental impact during slag reuse. Introduction Recent studies have been carried out about environmental impacts of waste containing metallic elements (ME) because of their potential mobility [1-7]. Indeed, slags are either dumped or valorized in various activities such as building materials. In order to assess environmental risk, various standard procedures are used depending on country legislation, origin of waste and valorization way. Results of leaching tests are linked either to special legislation (e.g. Dumping: EC, Council Decision 2003/33/EC, Construction products: EC, Council Directive 89/106/EEC) or to legal levels used in drinking water (Directive 98/83/CE) when leachates could migrate to groundwater. If ME in leachates are lower than drinking water authorized levels, the waste will be considered as non-hazardous. On the contrary, if the leachable amounts exceed them, the question about the risk has to be posed. Beyond the abundance of leaching tests available, variety of operational conditions induced by these regulatory tests does not make the choice easier. According to operational conditions induced, ME release could vary from one test to another one. ME concentrations in leachates depend on pH, Liquid/Solid ratio, contact time and particle size [3]. To highlight the importance of these operational parameters, potential risk for valorization of a manganese-rich slag was assessed by comparing several standard leaching protocols [8-12] with a global study dealing with the influence of operational conditions. For each regulatory protocol, the most influential parameters (L/S ratio, pH, particle size and contact time) have been studied in a large range."

Jan 1, 2008

By Jun Miao, Kang Liu, Jilai Xue, Jun Zhu

CO2 emissions must be reduced by at least 50 % by 2050, and hence the technical solutions to capture and convert CO2 into value–added products should be considered. A Cobalt(III) Schiff base complex (Salen–Co(III)) has been investigated as a catalyst for synthesis of cyclic carbonate from CO2 and epichlorohydrin(ECH) with tetrabutylammonium bromide (TBAB) as co–catalyst. To recover Salen–Co(III) for the next cycling operation, it was immobilized onto zeolite 13X through excessive impregnation method. The immobilized catalyst was characterized using XRD, SEM, BET and ICP–AES techniques. Catalytic tests showed that yield of cyclic carbonate reached 90 % using 0.5 mol % Salen–Co(III) at ambient conditions. The immobilized Salen–Co(III) exhibited better catalytic activity than the homogenous one when used at the first cycle, but the yield decreased by some 20 % after five cycles.

Jan 1, 2015

By Gerald K. Vellente

Producers of strip coated products are being approached by users to supply higher quality products and adhere to tighter specifications. Suppliers, in an attempt to assist the producers, must consider new technologies for equipment. In the past several years, the induction melting and heating industry has made great strides in developing new and innovative equipment, while improving existing technology. In the past several years, the induction melting and heating industry has made great strides in developing new and innovative equipment, while improving existing technology. In the past several years, the induction melting and heating industry has made great strides in developing new and innovative equipment, while improving existing technology. This paper will review recent developments to include improved refractory systems for ceramic pots, new channel-type inductors which are more efficient, new power control systems for existing channel-type pots, and innovative use of multi-purpose lines. Additionally, new heating applications such as galvannealing, edge heating, and post heating will be reviewed. Advanced math models for controlling heat will be discussed. Producers can easily meet the demands of their customers because of the flexibility provided by the equipment reviewed.

Jan 1, 1992

By C. Schwandt

Recent research work has led to the development of a new electrochemical hydrogen sensor, which is based on a proton conducting solid electrolyte in conjunction with a self-contained solid hydrogen reference standard and is operated at elevated temperatures. The incorporation of the internal hydrogen reference renders the sensor versatile and user-friendly and makes it attractive for practical exploitation. The present article focuses on the utilisation of the sensor as the integral part of a probe for the quantitative determination of hydrogen in molten aluminium and aluminium alloys. The main features of the sensor and the probe as well as the measuring technique are discussed. Experimental results obtained with the novel analyser in trials under industrial conditions are presented and highlight the good performance of the device.

Jan 1, 2003

By Guolin Zheng, Tiejun Chun, Jian Pan, Deqing Zhu, Xianlin Zhou, Dong Chen

"The high temperature oxidizing-chloridizing roasting is one of useful methods to separate nonferrous metals from pyrite cinder and metallurgy slag. However, as one kind of main nonferrous metals in pyrite cinder and metallurgy slag, copper’s chlorination behavior is not demonstrated. In the present study, chlorination behaviors of CuO, Cu2O and CuS at the temperature range of 1025-1175 ? in air by simulating the chloridizing roasting process of pyrite cinder and metallurgy slag have been investigated. It is shown that Cu2O and CuS is much easier to remove, CuO is refractory to remove. In addition, the presence of SiO2 and CaO increases the Cu removal rate from CuO while the presence of SiO2, Al2O3, CaO and MgO decreases the Cu removal rate from Cu2O. Fe3O4 influences the Cu removal rate from CuO and Cu2O positively.IntroductionAs two kinds of significant secondary resources, pyrite cinder and metallurgy slag contain not only abundant iron but also considerable copper, lead, zinc etc. Millions of tons of pyrite cinder and metallurgy slag were discharged from nonferrous metal and chemical industries annually [1, 2] in China. The pyrite cinder and metallurgy slag are formed by roasting of minerals at a high temperature, so the properties of them are distinctly different from the natural iron ores, and the iron in them is closely associated with copper, lead, zinc and other nonferrous metals. High-quality pyrite cinder and metallurgy slag containing high iron and low impurities can hardly be obtained, leading to their low utilization degree [3]. Chlorination is characterized by the high reactivity of chloridion, the high volatility and low melting point of metal chlorides, and the big differences in the formation of metal chloride. Therefore, chlorination is widely applied in extraction metallurgy."

Jan 1, 2012

By P. Schloth, H. van Swygenhoven, N. Chobaut, J-M. Drezet

"In the current trend toward thicker aluminium plates, a major concern is the stress build-up during quenching which causes distortions during machining. Indeed, cooling rates are not high enough, especially at the core of such thick plates, to prevent any precipitation and quench induced precipitates lower the hardening potential. Multi-scale modelling is required when predicting macro-scale stresses after quenching for thick heat treatable aluminium components. The reason is the instantaneous strong coupling between phase precipitation at the nano-scale and material hardening due to precipitation or softening owing to solute depletion at the microscale. For thick parts, quenching intensities decrease when going from the skin to the core of the component, thus introducing a gradient of nanostructure and consequently a gradient of mechanical properties. In addition, large thermally induced deformations lead to high macroscale residual stresses although part of them is relaxed by plastic deformation. These stresses have been measured in water quenched thick plates of 7040 and 7449 aluminium alloys using neutron diffraction and layer removal techniques and the results when compared with a thermomechanical finite element model of quenching highlight the influence of precipitation.IntroductionIn the processing route of heat-treatable aluminium alloys (AA), a critical step is quenching from the solutionizing temperature. High cooling rates are desired, as they avoid formation of coarse precipitates, which reduce mechanical properties. Fast quenching, however, cannot be achieved in the centre of thick components, where the quenching rate can be more than one order of magnitude lower than at the surface. The existence of a thermal gradient between core and surface leads to a differential thermal deformation which is accommodated by elastic and plastic deformation to comply with the compatibility of deformation. Whenever the material yields, especially at high temperature when the yield strength is low, residual stress remains after quenching due to the irreversibility of plastic deformation. After quenching, the plates are in a state of residual stress that causes unacceptable distortions during machining and may reduce service life drastically. Since stress relaxation is negligible during ageing treatments [1 ], agehardened aluminium parts are usually stress relieved prior to ageing. This is typically achieved by applying plastic deformation: stretching from 1.5 to 3 % in the rolling direction (L) can reduce the internal stresses by a factor of approximately 10 [2, 3]. However, complex geometries or thicker components like thick sheets require other approaches. Reducing the quenching rate by using boiling water for instance leads to lower residual stresses [1, 4]."

Jan 1, 2013

By E. B. Freidina

We have investigated a new electrochemical process for preparing lead-calcium alloys. Calcium metal, reduced fiom a molten chloride mixture, forms an alloy with liquid lead cathode. The addition of calcium carbonate to conventional CaC12-NaCl electrolyte enables us to avoid chlorine production on the anode and replace it with oxygen and carbon dioxide. The ternary system CaClz-NaC1-CaCO3 has a range of melt compositions, where the electrolysis can be held below 650°C. In order to prevent the side reaction of carbon deposition on the cathode we have separated the anolyte from the catholyte with alumina diaphragm. The factors, which affect the level of impurities and the current efficiency of the process, are discussed.

Jan 1, 1999

By L. L. Tavlarides, N. V. Deorkar

"Recovery/Recycling of metal ions from industrial process waste streams is a preferred alternative to disposal by conventional techniques. This paper presents methods for preparation of inorganic chemically active adsorbents to be used in fixed bed adsorbers. Methods for immobilization of chelating agents on the inorganic supports are discussed. The prepared adsorbents are characterized to determine coverage density of functional groups, effect of pH on metal ion removal efficiency, regeneration efficiency and uptake capacity. Results from the laboratory scale and bench scale experiments are presented here.IntroductionRemoval of heavy metal ions from processing wastes in various industries is an important problem. Waste streams in electroplating, electronic, catalyst preparation and hydrometallurgical industries contain metal ions such as copper, nickel, chromium, lead, tin, cadmium, silver, gold and platinum. One major concern for the non-ferrous metal industry is secondary recovery of precious metals and cyanide from cyanide leachate from smelter residue and hydrometallurgical waste streams.Recovery methods recently considered include evaporation, electrolyte metal recovery, reverse osmosis (1), adsorption, ion exchange (2,3), membrane separation (4,5) and Solvent extraction. These processes have met with various levels of limited success. The use of liquid ion exchange molecules to selectively extract metal ions for on-site treatment of these waste streams is currently receiving substantial interest (6,7). This interest seems from an awareness of the advances made in the development of commercial extractants for metal ion separation in hydrometallurgical industries (8). However, separation by solvent extraction processes is generally considered to be economical in the range of aqueous metal ion concentrations from 0.01 to 1.0 mol/lit (9). In order to exploit the selectivity of chelating agents, the idea of immobilizing chelating agent into a solid matrix has attracted growing attention in recent years. Many supports such as inorganic oxides, organic polymers, cellulose powder and polyurethane foam can be used for immobilization of chelating agents. Over the last decade, considerable efforts have been directed toward attachment/introduction of chelating agents into a polymer matrix (10,11). Inorganic supports as compared to polymer supports provide high mechanical strength, chemical and thermal stability, and high reaction rates due to open pore structure. On the contrary, organic resins shrink and swell, thus affecting mass transfer (12). Many of the disadvantages of polymer supports can be excluded by the use of inorganic supports. Innovative use of immobilization techniques can produce inorganic chemically active adsorbents with comparable capacity, stability and reaction rates. Consequently, the objective of our program is the development of inorganic chemically active adsorbents to be used in a fixed-bed unit operation as an alternative heavy metal ion recovery process. Methods of preparation of inorganic chemically active adsorbents, (ICAAs) characterization and applications are discussed in this paper. A brief summary of the results from laboratory scale studies and bench scale studies is presented."

Jan 1, 1996

By Batric Pesic

Adsorption of gold on activated carbon from gold bromide solutions was examined as a function of pH, particle size, carbon amount, initial gold bromide concentration, bromine concentration, temperature, and various cations and anions. pH did not have any effect below pH=6. Above pH=6, pH had dramatically negative effect. The adsorption results satisfied a first reaction order model. The reaction rate constant was proportional to the inverse of carbon particle radius. It was also proportional to the amount of carbon, and independent of initial gold concentration. Temperature had a very little effect at pH=l. At pH=8, the activation energy was a function of the extent of a reaction, increasing with the extent of a reaction. Cu, Fe, Ca, Mg, and Na cations and sulfate, chloride and bromide anions did not have any effect on gold adsorption. Bromine had a very negative effect on gold uptake.

Jan 1, 1991

By D. J. Adams

Cyanide heap leaching is the predominant technology used in processing low-grade gold ores. During closure ora heap leach operation, residual cyanide must be removed from the process and waste solutions, as well as the heap. Biological cyanide oxidation is a proven, economical technology for destroying cyanide in process and waste waters and spent heaps; The use of biological cyanide degradation eliminates the need for toxic or corrosive chemical oxidizers and has- been implemented at full scale at treatment costs usually <$0.50/1,000 gal. The Applied Biosciences biological cyanide destruction (BCND?) process has been demonstrated to effectively treat cyanide, concentrations up to 350 mg/L. Treated process solutions and wastewaters also contained other contaminants such as arsenic, copper, iron, silver. selenium, mercury, nitrate and zinc, much of which was removed in the cyanide degradation process. Under optimal conditions, microorganisms can rapidly oxidize free cyanide in some process solutions from over 250 mg/L down to 0.1 mg/L in 4 to 5 hr. Cyanide is degraded to ammonia and carbon dioxide, with 50%ofthe cyanide carbon liberated as C02. In general, carbon tank based bioreactors degrade cyanide at significantly higher rates than process or wastewater pond configured treatments, which usually degrade cyanide-more rapidly than in heap treatments. Investigation of cell-free enzyme preparations as an alternative to live microbial cyanide degradation shows promise. Advantages of enzymes over live microbes for cyanide degradation include: (I) the ability to tolerate and degrade higher cyanide concentrations (> I ;000 mg/L), (2) nutrients to support live microbial cells are not required, (3) the effects of other toxic contaminants, such as metals, found in mining waters-are eliminated and (4) the potential for greatly increased kinetics.

Jan 1, 1998

By C. M. Davidson

Contamination of by-product: sulfuric acid, by dissolved oxides of nitrogen (&apos;nitrates&apos;) occurs under some operating conditions encountered in sulfide roasting and smelting,, notably when oxygen-enriched air is used. This &apos;nitrate&apos; lowers the value of the acid and increases the effective cost of smelter gas desulfurization. The present paper describes measures taken at one smelter acid plant to remove this &apos;nitrate&apos;; it discusses the mechanism by which &apos;nitrates&apos; in some cases concentrate in one part of the plant and can be purged for more efficient treatment; and it describes a process developed by C-I-L Inc. for removal of &apos;nitrates&apos; from such a purge stream. Advantages of the process include very low reagent cost, recovery of all sulfuric acid values and safe handling of nitrous fumes.

Jan 1, 1983

By Jack S. McPartland

Historically, research on thiosulfate leaching of precious metals ores has been focused on processing of difficult to treat ores. Thiosulfate leaching of ores and concentrates containing sulfide minerals, copper, manganese and preg-robbing carbon constituents has been evaluated. Cyanide leaching is generally considered an efficient, environmentally acceptable means for processing of non-refractory precious metal ores, Consequently, commercial processing of finely disseminated, oxidized precious metal ores is normally accomplished using alkaline cyanide leaching. Recent changes in regulatory climate have, however, called into question the acceptability of cyanide leaching in a number of locations worldwide. In some cases where the use of cyanide is being questioned, thiosulfate leaching may provide an acceptable alternative. Developments in thiosulfate leaching of precious metal ores are reviewed in this paper.

Jan 1, 1999