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By Mario H. Castro-Cedeno

"A design for a handheld MEMS chemical detector is proposed. The detector will be used to detect trace amounts of chemicals in air. It can detect drugs, toxic chemicals and/or explosives. The proposed detector will use ion mobility spectrometry (IMS), a technique that is well known for accuracy and has been used in the past in suitcase sized chemical detectors. The separation and detection of the chemicals occurs in the drift channel and the process was modeled using the finite element method and CoventorWare modeling software. A manufacturing process sequence for the drift channel is proposed and was demonstrated.IntroductionThe goal of this effort is to design, mode~ and prototype a MEMS chip that will be the key component in an ion mobility spectrometer (IMS). This technique uses and asymmetric potential to separate the various ion species in a stream of incoming air [1-4]. One advantage of IMS is its ability to separate chemical species from air at atmospheric pressure and temperature. This is a requirement for a simple to use handheld drug or chemical detector. IMS can be used to detect drugs, toxic chemicals and explosives and it is well known for accuracy in detecting very small amounts of chemicals. This chemical detection technique has been used in the past, but not in handheld detectors.One variant of IMS is the high-field asymmetric waveform ion mobility spectrometry or FAIMS [3]. The FAIMS process, shown in Figure l, works as follows: a gas sample is admitted into the instrument where gas molecules are ionized, typically by a weak radioactive isotope source, ultraviolet light source; and more recently through field emission. The ions move along the length of a channel while they are separated in the transverse direction by an asymmetric electrical potential. The potential, in the form of an asymmetric waveform, causes relative motion between the various chemical species. The species that hit the charged top and bottom plates are neutralized and only those ions that move along the center are detectable as charged chemical ions at the end of the channel."

Jan 1, 2004

By Masayuki Kudoh, Kiyotaka Matsuura

"Molten aluminum and nickel cast onto a steel block exothermically react and produce molten nickel monoaluminide, NiAI, which is simultaneously joined to the steel. The heat of the exothermic reaction is transferred to the steel block, and steel near the surface of the block is melted. The depth of the melted steel increases with both the initial temperature of the steel block and the thickness of the produced NiAI. Iron from the melted steel dissolves in the molten NiAI, and an intermetallic compound of NiAI-Fe pseudo-binary system is produced. During solidification of the intermetallic compound, it is strongly joined to the steel. The Ni.Al-Fe intermetallic compound has an excellent resistance to oxidation and corrosion.IntroductionAn intermetallic compound of nickel monoaluminide, NiAl, offers many advantages over conventional superalloys, such as higher melting temperature, lower density, greater specific modulus and higher thermal conductivity [1]. NiAl also exhibits excellent high-temperature oxidation resistance when doped with zirconium or hafnium, and excellent high-temperature corrosion resistance when doped with chromium or yttrium, that are superior to existing high temperature alloys or coating materials [1-4]. On the other hand, NiAI is significantly brittle at temperatures below 600 K [5-7], which is the most sigriificant disadvantage of NiAI. A possible way to overcome the disadvantage and to utilize NiAl as an environmental-resisting high-temperature structural material may be joining of NiAl to a ductile material."

Jan 1, 2000

By J. M. Zhuang

Lignosulfonates, by-products of the sulfite pulping process, have been utilized in a process [1, 2] to treat acidic rock drainage (ARD). This process is referred to as the LignorTM process. In the present study, lignosulfonates were found to protect lime from developing an external surface coating, and hence to favor its dissociation. Further, the addition of lignosulfonates to ARD solutions increased the clotting and settling rate of the formed sludge. The capability of lignosulfonates to form stable metal-lignin complexes makes them very useful in retaining metal ions and thus improving the long term stability of the sludge against leaching. The LignorTM process involves metal chelation with lignosulfonates, ARD neutralization by lime to about pH 7, pH adjustment with caustic soda to 9.4 ? 9.6, air oxidation to lower the pH to a desired level, and addition of a minimum amount of FeCl3 for further removal of dissolved metals. The LignorTM process removes all concerned metals (especially Al and Mn) from the ARD of the Britannia Mine (located at Britannia Beach, British Columbia, Canada) to a level lower than the limits of the BC Regulations. Compared with the high density sludge (HDS) process, the LignorTM process has many advantages, such as considerable savings in lime consumption, greatly reduced sludge volume, and improved sludge stability.

Jan 1, 2003

By S. P. Song

A computational methodology based on the coupled finite element and boundary methods is developed to predict the free surface shapes of electrically conducting liquids supported by the electromagnetic field. The work is an extension of our previous FEIBE model for induction calculations. The free surface algorithm is developed using the Weighted Residual Method, the very same used for nonlinear finite element formulation. This allows the treatment of field computation and free surface prediction in the same manner, thus making easier the formulation of the magnetically-supported free surface problems. Like other nonlinear algorithms, the boundary/finite element free surface scheme is also iterative owing to the fact that free surface shapes are unknown a priori. But the numerical scheme is robust and efficient and is capable of handling rather complex free surface deformations. Computational algorithms will be given and are tested by comparing with other solutions whenever available. Computed results of magnetically-supported free surface shapes are presented for magnetic levitation under microgravity and floating zone refining processes under normal gravity.

Jan 1, 1996

By N. Kanari

The kinetics of oxychlorination of MgO by Cl2+O2 was studied in the temperature range of 850 °C - 1025 °C, using thermogravimetric analysis. The effects of C12/02 ratio, gas velocity, temperature and partial pressure of reactive gases on the reaction rate were investigated. The oxychlorination process was characterized by an apparent activation energy of about 214 kJ/mol. The reaction orders with respect to C12+O2. C12 and O2 at 950 °C were about 0.65.0.98, and -0.37, respectively. Some data about oxychlorination kinetics of MgO, Cr2O3, and MgCr2O4 contained in chromite were compared. Efficiency of using oxychlorination for the removal of iron oxides contained in magnesia was demonstrated.

Jan 1, 1999

By Frank A. Vonesh

In order to reduce the amount of visible, airborne emissions in the Metals Industry, a new Industrial Gas Technology was developed by Air Liquide. This patented technique is called ALECT?, Air Liquide Emission Control Technology. Demonstrations have been conducted for many cutting and lancing operations as well as for hot metal transfer from vessel to vessel. Fume reductions of 90% and greater have been achieved in actual practice. Air Liquide continues to improve the process and the associated control equipment.

Jan 1, 1994

By Yong Zhao, Yan-hui Sun

Behaviors and evolutions of MgO·Al2O3 in non-oriented silicon steel during calcium treatment were investigated by thermodynamic calculations and high-temperature experiments. MgO·Al2O3 inclusions were the main type of inclusions before calcium treatment, which is also confirmed by the stability diagram of MgO/MgO·Al2O3/Al2O3 from thermodynamic calculations. After calcium treatment, the majority of original MgO·Al2O3 inclusions were mainly modified to CaO-MgO-Al2O3 system inclusions, this would be beneficial to improve castability and product quality of silicon steel. But there was no modification happening to some MgO·Al2O3 spinels which were directly surrounded by CaS inclusions. The content of Al2O3 occasionally existed a sudden increase besides a common decrease in the product layer of CaO·MgO·Al2O3. Then the evolution mechanisms of MgO·Al2O3 inclusions were proposed in present work. Thus, Al/Mg atom ratio had a significant influence on the modification of MgO·Al2O3 spinel.

Jan 1, 2016

By J. R. Parga

A shortage of landfill space and growing environmental concerns in Mexico are renewing interest in the recyclability of scrap from automobiles. This work describes a pyroumetallurgical process for the recovery of metallic lead from waste lead paste. Argentopyrite concentrate is commingled with lead paste residue and smelted in a fuming process thereby transferring the precious metals into lead bullion. The process consists of smelting lead paste and argentopyrite, sodium carbonate, and metallic iron at smelting temperatures of about 1100 T. The reaction products are slag and molten lead bullion enriched with precious metals. A major feature of this process is the removal of precious metals from the bullion by means of zinc, whereby a silver-zinc intermetallic compound is formed and floats out of the lead. The recoveries of precious metals are about 98%.

Jan 1, 1996

By William Petruk, J. H. Gilles Laflamme, Jean Robitaille, Louis J. Cabri

"A quantitative mineralogical study using ore microscopy, electron microscopy, proton-microprobe, image analysis, and material balances was done on samples from the circuit of a concentrator in Quebec, with particular emphasis on the Cu concentrate. The ore contains many different minerals, of which the principal ones, in decreasing order of abundance, are pyrite, sphalerite, chalcopyrite, bornite, galena, tennantite, and pyrrhotite. Minor to trace amounts of covellite, chalcocite, stannoidite, mawsonite, colusite, wittichenite, miharaite, hessite, petzite, electrum, and an unidentified Cu-Pb-Bi-sulfide also occur.Liberation of pyrite is very high in all size fractions for all samples (ranging from 80-91 %). Liberation of chalcopyrite, bomite, sphalerite, and tennantite is relatively high, on average, in the head .sample and Cu concentrate (55-78% and 66-88%, respectively). Most of the chalcopyrite in the flotation tails is not liberated, whereas about one half of the tennantite and sphalerite are liberated in both the flotation and :final tails. Recoveries calculated for the Cu concentrate (on the basis of assays, mineralogy, and image analysis) are chalcopyrite 72. 5%, bornite 73. 7%, sphalerite 41.0%, tennantite 70.9 %, and galena (together with some trace minerals) 34.2%. It was also calculated that the Cu concentrate contains 10.0 % of the pyrrhotite and i.4 % of the pyrite.Materials balance calculations were done on the five major sulfide minerals to determine the mineralogical distribution of 13 major, minor, and trace elements (as determined by protonmicroprobe analyses). It was determined that tennantite is the principal carrier of Bi (67%), As (90%), and Te (86%) in the Cu concentrate. Therefore, removal oftennantite, which is mostly liberated in the Cu concentrate would significantly reduce these three contaminant elements, but at a loss of9% of the Cu, 2.0% of the Zn, and 0.7% of the Ag. The precious metals (Au, Ag) occur as discrete minerals (electrum, petzite, hessite). Some of the Ag also occurs in solid solution in bornite (23.1% of Ag in Cu concentrate), tennantite, and sphalerite. Four of the major sulfides (chalcopyrite, bomite, sphalerite, tennantite) in the ore also contain measurable concentrations of the following trace elements: Se, Cd, In, Sn, and Sb, occurring mostly as solid solutions. Some of these elements are also concentrated (up to about 18%) in minor and trace minerals such as colusite, stannoidite, and mawsonite."

Jan 1, 1999

By Animesh Jha

Univariant diagrams are constructed for the reduction of nickel and cobalt oxide and sulphide minerals. The results from the carbothermic and hydrogen reduction of sulphide minerals are compared. The importance role of lime and calcium sulphate in controlling the emission of sulphurous- gases during reduction reaction is also explained. The mechanism of carbothermic reduction of nickel sulphide is explained by examining the sulphur exchange and reduction reactions. The phase equilibrium relationships that determine the formation of multicomponent liquid are characterised. Also the governing equilibria for inert atmosphere calcination- roasting of nickel and cobalt sulphide minerals are also described for the metallization of nickel and cobalt.

Jan 1, 1993

By E. C. L. Cardoso

Hydrocarbon polymers, as PP, made from cheap petrochemical feedstock are important in many branches of industry. However, they have an undesirable influence on the environment and cause problems due to waste deposition and utilization. Polymeric materials composites account for an estimated from 20 to 30% of total volume of solid waste disposed. Thus, there is a tendency to substitute such polymers by those ones that undergo biodegradable processes. Polypropylene (PP) is a commodity, with high melting point, high chemical resistance, low density, with a balance between physical and mechanical properties and easy processing at low cost. Nevertheless, PP shows limitations for some special applications in automotive industry and civil construction. In order to minimize this deficiency, related to rheological behavior of polymer melt, especially referring to viscosity in processing temperature, a 50% mixture with HMSPP (High melt Strength Polypropylene) was used. PP/HMSPP was blended with 10, 15, 30 and 50% of natural (sugarcane bagasse) and synthetic polymers (PHB and PLA) aiming to partially biodegradable materials. The admixtures were subjected to gamma-irradiation at 50, 100, 150 and 200 kGy and then further assessed by mechanical tests in order to evaluate their degradability.

Jan 1, 2015

By M. Misra

The finely dispersed kerogen particulates present in the dilute suspension can be coagulated with the aid of a hydrophobic organism, Mycobacterium Dhlei. The initial coagulation and aggregation are strongly dependent on pH and organism concentration, the isoelectric points of oil shale kerogen and Mycobacterium phlei are at pH 3 and 1.8 respectively. As a result the aggregation is rapid around pH 3. Preliminary results show that it is quite possible to use microorganisms for enhanced dewatering of kerogen concentrate produced by froth. flotation.

Jan 1, 1991

By Andrew B. Suttie

The lead-acid battery recycling industry was seriously affected during the 1980s by increasing environmental protection costs and poor lead prices. The process is now being repeated in the 1990s causing further difficulties, for recyclers. In Europe, many lead-acid battery recycling plants use rotary furnaces. The Darley Dale smelter, redeveloped between 1984-87, uses only rotary furnaces. A review of options for this plant has been completed and 'concluded in favour of further investment to exploit more fully the benefits of rotary furnace technology.

Jan 1, 1995

By George H. Edwards

Most cullets consumed in large-volume glass manufacturing processes receive little processing beyond crushing. But lead-glass cullets for specialty glasses such as industrial lighting refractors or cathode-ray tubes are combined with metals and various coatings that prohibit their direct recycling into the glass-melting processes that created them. In many cases, the contained lead renders these cullets hazardous. At present, virtually all industrial processes to separate one cullet from another depend on hand sorting, and thus are necessarily costly per unit weight. Lead-glass cullets of differing lead content are of interest because they offer the possibility of separating one glass composition from another by high-speed, automated processes at low cost. A potential process for comminution, cleaning, and separation of lead-glass cullets would involve primary and secondary crushing, magnetic and other metals separation, attrition scrubbing in water, separation of glass types by gravity techniques, drying if necessary, sampling, and preparation for transport to the point of use. Process water would be filtered to remove finely divided coating materials and glass, and reused. If carried out on a scale similar to a specialty industrial mineral processing plant, the cost per unit weight of such processing should be substantially less than the raw material value of the cullet in specialty glass production. The added value of avoiding waste disposal costs makes this process economically attractive.

Jan 1, 1994

By A. Buzaianu, P. Motoiu, G. Popescu, C. A. Popescu, I. Rusu, A. F. Olteanu

"In recent years, the recycling magnesium metallurgy has developed new types of alloys, some of which exhibiting special electrochemical characteristics. Their application has found a fertile field in the energy conversion technologies. The paper introduces some technologic data on the recycling of aeronautical parts and scrap materials generated from the disassembling of magnesium alloy components, attempting to also solve the recycling of magnesium painted parts. The approach is meant to establish a superior quality method for recycling discarded parts or the excess of re-melting material in order to reduce environmental impact and costs. Magnesium-base alloys used as anodic materials are characterized by a high uniformity of the structural properties as well as by superior electrochemical performances, as compared to the ""classically"" used materials: Zn, Pb, etc. In nonconventional applications of magnesium alloys used as sacrificial anodes working in seawater, special alloying elements contribute to improving anodic processes. The influence of these alloying elements on magnesium sacrificial anodes was studied. It was found that the use of recycled materials in anode manufacture could reduce the Mg alloy cost by as much as up to 75% of the cost for virgin material, including the costs for the entire sequence of collection and transportation from a molding factory to a refinery, re-melting and composition adjustment.1. IntroductionMagnesium alloys are valuable materials because they exhibit low density, good forming and machining qualities, particular electrochemical properties and have a high recycling potential. There exists a false idea about the high costs of the use of magnesium alloys, partly justified by the lack of secondary materials suppliers and the insufficient knowhow in the diverse user industries to provide for an efficient substitution of conventional magnesium alloys for multipurpose applications. These circumstances have lately spurred the magnesium industry to develop new alloys and coatings and to improve processing techniques [1]. As a result, magnesium supply has greatly expanded and so have the research and development efforts to achieve complete recycling of Mg alloys.In consumer markets, magnesium is frequently selected because it helps reduce enery consumption. For example, an equal volume part made of magnesium is 23% the weight of a steel part and 64% the weight of an aluminium part."

Jan 1, 2008

By Yousef Mohassab, Feng Chen, Hong Yong Sohn, Mohamed Elzohiery

The determination of reduction degree in a DR process is sensitive to the total iron in the ore and DRI. An accurate and high throughput analysis method for total iron has been developed. Titration of the solution after tin(II) chloride reduction of ferric ion is a widely used method for iron analysis. However, it is a multistep method that requires many chemical reagents and much time. In this work, an ICP-OES analysis method with higher or equivalent accuracy compared with the titrimetric method was developed. This method has much higher throughput and demands fewer chemical reagents compared with the titrimetric method. In this paper, a comparison of the two methods is presented.

Jan 1, 2016

By F. Sanchez, A. Mejias, C. Frias, G. Diaz

"Crude zinc oxides are the major source of secondary zinc and are produced from fuming processes like Waelz kilns. The impurities of crude zinc oxides make difficult their processing in primary zinc refineries due to mainly high chloride tenor. Washing with sodium carbonate is a costly operation and chloride removal efficiency is not good enough, so further purification steps are required. The crude zinc oxides are easily treated using ZINCEX™ technology based on leaching, solvent extraction, and electrowinning. The ZINCEX™ process is commercially available and is designed to be a perfect barrier for metallic impurities and halogens, allowing selective zinc extraction in mixed chloride and sulfate leaching solutions. Other valuable components as lead and silver can be efficiently recovered from the leaching residue using PLINT technology in chloride media. Silver is recovered as silver cement and lead is precipitated as pure lead oxide or carbonate, which can be smelted at low temperature.IntroductionZinc is a fully recyclable metal and at present approximately 70% of the zinc produced worldwide comes from primary zinc while 30% originates from secondary materials. Nowadays, the zinc recycling rate is continuously increasing mainly through galvanized steel scrap processing, and crude zinc oxides are the major source of secondary zinc [1]. Secondary zinc oxides are obtained from fuming processes like W aelz Kiln, Rotary Hearth Furnace or Primus Furnace. Waelz is the dominant technology accounting for 80% of total crude zinc oxides production worldwide. In the Waelz process, steel dust is mixed with solid fuel reductant (coke breeze) and pelletized. It is then fed to the kiln and heated to a reaction temperature of l ,200°C. In such conditions, zinc, lead, and other non-ferrous metals are vaporized into the flue gas together with chlorides and alkaline metals. Mixed oxides are drawn from the kiln with the process gases and separated to produce typical crude zinc oxides [2]."

Jan 1, 2011

By T. Langthaler, H. W. Engl, H. Holl, K. L. Schwaha

"The trend towards near net shape casting requires the development of more complex design and control algorithms for continuous casting ""machines in particular with respect to the solidification process.Compared to conventional continuous casting the reduction in casting thickness allows to influence more directly the solidification rate by control variables like surface cooling and/or casting speed.In order to enable the determination of these control variables for a given solidification profile, an algorithm (inverse solidification analysis) has been developed based on nonlinear constrained optimization. The application of the model is illustrated by practical examples ranging from conventional continuous casting to advanced thin slab casting.IntroductionProcess development in the Iron and Steel Industry is directed towards the realization of continuous process sequences. Since the direct linkage of processes imposes some restrictions onto the individual process steps, more complex algorithms are needed for design of equipment and control of operation. In particular the recent trend to reduce casting thickness, i.e. to cast thin slabs, has made the direct coupling of continuous casting and rolling absolutely necessary. The prospective development in strip production is schematically shown in fig. 1."

Jan 1, 1988

By S LeClair

Intelligent manufacturing involves intelligent, product-directed systems that facilitate the on-line, real-time generation of an improving product process cycle. A first step in the journey relates to self-directed systems which have the ability to reason and create their own processing paths in response to varying product and process conditions encountered during the process. This paper discusses an application of self-directed process control in the manufacture of graphite-epoxy laminated composites. An Air Force team involving researchers and production personnel have caused the development of a system now in use at the Air Force Logistic Center at McClellan Air Force Base in Sacramento CA. The paper discusses results and lessons learned in the process of trying to speed the implementation of research efforts which show significant potential of improving the product quality in less time and at less cost

Jan 1, 1992

By Mingming Zhang

"Three samples received from the EAF shop have been characterized by chemical, X-ray diffraction (XRD), optical microscopy (OM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) methods. The objective of this characterization work is to investigate the occurrence of nickel, copper, zinc, sulfur and phosphorus in these samples and identity their origin and associations with iron minerals in the concentrate samples that are from mines.The samples were identified as Mineral, Pellet, and HRD. The latter is the DR! product. All three samples were received as fine powders. The results indicate that, in the mineral sample, magnetite is the major iron oxide mineral with hematite as a second phase based on the OM and XRD studies. Pyrite [FeS2], chalcopyrite [CuFeS2] and bravoite [(Fe,Ni)S2] are major sulfide minerals. Trace amounts of apatite [Ca5(P04)3(F,Cl,OH)], wardite [Na4CaA112(P04)8(OH)8 6H20], giniite [Fe5(P04)4(OH)3 2H20] and vivianite [Fe3(p04)2 8H20] were identified by SEM and XRD. Microscopic studies also indicated that most of the sulfide grains in the mineral sample are present either as liberated fine particles (about 10 microns) or as inclusions within the magnetite and hematite grains. XRD studies revealed magnetite as the major mineral with subordinate amounts of hematite and pyrite confirming the microscopic findings. Copper, nickel, and zinc are mainly present as chalcopyrite, bravoite, and franklinite [(Zn,Mn,Fe)(Fe,Mn)204] in trace amount in the mineral samples, respectively. Impurities carry over to the Pellet and HRD samples.Chemical analyses of the three iron-bearing samples indicate that sulfur and phosphorus in the Pellet sample exceeded the specification. Since liberated pyrite and chalcopyrite particles were observed both in mineral and pellet samples, magnetic and flotation processing routes for this ore should be effective for sulfide removal but at the cost of iron losses. The high phosphorus content of all three samples indicates that there are phosphates which are difficult to remove by the current concentrating process (magnetic separation and flotation)"

Jan 1, 2012