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By M. Wallin

Millions of tons of sludge from different metallurgical processes are produced worldwide annually, and the environmental impact of landfilling these often hazardous sludges stresses the need to understand their role as valuable resources. The current work explores the potential of producing a saleable low-phosphorous ferromanganese alloy by utilizing sludge from the silicomanganese industry together with an iron source. The aim of the project is to explore the feasibility and practical challenges related to reduction and dissolution of manganese and silicon from the sludge to liquid metal and slag. Parameters such as ratio of input material as well as the effect of adding limestone and coke to the mixture were explored by thermodynamic calculations and adapted experimentally. Results show that a ferromanganese alloy, in fact, can be formed, while silicon and calcium forms a complex slag that captures a significant amount of impurities.

By Denise Corrêa de Oliveira

Household zinc based batteries, dry and alkaline, has become the most popular sources of electrical energy, and are widely used. Because of their heavy metals content such as mercury, zinc and manganese, spent batteries cannot be directly placed in common landfills without a pretreatment. As a municipal solid waste, these batteries may cause serious health problems and environmental impacts. These damages can be reduced by recovery (which means saving natural sources and energy), recycling and adoption of cleaner technologies. Although this worry has been increasing recently, and producers are doing efforts to reduce the mercury content, batteries still need proper safe disposal conditions or recycling processes. This work presents the efforts in progress to characterize and recycle mixed - dry and alkaline - spent batteries, by using low cost unit operations. Some possible recycling stages and recovery parameters of metals as zinc and manganese are also discussed.

Jan 1, 2001

HW Process Technologies, Inc. (HWPT) has developed a patented membrane-based ion fractionation system, which specifically separates copper from gold and silver species in a cyanide matrix. This Engineered Membrane Separation (EMS?) system was pilot demonstrated on the 82,000 liters of pregnant leach solution' (PLS) generated from tailings, via thin layer leaching, at a mine site in Durango State, Mexico. The EMS? recovered ~90% of the gold-silver cyano-complex to a 90% volume permeate (based upon an EMS? feed stream of 100% volume) while rejecting -90% of the copper cyano-complex to a \0% (by volume) concentrate. The EMS? technology combines pore-size specific electro-statically charged membranes with engineered materials of construction and application-specific operational design that reject multi-valent, ionically charged species to the concentrate and transmit mono-valent species through the membrane to the permeate. The 850 ppm Cu PLS contained approximately 0.8 gil free NaCN with, the copper cyano-omplex principally in the CU(CN)3 and CU(CN)4 forms. The gold grade of the PLS was -2 ppm Au. The ~LS calcium concentration at -700 ppm Ca was reduced to ISO ppm.Ca (± 50 ppm) by sodium cycle ion exchange pre-treatrnent prior to EMS? processing.

Jan 1, 1998

By R. Shimpo

Equilibrium calculations by a computer may sometimes fail in giving solutions when the system includes a large number of components and more than three phases, and especially when no definite information about stable phases is given. An improved method of calculation is presented in which the number of phases need not to be initially fixed, phases can appear or disappear in the course of' calculation and a new method is combined with the Newton-Raphson method to obtain solutions easily. The improved method is applied to the copper smelting operation and all the successive stages of the operation are successfully simulated.

Jan 1, 1983

By F. E. Pawlek

Copper concentrates can be comminuted in an attritor within a very short time to a particle size of 1 - 0.1 um. Addition of sodium hydroxide enhances commninution. The concentrates, suspended only in water, can be completely dissolved under oxygen over pressure and temperatures ranging from 120 - 180°C (248 - 356°F), because the surface area of the concentrate has been significantly increased by the ultra fine grinding. Addi¬tion of a small amount of silver ions to leach liquor containing sulfuric acid acted as a catalyst for the dissolution of chalcopyrite, because of the formation of local elements on the surface. The addition of C1- ions was also catalytically very effective. With this method it is possible to completely dissolve the copper contained in chalcopyrite concentrates after ultra fine grinding within 30 min at 110°C (230°F) under an oxygen partial pressure of 1 atm (14 psig). Several flowsheets demonstrate the industrial feasibility.

Jan 1, 1976

By Regina Krachler, Herbert Ipser

"The principles of the derivation of statistical-thermodynamic models to interpret the compositional variation of thermodynamic properties in non-stoichiometric intermetallic compounds are discussed. Two types of models are distinguished: the Bragg-Williams type, where the total energy of the crystal is taken as the sum of the interaction energies of all nearest-neighbor pairs of atoms, and the Wagner-Schottky type, where the internal energy, the volume, and the vibrational entropy of the crystal are assumed to be linear functions of the numbers of atoms or vacancies on the different sublattices.A Wagner-Schottky type model is used for the description of two examples with different crystal structures:For B'-FeAl (with B2-structure) defect concentrations and their variation with composition are derived from the results of measurements of the aluminum vapor pressure; the resulting values are compared with results of other independent experimental methods.For Rh3~ (with an NiAs-derivative structure) the defect mechanism responsible for nonstoichiometry is worked out by application of a theoretical model to the results of tellurium vapor pressure measurements. In addition it is shown that the shape of the activity curve indicates a certain sequence of superstructures.In principle, there are no limitations to the application of statistical thermodynamics to experimental thermodynamic data as long as these are available with sufficient accuracy, and as long as it is ensured that the distribution of the point defects is truly random, i.e. that there are no aggregates of defects."

Jan 1, 1996

By D. V. Hughes, J. R. Nyberg

"Since 1985, a comprehensive automation system has been installed at the Outokumpu Oy Zinc Plant, Kokkola, Finland. In leaching and solution purification special sample handling equipment, on-line analyzers and instruments, and a computer-based control system with duplicated supervisory stations have been installed. The system has enabled closer control of the process and more efficient use of labor. Since its installation recovery of zinc has improved, and use of zinc dust, steam, and water have decreased. The system has performed reliably. It includes optimizing programs and process study tools, which facilitate improving process performance. An expert system has been built-up to prompt process personnel to take appropriate action on the basis of process data. In electrolysis a similar system, based on extensive monitoring of the process and of production of zinc cathodes, is used to maximize- current efficiency by maintaining optimum conditions in the process. It is planned that in the future the control systems will be integrated and extended to cover the roasting plant and effluent control.IntroductionThe Zinc PlantThe Zinc Plant of Outokumpu Oy Metallurgical Division at Kokkola, on the West Coast of Finland, has grown from a 90,000 t/a plant founded in 1969 to become, with its present capacity of 170,000 t/a, one of the world's ten largest zinc plants. Especially since the completion in 1988 of a thorough modernization programme, it is also among the world's most modern.The Kokkola plant takes its raw materials from Outokumpu's own mines, Vihanti and Pyhasalmi in Finland, and Tara in Ireland, and from outside sources. Concentrates are roasted in two Lurgi fluid-bed furnaces, and the calcine is leached and iron removed by the Conversion process. Following this copper, cobalt, and cadmium are removed, and zinc is refined by electrowinning. The leaching and purification, and the cell-house are automated under computer-based control, and anode and cathode handling in the cell-house are mechanized and fully automatic."

Jan 1, 1989

By Andrea Bernardes

Printed circuit boards (PCBs) of varying compositions have been converted by incineration and following melting into an environmental agreeable slag and a copper-nickel-tin alloy, containing the precious metals. The environmental compatibility of the slag was determined according to the German standard DIN 38414 - Part 4; pollutants' concentration in the lixiviates is smaller than the thresholds of drinking water (CE-Standards). Each experiment the charge were 500g scrap from PCBs and ca. 100g slag forming material. The products were a kind of mullite slag, poor on iron, which was recirculated, and an alloy containing up to 0.3% Gold. With a burner to the retort coal gas, the waste gas was burned without soot, and the produced mixed zinc-lead oxide containing silver was collected in the flue dust.

Jan 1, 1997

By Hiroyuki T. Takeshita

Ca-Ni based alloys were investigated on structures, hydrogenation properties and the effect of additive elements on hydrogenation properties. CaNi, samples were decomposed to form a new hydride with a CsCl-type structure on the constituent metal atoms at high temperatures such as 673K in a hydrogen atmosphere. The candidate of the third element which was added to stabilize the original compound was investigated by using the Miedema's semi- empirical model and, as a result, Pd was chosen. The hydrogenation of CaPd was conducted with a Sieverts' type apparatus and the synthesis of Ca-Ni-Pd ternary alloys was performed by high frequency heating.

Jan 1, 2002

By Wang Zhi

High-Mg-content concentrates are usually treated in Jinchuan flash smelting Furnace. Because the viscosities of high-Mg-content slag is very high, the operation of flash smelting becomes very difficult. To solve this problem, the viscosities of the semi-synthesized FeO-MgO-Si02 slag of different compositions were measured. The results showed that when in the slag the weight percentage of MgO [m(Mgo)] is 6-10%, the ratio of the weight percentage of iron to that of Si02, m(Fe)/m(SiO2) is 1.1-1.4 and the temperatures are within 1473?1773K, the slag viscosities increased with the increase of m(Mgo) and m(Fe)/m(sio,). When m(Mgo)<6%, the smelting temperature should be controlled at I 300°C in order to to keep the smooth operation. When m(Mgo» 10%, the temperature should be kept above 1633K. When the content of MgO is higher, a lower viscosity slag ean be produced by decreasing the ratio of m(Fe)/m(sio,). The appropriate ratio of m(Fe)/m(sio,) for Jinchuan flash smelting furnace is about 1.2.

Jan 1, 2003

By S. S. Chabot, S. E. James

A recent survey of CEOs from major steel companies worldwide revealed the importance of recycling zinc units from EAF dust, mill scale, blast furnace dust, and other zinc containing streams in their plants. Many processes were developed and installed in response to this challenge. The most successful approach involves the production of a crude zinc oxide and selling it to primary zinc producers to recover the metal value. The problem with this process is the high concentration of halides in the crude oxide. This type of material cannot be processed directly in an electrolytic zinc plant because of corrosion problems it will cause in electrolysis. In 1999, BRZ installed a zinc oxide receiving and washing plant to minimize the impact of halides to its circuit. A description of the washing plant and initial operating results are included.

Jan 1, 2000

By Fatma Arslan

Alada (Kayseri-Turkey) lead-zinc sulfide-oxide ores contain 10.17% Pb, 10.98 %Zn, 164 g/t Cd and 57 g/t Ag. During the laboratory scale flotation tests of these ores, it was found that almost all zinc was remained in the tailings that contain 12.31% Zn, 1.35%Pb, 198.3 g/t Cd, and 22.3%Fe. Three different methods were studied such as basic (NaOH) leaching, roasting+acidic (H2SO4) leaching and direct acidic (H2SO4) leaching for recovering metals that these tailings contain. In the direct acidic leaching, which gave the best results, dissolution efficiencies of 91.5% zinc, 78.2% cadmium, and 14.3% iron were reached at the optimum leaching conditions while Pb remained in the leach residues and the acid consumption was 422.3 kg/ton of tailings.

Jan 1, 2006

By James M. Fragomeni

"The mechanical behavior of an Al-Li alloy was studied and related to the extrusion processing parameters, the plastic metal flow during defonnation, the anisotropy, and the microstructure. The extrusion temperatures, strain rates, extrusion ratios, billet temperatures, and extrusion geometries were varied during processing and correlated with the microstructure and properties. The extrusion processing variables were related to the mechariicar behavior, anisotropy, and microstructure through the ZenerHollomon parameter i.e., the temperature compensated strain rate. Based on optical and electron microscopy studies it was found that regardless of the extrusion conditions, the various microstructures for the most part were unrecrystallized for both the as-extruded and the solution heat-treated conditions. Smaller grain sizes were correlated to larger Zener-Hollomon parameters. The extrusion temperature and ratio did not significantly affect the strength or ductility as did the section geometry, which had a large affect on these mechanical properties. The anisotropy of the properties varied substantially when comparing the extruded longitudinal versus transverse grain orientations.IntroductionThe extrusion process also has a substantial influence on: the microsfructure and mechanical properties of a material that is Athens, Ohio, 45701 fonned The plastic defonnation that occurs during the extrusion process alters the grain size, crystallographic texture, anisotropy, subgrain size, dislocation density and various other microstructural features. Often the material being extruded is not homogeneous, therefore variations in the microstructure and properties occur across the cross-section of the final extruded product. The mechanical properties and microstructure can also vary with length since it is hard to maintain a constant temperature throughout the extrusion process. The extrusion temperature often varies from the heat generated during the extrusion process. The demonstration material that was extruded for this .study was an aluminum alloy containing 2.6wt, % lithium and 0.09wt.% zirconium. This alloy was strengthened by heat treatment causing nucleation, growth, and coarsening of coherent metastable o' (Al3Li) precipitates in the microstructure. The ? precipitates which are a consequence 9f artificially aging the AlLi alloy, are spherical, ordered, and coherent with the aluminum matrix and impede the dislocation glide inotion during plastic defonnation. Theo particles grow homogeneously in the matrix, and have the Cu3Au (L 12)"" superlattice crystal structure. Aluminum-lithium alloys are used primarily for aerospace structural applications since they have attractive properties such as a lower density and higher elastic modulus than conventional 2XXX and 7XXX alloys."

Jan 1, 2000

By André L. B. Bittencourt

The copper content in the waste slag represents the greatest loss in the process of Caraíba Metais&apos; Smelter. By identifying the variables responsible for copper stabilization in the slag, a minimization on these losses is expected, producing a granulated waste slag with a copper content lower than 0.7%. Statistics resourses such as control charts, Pareto&apos;s diagram and correlations curves were applied for the data obtained in the first semester of 1992. The magnetite and the calcium oxide contents in the slag of the Flash Smelter Furnace were most prominent variables. Some operational changes introduced during and after this investigation have shown good results.

Jan 1, 1994

By Thais Cristina da Costa Caldas, Alline Sardinha Cordeiro Morais, Carlos Maurício Fontes Vieira, Sergio Neves Monteiro

"This work has as its objective to evaluate the firing behavior of a kaolinitic clayey body from Campos dos Goytacazes-RJ incorporated with flat glass waste (FGW) from civil construction. Incorporations of the waste, with a particle size less than 74 µm (200 mesh), were performed in the red ceramic in the following amounts: 0, 2.5, 5 and 10 wt%. Specimens were prepared by uniaxial press-molding and then fired at 850 and 1050°C. The characterization of FGW was done by X-ray Fluorescence. The physical and mechanical properties evaluated were: linear shrinkage, water absorption and flexural rupture strength. The microstructure of the fired ceramics was evaluated by optical microscopy (OM). The obtained results showed that the flat glass waste can be used as a component of ceramic bodies once it was noticed tolerable modifications of technological behavior.IntroductionBrazil is one of the world’s largest producers and consumers of clayey ceramic. Campos dos Goytacazes is located in the north of the State of Rio de Janeiro, southeast of Brazil, it’s known as a large producer of red ceramics. It is estimated that the production of bricks can reach 1 billion pieces per year [1].Nowadays, recycling processes became more and more important, due the generation of wastes in large scale and the preoccupation with environmental. The amount of glass waste has been exponentially growing with the growth of the population. It is estimated that the amount of discarded glass as bottles, construction windows, packing and other glass waste represented in 2006 an amount of 7.5% of the total weight of the world´s domestic garbage [2]."

Jan 1, 2012

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

By Rajesh Kumar Mishra

About 500,000 troy ounces of Platinum Group Metals (PGM) will be available for recycling each year from spent automobile catalytic converters in North America alone. Platinum Group Metals? from spent catalyst can be extracted by Hydrometallurgical, Pyrometallurgical or Gas Phase volatilization processes. This paper is a review and comparative study of various processes investigated for PGM extraction. A number of processes described in this paper have already been commercialized. The technical and environmental aspects of the important processes are discussed.

Jan 1, 1989

By J. C. Agarwal

Slags produced by modern smelting furnaces contain copper values which are unacceptably high for discard. The electric arc furnace is employed commercially to clean copper from flash furnace slags but the addition of highly oxidized converter slags to an electric furnace has created operational problems. Highly oxidized Noranda Reactor slags have not been processed successfully in a pyrometallurgical process. These slags, which contain large concentrations of copper (5 to 10 per cent), are treated in slag concentrators (controlled cooling, crushing and milling, and flotation) which produce a copper concentrate that must be resmelted. Though commercially operable, it will be shown that the slag concentrator has important process and cost disadvantages as compared to a pyrometallurgical process. In this paper an economic comparison is made between a pyrometallurgical process and the slag concentrator. For the analysis, five hypothetical smelting plants are considered. Each plant treats 1200 tons of copper concentrate per day and produces 109,000 tons of copper annually. The plant configurations used in this study are:

Jan 1, 1976

By A. J. Maselli, E. C. Cemak

Hartford Steel Technologies (HST) has a pyrometallurgical and hydrometaliurgical process capable of reclaiming valuable metals from a hazardous waste· stream such as EAF Dust. The HST Process effectively addresses the growing environmental concerns surrounding the increasing production of EAF Dust without producing any hazardous waste material as byproducts. Currently EAF Dust production levels are exceeding the 1,000,000 metric tons per year mark. The HST Process is designed to separate iron, zinc, lead, cadmium, copper, and silver metals using a two-phased process. The Pyrometallurgical side of the Process utilizes a Rotary Hearth Furnace to separate the iron metal from the remaining metals. These remaining metals are further separated, using a Hydrometallurgical Process, in a series of digestion tanks. The individual metals are then collected in saleable form.

Jan 1, 2000

By Patrick R. Taylor

A non-transferred arc thermal plasma assisted cyclone reactor has been designed, built and operated to evaluate its use in vitrification of wastes. Simulated waste (liquid, slurry or fine particulate) is injected near the plasma flame, where nearly instantaneous dehydration and calcination reactions happen. A non-transferred arc plasma torch was attached tangentially to the cyclone and is utilized as both an enthalpy source and to provide the gas velocities required to generate the cyclonic gas flow patterns. The closed top cyclone flow sends the solid particulates to the wall, where they are captured by a thin film of molten glass that is injected as a powder at a position lower in the reactor. The molten glass is then collected in a crucible. The feasibility of simulant injection directly into the flame zone and its effect on electrode lifetimes has been studied. Several candidate refractory systems have been evaluated for their suitability for extended use under the demanding conditions present in the cyclone reactor.

Jan 1, 2002