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By W. Song, C. Richards, B. Q. Li

"This paper presents a two-phase flow numerical model for spouting gas-particle flow reactors used in chemical vapor deposition processes for manufacturing heart valves and other biomedical implants. The model is developed based on the Eulerian-Eulerian formulation of gas-particle flows, with the k-e engineering model modified with the presence of particles for the description of turbulent gas flows. In parallel with the numerical model development, physical models are set up, where the particle image velocimetry is used for visualizing the particle flows and spout shapes and heights and optical probes are used to measure the particle velocities. The numerical model predictions are compared reasonably well with the experimental measurements.IntroductionVarious biomedical implant components, such as bone joints, dental components and heart valves, are coated with bio-compatible thin films by chemical vapor deposition in particle-laden chemical reactors [l-5]. In these reactors fine particles are used as packing and supporting media. During the coating operation, these packed particles are fluidized by an upward gas jet from the nozzle, reach a certain height and fall back on the top of an annulus region. These recirculating particles are mainly for levitating the implant components (usually one or two in a reactor at one time) so that every portion of them is equally exposed to the gaseous atmosphere. An equal exposure is critical for forming a uniform, mechanically strong and corrosion-resistant coating on implants. Plant experience shows that the quality of the coating is directly related to a stream of operating parameters such as temperature, particle size and loading, and gas flow rates [6]. Optimization of these operating parameters for improved reactor performance depends crucially upon our fundamental understanding of the physics governing the gas-particle flow, heat, and mass transfer phenomena taking place in these reactors."

Jan 1, 2004

By Walter Curlook

An improved process of hydrometallurgical treatment of laterite ores of the limonitic type for the recovery of nickel and cobalt using sulphuric acid has been developed and patented [I]. The major improvement is brought about by recycling a significant portion of the "mother liquor" emanating from the pressure leaching reaction back to the feed preparation stage thereby substituting for all or at least a major proportion of the fresh water that must be added. The amount of process effluent waters is correspondingly reduced. Concomitantly with the major savings in fresh water requirements, a degree of reduction in new sulphuric acid requirements is effected, along with a savings in limestone and lime required for subsequent neutralizations. Keywords: Acid pressure leaching; Nickel laterites

Jan 1, 2004

By Frustino L. Prado

For more than a century, the AAC (ammonia I ammonium carbonate) process has been applied to the recovery of various metals. A variation of it, the Caron Process was first used in the early 1940's in Cuba for the extraction and recovery of nickel from laterites. The original Nicaro plant has been in continuous operation since then. Years later the Caron process was used again in Australia at the Greenvale (Yabulu) NickelICobalt plant, commissioned in 1974. Other projects (Sered, Niquelandia, Nonoc, Punta Gorda, Albania) as well as several studies have been carried out. The Caron Process is alive and still promising. Members of our organization have been working with AAC and the Caron Process since 1952. This paper will review current approaches and potential improvements (enhancement of recoveries of Ni and Co, reduced energy consumption and maintenance simplification). Keywords: Caron Process, Ammonia, Ammonium Carbonate, Laterites, Nickel, Cobalt

Jan 1, 2004

By Nolberto Moreno Borjas

This paper outlines the detrimental impact that unblended ore can have on the Ni and Co recoveries and the ore slurry density with real data from the Caron low-pressure ammonia leaching process for the Punta Gorda ore. The author briefly discusses the reason for the decrease in slurry density that the process experiences. The lower metal recoveries in the process that are caused by the unblended ore chemical characteristics and variations are shown with a data base statistical analysis drawn from the results obtained from a pilot test, designed with different ore bypassed from the normal process flow and a similar ore from a similar metallurgical treatment. Keywords: Ni-Co Laterite, Caron Process, Ore Blending, Slurry Density, Metal Recovery

Jan 1, 2004

"In this paper, a mobile heat treatment furnace from Akkermans Gloeitechniek, a Dutch company, was simulated with Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). The furnace is cylindrical with four oil burners, and large metal products such as dredging pumps and impellers can be flexibly heat treated to obtain required microstructure and mechanical properties through stress relief, annealing, hardening and tempering. The furnaces are exposed to the open air, and thus the heat loss becomes significant and varies from day to day and from season to season. Since the temperature of the metal products to be heat treated can only be measured on the surface, the temperature evolution inside the metal could not be tracked in practice. CFD simulation provides a useful tool to predict the temperature evolution within the metal pieces and within the combustion space of the furnace. Energy distribution and heat loss can be subsequently estimated. An overall energy balance through temperature measurement indicted relatively low energy efficiency. Especially during the soaking period, the high energy supplied is barely used to compensate the heat loss of the furnace to maintain a constant temperature of the metal piece. The current CFD modeling aims to give advice on how to modify the design and optimize the operation to reach higher energy efficiency and low heat loss. The CFD model consists of turbulent combustion model, radiation model in participating media, and conjugate heat transfer between the combustion space and solid metal. Temperature measurement was carried out to provide thermal boundary conditions and overall energy balance of the operation. After the model validation with temperature measurement within the combustion space and metal surfaces, furnace optimization will be conducted.IntroductionHeat treatment is a common practice in metal production and manufacturing industries. Through heat treatment at certain temperatures with special patterns, unique mechanical properties of the metals and the metallic products could be obtained. ""Akkermans Gloeitechniek"" is a company situated in K.inderdijk, at location of LHC-Holland (www.ihccaland.com), the Netherlands. Heat treatment of metals is its core business. Various type of heat treatment are applied, such as stress relieving, soft annealing and hardening (quenching), tempering, transformation and precipitation. At the company 6 furnaces are in operation and the 7th is being built"

Jan 1, 2004

By Lanre Oshinowo

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is used in conjunction with process modelling at HATCH to achieve a superior level of confidence in the process design of hydrometallurgical process plants. The use of these tools to evaluate designs through virtual prototyping reduces the risks associated with making design decisions. This paper highlights the development of a co-simulation strategy at Hatch for the seamless integration of process modeling software addressing different scales (process time and space): flowsheet level models and .equipment level models. With co-simulation, the process design engineers can improve design accuracy, troubleshoot and optimize performance and influence decisions impacting equipment operation by representing specific unit operations in the flowsheet model software with detailed CFD models. Specifically, this paper will focus on the co-simulation of a Ni/Co high-pressure acid leach (HPAL) process including heaters/heat exchangers and flash system, autoclave and quench/scrubber system. The knowledge developed can be transferable to other processes.

Jan 1, 2004

By K. Moriyamo

Operation improvement efforts at Hyuga Smelting Co., Ltd. have focused on calcining capacity in the reduction rotary kilns ("the kilns"), whose limited feed rate capacity had capped production at around 18,000t-NiN since 1995. To improve the kilns' feed rate capacity of 80 wet t/hr, attempts were made to increase the gas flow in the kilns by increasing the capacity of the off-gas fans. However, as the increased gas flow resulted in only limited improvement of the kilns' feed rate, a scoop feeder was installed on each kiln to add coal to the middle of each kiln's interior to gain a higher efficiency of thermal supply and conversion. With these gas flow and coal charge addition operations, the kilns' feed rate capacity increased up to 120 wet t/hr, with burner fuel efficiency increasing by approx. 10% (approx. 5% in total with the additional coal included). As a result, production was raised to a level of 22.000t-Ni/Y Keywords: reduction rotary kiln, scoop feeder, additional coal charge.

Jan 1, 2004

By J. Tang, B. Q. Li, R. Akarapu

"An integrated model is developed to represent the three-dimensional electromagnetic wave propagation and thermal phenomena during microwave heating of ceramics and dielectric/biological materials. The model development is based on the edge finite element formulation for electromagnetic fields and the node fmite element formulation for thermal phenomena. Results are presented and compared well with available analytical solutions and experimental measurements. With the model, the effect of sample positions on the electromagnetic and thermal field distributions is studied.IntroductionMicrowave, as an electro-heating source, has been widely used in the processing industries for packaged foods and other materials. The commonly used household microwave oven is a typical example of microwave heating processes. Other industrial microwave processing systems include large-scale microwave guides and cavities, which are used for the sintering operations as required for making ceramic components or for sterilizing the packaged foods."

Jan 1, 2004

By Shantaliu S. Shevade, Muhammad M. Rahman

"This paper presents a systematic analysis of fluid flow and heat transfer processes during the magnetic heating of the substrate material. Heat is generated in the substrate material when a magnetic field is imposed due to change in orientation of the molecules. As a result, the substrate temperature rises. The i;tudy considered microchannels with rectangular and square cross section with heat generation in the substrate due to imposed magnetic field. The results computed were for Gadolinium substrate and water as the working fluid. The purpose of this study is to explore the transient heat transfer coefficient when the fluid is circulated through the substrate via microchannels. Equations governing the conservation of mass, momentum, and energy were solved in the fluid region. In the solid region, heat conduction was solved. From the simulation results, plots of Nusselt number and heat transfer coefficient were obtained over the length of the channel. A thorough investigation for velocity and temperature distributions was performed by varying channel aspect ratio, Reynolds number, and heat generation rate in the channel. It was found that the peripheral average heat transfer coefficient and Nusselt number is larger near the entrance and decreases downstream because of the development of the thermal boundary layer. With the increase in Reynolds number, the outlet temperature decreased and the average heat transfer coefficient increased.IntroductionMagnetocaloric effect (MCE) is the heating or cooling of the magnetic materials due to varying magnetic field. The effect was originally discovered by Warburg. Magnetocaloric materials store heat energy in the way the atoms vibrate and in the way electrons spin within each atom. More heat energy increases the vibrations and also makes the spins more random. When a strong magnetic field is applied to a magnetic material, the magnetic moments of its atoms become aligned making the system more ordered. The more ordered material has lower entropy and compensates for the loss by heating up. When the magnetic field is removed, the magnetic moments return to their random directions, entropy increases and the material cools. Gadolinium is a magnetic material that exhibits high temperature rise during adiabatic magnetization around its transition temperature of 295 K. It has been experimentally observed that adiabatic temperature rise increases with magnetic field strength and can be as high 20 K when a magnetic field of IO T is applied. Thus magnetic field, when applied to a microchannel heat exchanger, causes temperature change in the magnetic material. The fluid flowing through the channel gets cooled or heated due to this adiabatic temperature change."

Jan 1, 2004

The high pressure acid leach process (HPAL) is being commercially used in four plants around the world to treat limonitic laterites. The two major operating costs of the HPAL process are the sulphuric acid and the energy required to heat the pulp to the desired temperature (>240°C). As an alternative to acid injection and steam heating, the in-situ generation of sulphuric acid and heat, produced during the high temperature pressure oxidation of sulphur-bearing materials blended with laterites, has been investigated at the laboratory scale. Various sources of sulphur have been examined, in particular, elemental sulphur, pyrrhotite and a Cu-Ni low-grade bulk concentrate. Under the proper blend ratios, all sulphur sources tested generated sufficient acid to result in equivalent nickel and cobalt dissolutions. A significant improvement to the process economics can result from the addition of sulphur sources containing valuable by-products, such as nickellcobalt andlor precious metals (gold and PGMs). This is especially true in the latter case, when the HPAL can be operated under Platsol conditions (i.e. with the addition of 5-10g/L of chloride), to dissolve the base metals and precious metals simultaneously in the autoclave. Various examples of the application of this concept are presented, together with a brief discussion of its implication on the autoclave design and the downstream processes to recover the values from the leach solutions. Keywords: limonite, co-treatment, acid consumption, sulphur, sulphur compounds, pressure acid leach (HPAL, PAL), Platsol process

Jan 1, 2004

By Donald J. Hallbom

Limonitic nickel laterites slurries exhibit complex rheological properties including time dependency that varies from thixotropy to rheopexy. Chronic problems may occur if plant designers and operators fail to take time dependency into account. Stress decay tests indicate that laterite slurry takes roughly two minutes to approach steady state after a step change in the shear rate. As a result, most rheometer measurements are taken at a non-equilibrium state, making evaluation difficult. Two minutes is also long relative to the time that a unit of slurry in a processing plant is at any given shear state, so the slurry may never reach equilibrium. This paper presents a method to describe the rheology of laterite slurry using a Flow Array, which describes the rheology using an array of instantaneous flow curves crossed by an equilibrium flow curve. A rate equation for structural change in non-equilibrium conditions allows time dependence to be efficiently modeled. This flow array allows the flow behavior of time- dependent slurry to be predicted in non-equilibrium conditions using a simple time-step methodology. Keywords: Rheology. nickel laterite, hydraulic transport, pressure acid leach, flow array

Jan 1, 2004

By Terry Gerritsen

Electrode control systems regulate power by physically positioning electrodes. Due to the size and weight of the electrodes, this is a slow process where power fluctuations of less than a few seconds are not fully corrected. Nickel laterite AC furnaces operating in high voltage, shielded arc mode typically incur frequent power variations of approximately +I- 20% around the power set point. To provide enhanced power control, Hatch has recently supplied, at commercial scale, a thyristor-switched reactance system called an SPLC. The SPLC incorporates predictive control software to operate furnaces at the maximum transformer rating by reducing the large power swings experienced without the SPLC. The resulting higher average power enables higher production, without increasing transformer or power plant capacity. A 60 MW production version of the SPLC has been commissioned on Falconbridge Dominicans's laterite nickel furnace, yielding excellent results with a 3 to I reduction in power fluctuations. Keywords: SPLC, AC Power Supply, Electric Furnace

Jan 1, 2004

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 E. Legault-Seguin

The current industrial practice in the processing of nickeliferous laterites involves the precipitation and releaching of Ni and Co to allow separation from the major impurities of Mn, Mg and Ca. A direct solvent extraction process has significant advantages over this practice, which suffers from difficult and costly precipitation steps, lower recovery and inherently complex flowsheets. The present investigation involves the examination of Cyanex 272, Cyanex 301 and Cyanex 302 as extractants for the direct extraction of Ni and Co from major impurities associated with laterite leaching, i.e. Mn, Mg and Ca. For Co extraction, Cyanex 301 and Cyanex 302 are superior to Cyanex 272, because they are able to selectively separate Co from Mn, Mg and Ca. Cyanex 272 offers complete extraction of Co from Ni and Ca, but Mn and Mg pose difficulty. Ni can only be extracted selectively with Cyanex 301, thus another extractant selective for Ni, such as Versatic 10 or Cyanex 301, is needed to recover Ni if Cyanex 302 or Cyanex 272 is used for the initial extraction.

Jan 1, 2004

By Fan Jiang, Haigang Wang, Shi Liu

"This paper describes several applications of Electrical Capacitance Tomography (ECT) in gassolid two phase flows. A new image reconstruction algorithm was evaluated by both simulation and experiments. It is then applied to the online measurement of solids distributions in square circulating fluidized beds (CFBs) and good results were obtained. From the measurement of solids distributions in the bottom zone of a CFB, a bubbly fluidization pattern is identified. A cross-correlation technique was combined with the solids concentration measurements to obtain the flow rate through the dip leg of the cyclone, i.e. the circulating rate of a test CFB. The same· technique was applied in a dense phase pneumatic transport pipe provides the solids concentration, and the flow rate of a wavy gas-solids flow.IntroductionElectrical capacitance tomography (ECT) has been developed for imaging multiphase distributions in the 90's of the ·last century. It is a non-intrusive method. The principle of ECT can be firefly described as follows:Firstly ECT uses a number of electrodes to surround the measuring zone, depicted by Fig. I. The capacitances between the electrodes are measured in turn and an array C is obtained that contains a total number of m independently measured capacitances. Meanwhile the measuring zone is virtually divided into a grid of n pixels, represented by an array G, named the image vector, the gray level of each pixel represents the local value of the concentration of the material. As the material distribution will be reflected by the capacitances between each pair of electrodes, such distributions can be reconstructed according to the measured capacitance, a process called image reconstruction. A common image reconstruction method is called linear-backprojection (LBP). It linearize the relationship between the dielectric distributions in the measuring zone and the capacitances between the electrodes as the following:"

Jan 1, 2004

By Finlay Campbell

Nickel laterite pressure acid leach plants and reduction roast plants have had a checkered history in their engineering, construction, startup and operational reliability. Many potential projects have been the subject of detailed studies over the last thirty to forty years but relatively few have advanced to commercial production. Four reduction roast plants are currently operating, an additional one was partially constructed but never completed, and another was started up in 1974 and shut down after 12 years operation. Three acid leach plants have been built and commissioned in the last five years, trying to follow the example of the Moa Nickel plant in Cuba. An additional acid leach plant project is currently on hold, following limited construction work, its future subject to review by the owner because of potential cost over-runs. This paper attempts to discuss difficulties that may be encountered as a project is developed and will address factors which may affect production ramp-up schedule, long term production performance and overall production success. Comparisons are made with ramp-up performance at other large metallurgical plants that employ some comparable unit operations. Keywords: Caron, PAL, nickel laterite ore, ramp-up, reliability, process development, equipment design, step-out, commissioning, startup.

Jan 1, 2004

By Julian Johnson

The effect of changing redox potential (Eh) on the high temperature sulfuric acid leaching of Western Australian dry-land nickel laterite ores has been investigated. In particular, the effect of added reductant (sulfur, sodium sulfite) or oxidant (potassium chromate) on Eh, leaching kinetics, metal extractions, acid utilisation and leach residues has been determined. Three separate ores - nonhonitic ores from Murrin Mumn and Bulong, and limonitic ore from Cawse - were used in the study. Sulfur addition varied from 0 to 7.8 kg/t ore. The total acid loading was kept constant at 430 kg/t (Murrin Murrin ore) and 330 kglt (Cawse ore), whilst acid loading for Bulong ore was varied according to the presence of either reductant or oxidant. The extraction of both nickel and cobalt from limonite ore remained unaffected when small amounts of sulfkr were added, but addition of even small amounts of reductant to nontronitic ore decreased both nickel and cobalt extraction. Increased manganese and iron dissolution were observed as the levels of reductant increased, accompanied by a decrease in chromium dissolution. As the iron dissolution increased, free acidity decreased, with a subsequent decrease in nickel extraction. In contrast, addition of oxidant lead to reduced iron and manganese dissolution and slower extraction of nickel and cobalt. Keywords: Limonite, Nonhonite, Eh, Nickel Extraction

Jan 1, 2004

By Shekhar Bhansali, Shyam Aravamudhan

"This paper reports on the design and simulation results of a silicon bulk-micromachined diaphragm-type piezoresistive pressure sensor capable of operating linearly over a wide dynamic range (0-1000 meters of water). The piezoresistor elements of the sensor are arranged in a wheat stone bridge configuration to achieve a higher output response. Simulation results (output voltage and sensitivity analysis) obtained using coupled MemPZR-MemMech module of the CoventorWare2003 Finite Element tool are presented. The effect of diaphragm size, diaphragm thickness and thickness of the piezos on output sensitivity were analyzed and optimized to get a linear response over the wide dynamic range.IntroductionThe physical and biological processes in the ocean are critically influenced by ocean parameters (pressure, salinity and temperature). Thus there is a need to develop inexpensive and reliable sensors to continuously measure large volumes of sea-space over long time spans. A key component in any such system will be a pressure/depth sensor. This sensor is routinely employed in marine applications such as wave and tide gauges, tsunami detection, platform leveling etc. More significantly, pressure measurement is needed for depth determination. Depth sensors are vital for remote operated vehicles (ROVs), profiling instruments and towed arrays.Several techniques have been routinely used in the past to measure pressure in the marine environment [1-3]. In general, the pressure sensor design is based on a flexible membrane as the spring element for the sensing pressure [4]. The deflection of the membrane, induced by the applied pressure, is converted into an electrical output through a component that is sensitive to diaphragm deflection (capacitive coupling) or associated stresses (piezoresistors, strain gauges). The temperature compensated pressure measurement can be readily converted to depth using"

Jan 1, 2004

By Ernie M. Crist, Laurentiu Nastac, Frank Spadafora

"This paper describes the modeling techniques and the experimental and computer results for two casting processes that are under development and optimization. These processes are described as follows:1) Electromagnetic stirring (EMS) during casting of Ti-6Al-4V round ingots using the plasma arc cold hearth melting (PAM) process: The purpose of EMS is to establish a singlemelt PAM process capable of consistently producing as-cast ingots without helium porosity and also having no need for surface conditioning prior to secondary processing.. The modeling approach is based on the numerical solution of Maxwell's equations, fluid flow, and heat transfer equations, and mesoscopic modeling of the grain structure.2) Casting of Ti-6Al-4V slabs using the single-melt PAM process: The purpose of slab casting is to improve yield by eliminating an intermediate blooming step for converting round ingots to slabs. The modeling approach is based on the numerical solution of fluid flow and heat transfer equations. The effects of pouring and mold temperatures on the pool and temperature profiles were studied. Also, the torch effects (such as the torch standoff and its traversing path) on the pool and temperature profiles were investigated and the best-case scenario was used in the experiments. Evaluation results at RMI Titanium Company showed that the plates made from the slabs met the mechanical properties and microstructure requirements.Acknowledgment. This work was conducted by the National Center for Excellence in Metalworking Technology (NCEMT) operated by Concurrent Technologies Corporation (CTC) under contract No. N00014-00-C-0544 to the US. Navy as part of the US. Navy Manufacturing Technology Program. Dr. K. b. Yu from RMI and my colleagues from CTC are acknowledged for their comments on this work."

Jan 1, 2004

By T. Plikas, L. H. Gunnewiek, L. Oshinowo

"Electric furnace smelting is one of the principal unit operations for ferroalloy production, and increased process intensity, improved availability, minimal maintenance and a longer campaign life are common objectives for electric furnace operation in order to obtain favourable economics of production. Furnace designers have continued to develop innovative solutions, e.g., furnace cooling systems, that have allowed these objectives to be realised and CFD modelling plays a key role in the design process. Enhanced understanding of the energy transfer process in the furnace and the ability to develop, evaluate and optimize components of the crucible design to match process requirements are the key motivators for modelling.This paper provides an overview of recent applications of CFD to the design of electric furnaces. The aim is to illustrate what can be done, and identify areas where further work is needed in this field. Examples include furnace bath simulation, crucible cooling system design, taphole design, baking of Soderberg electrodes, off-gas systems, and fume control and building ventilation. It is argued that the trend is for numerical models to become more encompassing while at the same time more accessible, and therefore further improvements in furnace design will be realised with continued and well validated modelling efforts.IntroductionOne of the main processing steps in ferroalloy production is the smelting of ore in electric furnaces. The three-electrode, AC submerged arc furnace is most prevalent method for smelting in the industry, with shielded-arc and DC plasma arc furnaces achieving limited application (1,2). Commercial furnaces range in size from a few megawatts to more than eighty megawatts of supplied power, and operate with the objective of maximising the return on capital invested. Maximising productivity and energy efficiency are two pathways to achieving this objective, through process intensification, increased availability, minimal maintenance, and increased campaign life for the furnace and associated equipment. Concurrently, the need to reduce the environmental impact of metal production by controlling the emission of particulate emissions, greenhouse gases, and other harmful by-products must also be met."

Jan 1, 2004