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By Hideki Yamamoto

A new technology to convert fluoride gas (C2H2F4 : R-134a) contained in the exhaust gases from semiconductor manufacturing plants and refrigerators directly into a harmless substance have been established, thus, presenting a new concept for the disposal of fluoride gases such as CFCs that are associated with the global warming. Experimental results verify that chemical reactions with metal compounds can take place at substantially lower temperatures of 700- 800K as compared with combustion treatment temperatures of 1200-1500K. The reaction product is mainly metal fluoride, which chemically is a harmless material. Furthermore, this process is compact, easily controlled, safe and has low running costs. This paper deals with a new chemical reaction method for the harmless disposal of gases effecting the global warming.

Jan 1, 2003

By Yongzhong Xiao, Tiejun Chun, Jian Pan, Deqing Zhu

"An innovative process of reverse floatation-direct reduction-low intensity magnetic separation was developed to effectively beneficiate the superfine run-of-mine (ROM) ore mined from Hunan Province, China. Mineralogy was measured that the ROM ore is of superfine low grade hematite ore type, assaying 27.2wt%Fetotal and with main valuable minerals of hematite occurring at size between 3 to 5µm. The upgrading results show that the final iron concentrate, assaying 88.3wt%Fe total and 94.5% metallization degree was obtained at an overall iron recovery of 69.9% under the following conditions: rough concentration by grinding of ROM up to 88.7% passing 0.074 mm and reverse flotation at pH=9.4, 100 g/t starch and 200 g/t dodecylamine (DDA), and coal reducing the rough concentrate pellets containing 12% calcium containing complex additive at 1200 oC for 120 min, and finally magnetic separation of the reduced pellets by grinding up to 89.2% passing 0.043 mm at 0.08 T field intensity.IntroductionWith the rapid development of iron and steel industry in China, there has been a soaring demand for iron ores in the past decade. The imports of iron ores have increased from 148 million ton in 2003 to 628 million ton in 2009 [1]. Iron making industries increasingly demand for high grade raw materials to improve product quality and reduce operation cost. However, availability of high grade natural ores is limited and enrichment of lower grade ores is necessary to meet the demand. Therefore, large quantities of superfine low grade iron resources are necessary to utilize in China at the moment."

Jan 1, 2011

By Kiichiro Hayashi

"Indonesia is one of the world leaders in palm oil production. Palm oil industry is an industry to be considered when it comes to environmental impacts. This paper utilizes three step approaches. First, a material flow analysis of palm oil related industry was conducted in Indonesia. Second, a factory visit survey was conducted for getting information on environmental impacts of plantation and CPO mills. Third, a LCA study was made for a model Indonesian CPO mill in several bio-waste treatment options. Main findings were that, first; over 70% of FFB was bio-wastes generated from CPO mills. Second, some mills introduced a zero emission bio-waste policy. However, untreated bio-wastes in the zero emission policy, such as, CH4 from POME ponds, may have potential to reduce more impacts on the environment. Introduction Indonesia is one of the world leaders in palm oil production with approximately 12.4 million tons of crude palm oil (CPO) production in 2005 and with the plantation area 5.6 million ha spreading out in 19 provinces [10]. The expansion of palm oil cultivation in Indonesia and its export oriented industry heavily relies on the strong world market demand for food. Currently, there are 320 CPO industries in Indonesia [10]. These include plantations and palm oil related factories. Among them, there are six biggest players in CPO business in Indonesia: PT. Perkebunan Nusantara (PTPN) consisting of 9 PTPN, Sinar Mas, Raja Garuda Mas, Astra Agro Lestari, Minamas Plantation and Indofood. They are managing more than 50% of plantation estate in Indonesia and are leading the Indonesian palm oil business.Palm oil industry is an industry to be considered when it comes to environmental impacts. Unfortunately, there is not so much available information related to the performance of each CPO on environmental impacts. There are reports which provide information on environmental impacts of CPO mills in South East Asian countries, but are limited to, for instance, Thailand’s cases [4 and 5] and Malaysia’s cases [1, 3, 6, 7, 9, 11 and 12]. On the other hand, similar studies on the Indonesian’s case are not well established in academic literatures. And also there is limitation on Indonesian palm oil industrial information from plantation to consumption and disposal in academic articles. There is no literature related to material flow analysis focusing on the whole Indonesian palm oil related industry. One way to describe and present the environmental impacts is through a life cycle assessment (LCA). The LCA could be used to estimate the impacts of CPO production including the stages of plantation, transportation and milling [5, 8 and 11]. However, studies on Indonesian CPO production process were not well established in academic articles. The purpose of this paper is thus to clarify environmental impacts of palm oil industry in Indonesia especially by focusing on plantation and CPO mills with consideration to various bio-waste treatments."

Jan 1, 2008

By Bora Derin, Sertac Yazici, M. Seref Sonmez

"In this study, the recycling conditions of waste liquor obtained after the production of tungsten boride powder from calcium tungstate by self-propagating high temperature synthesis (SHS) and the following hydrochloric acid leaching were investigated in detail. Environmentally unfriendly and extremely acidic (pH~ -0.3) liquor consisting of calcium, magnesium, and boron ions was treated with 1 M sodium carbonate solution to precipitate magnesium carbonate and calcium carbonate phases. The obtained amorphous precipitates were heated up to the temperature of 400°C for re-crystallization. As a result, MgO, CaC03 and CaMg(C03)z phases were obtained, while sodium, boron, chlorine ions were remain in the solution. The present study is still in progress.IntroductionSelf-propagating high temperature synthesis (SHS) is one of the techniques used in the production of a variety of advanced ceramics, inter-metallic, organic and inorganic compounds, oxygen free single crystals, and polymers [ 1, 2]. The reaction becomes selfsustaining and propagates in the reactant mixture, after initiation in SHS process. SHS products may contain the mixture of several unwanted compounds and elements. Therefore following acidic leaching process may be needed to purify the target product. In the previous study, calcium tungstate (Ca W04), magnesium (Mg) and boric acid (B20 3) mixture were reacted to produce tungsten boride powder by SHS process according to the Reaction 1. Then, magnesium and calcium containing byproducts (i.e. MgO, Mg3B206 and Ca3B206) found in the SHS product were leached out by using concentrated hydrochloric acid (HCl) solution to obtain pure tungsten boride powder [3].Ca W04 + 0.5B203 + 4.5Mg = WB + 4.5Mg0 + Cao (1)After the leaching, filtrate solution consisting of different amounts of magnesium, calcium, and boron requires additional treatment for the environmentally acceptable disposal.Several works were carried out about magnesium precipitation conditions and kinetics from brines. Rabadzhieva et al. investigated the precipitation of Mg(OH)z from brines by using NaOH as well as caustic soda [ 4]. Turek ve Gnot investigated the precipitation efficiency of Mg(OH)z for the temperature range between 10-40°C, while the reaction was kinetically experimented by Alamdiri et al [5, 6]. Homogeneous precipitation of nesquehonite (MgC03.3H20) by the reaction of MgCli with (NH4)2C03 in supersaturated solutions and factors that influence the precipitation of MgC03.3H20, such as reaction temperature, initial concentration, stirring speed, titration speed, equilibration time, have been studied by Wang et al [7]. The precipitation of Mg(OH)z by calcium hydroxide from aqueous solutions was studied by Baird et al. [8]. Stratful et al. focused on conditions influencing the precipitation of magnesium ammonium phosphate from wastewaters [9]. 1031"

Jan 1, 2011

By F. K. Letowski

Leaching in froth is a particular case of a three phase (liquid-solid-gaseous) process which combines flotation with leaching by using a reactive gaseous reagent as a flotation carrier and a leaching solution as the reactive liquid medium to fonn the foam (froth) in' which the solid particles are suspended. Some physico-chemical and engineering aspects of leaching in froth are discussed and illustrated by its application for cleaning the mineral graphite. Leaching of the graphite concentrate containing 4L4% of the elemental carbon and 3.16% of the sulphidic 'sulphur was canied out in the froth fonned by: (a) a concentrated chloride solution, with a small addition of nitric acid, in the foam state; (b) a mixture of gaseous O2, NO., and H20 encapsulated in the foam; and (c) notable particles of graphite suspended in the foam. The laboratory experiments werecanied out in a "flotation column"-type reactor ala temperature from 80 to !08°C and under total pressure of 100 to 200kPa. In the 3-stage leaching-flotation process, the non-flotable fraction of particles was separated three times from the notable fraction. The concentration of carbon and elemental sulphur in the final flotable fraction was 96% C and 0.38% S respectively. The expected advantages and possible application in hydrometallurgy are suggested.

Jan 1, 1995

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 W. G. Davenport

This chapter extends our mathematical description of flash smelting to -nitrogen in the flash furnace blast. As in chapters 4 and 5, the discussion is limited to auto thermal smelting (no hydrocarbon combustion). Hydrocarbon combustion is introduced in Chapter 9. Outokumpu flash furnace blast is a mixture of air and industrial oxygen. Most of its N2 originates in the air portion of the blast. A small portion originates as an impurity in the industrial oxygen. The nitrogen entering a flash furnace must always be heated from its input temperature, 298 K in this chapter, to its off gas temperature, -1500 K. Energy must be supplied for this purpose. With auto thermal smelting, the energy is-provided by oxidizing extra Fe-and S.

Jan 1, 2001

By E. A. Werner, W. Liebfahrt, J. Blaha

"The influence of the composition and the microstructure on the plane strain fracture toughness of five cold work tool steels all processed via the powder metallurgical route is investigated using 3-point bending specimens. The steels differ in composition and therefore possess different volume fractions of carbides. The amount, size and distribution of the carbides in the matrix are estimated by quantitative image analysis on a plane parallel to the fracture surface without discrimination of the carbide type, since the carbides are always much harder [1,2] than the matrix, irrespective of their composition. Due to the production of the steels via the powder metallurgical route almost all carbides are spherical in shape. The mechanical in-situ properties of the matrix are characterized by indentation tests performed with an ""UltraMicro"" -indenter in a scanning electron microscope.IntroductionCold work tool steels are used as tools in applications where excellent wear resistance and high hardness are required. Examples are cutting, woodworking, thread rolling, wire and deep drawing, cold extrusion and pressing of parts at process temperatures below 200°C. For such applications the steels must show an optimum combination of hardness, wear resistance and toughness while offering good machinability. Hardness and wear resistance are controlled by the amount of carbon and carbide forming elements such as molybdenum, tungsten, vanadium, chromium and niobium. These elements are present in the MC-, M6C and M7C3-carbides and are also responsible for the precepitation of secondary carbides during tempering. In this report attention is paid to the influence of the primary carbides only, while the very small ~~nm) secondary carbides will be treated as constituent of the homogeneous matrix. Increasing the amount of carbides (alloying elements) usually results in a decrease of the material's toughness which is caused by the presence of clusters and/or bands of carbides. To achieve an optimum combination of hardness, wear resistance and toughness many of the today's cold work tool steels are processed via the powder metallurgical (PM) route, which helps to prevent non-uniform element/carbide distribution because of the rapid solidification of the powders used. The resulting microstructure of the tool steel then consists of a tough matrix with uniformly distributed hard carbides· of globular shape. This shape of the carbides is also desirable instead of blocky carbides present in non-PM tool steels, since they improve the machinability of the steel. An additional advantage of PM-steels lies in the possibility to produce near net shaped tools thus lowering the costs of machining."

Jan 1, 2000

By Louis J. Cabri

The ion microprobe (dynamic SIMS technique) is a very sensitive instrument for the quantitative determination of trace concentrations of precious metals (often at the ppb level) occurring in common sulfide minerals, either chemically-bound or as discrete particles too small for resolution by SEM. The technique involves sputtering a 250 x 250 Jim area of the grains to a depth of about one ILm and analysing the secondary ions emitted from a circular central region in the sputter crater with a 62.5 I'm diameter. The combination of quantitative mineral-specific sub-ppm analyses together with depth-profiling and the ability to produce secondary ion maps of trace precious metals makes this a very powerful technique in quantifying the precious metal distribution in refractory and other sulfide ores and process products. The technique is particularly well-established for analysis of gold-and platinum-bearing ores and process products.

Jan 1, 1996

By E. Salinas-Rodriguez, J. Hernández-Ávila, E. O. Ávila-Dávila, A. Romero-Serrano, M. Perez-Labra, G. Juárez-López

"Single phase rubidium jarosite was synthesized by precipitation from aqueous solution. X-ray diffraction and SEM-EDS analyses showed that the synthetic rubidium jarosite formed in subspherical particles with an average particle size of about 35 µm. The chemical analysis showed an approximate composition of Rbo9432Fe3(SO4)2 1245(OH)6. The decomposition behaviour of the jarosite in terms of solution pH was thermodynamically modeled using FACTSage by constructing the potential-pH diagram at 298.15 K. The E-pH diagram showed that the decomposition of jarosite leads to goethite (FeOOH) together with Rb+ and SO42- ions. The experimental decomposition of the Rb-jarosite was carried out in alkaline solutions with five different Ca(OH)2 concentrations. The decomposition process showed an ""induction period"" followed y a progressive conversion period where the Rb+ and SO42- ions formed in the aqueous solution. In contrast, calcium was incorporated in the solid residue and iron was transformed into amorphous ferrihydrite. The kinetic analysis showed that this process can be represented by the unreacted-core chemically controlled model. The reaction order with respect to Ca(OH)2 is 0.4342 and the calculated activation energy is 98.70 kJ mol-1. IntroductionJarosite type compounds are hydrous sulfate minerals containing alkalis and ferric ions, MFe3(SO4)2(OH)6, where M can be H3O+· Na+, K+, Rb+, Ag+, NH4 +, Tl+, ½ Pb2+ or ½ Hg2+. Jarosite-type compounds were formed by the natural ""in situ"" oxidation of pyritic ores leading to the replacement of the original iron sulfides and iron oxides (Dutrizac and Kaiman) [1]. The great interest in jarosites is due to its ability to eliminate or diminish the iron concentration of the acid leach solutions produced in the hydrometallurgical zinc process, with relatively low losses of divalent metals such as Zn2+, Cd2+, Cu2+ or Co . However, the losses of the metal values demand a careful study of the conditions under which the jarosite compounds are formed together with their chemical properties."

Jan 1, 2012

By J. C. Huyhua

The effect or various oxidants on gold and silver dissolution in thiourea solutions (0.05 M in H2SO4) was studied using the rotating disc technique, a.t 2s c and 600 rpm. These studies were carried out at constant (4:1) initial molar ratio or thiourea to oxidant concentrations, to produce 50 % thiourea. oxidation. The initial dissolution rate of gold was approximately four times higher in the presence. of ferric sulfate (5.37 x 10-3mg cm-2 s-1) than in the presence of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), potassium persultate (K2S2O3), or monopersulfa.te (KHS06). The dissolution rates for silver were considerably lower than gold for the same oxidants. Oxidation of thiourea in the presence of peroxygen and persulta.te compounds is a. fast reaction and it is completed in less than ten minutes. On the other hand, the oxidation or thiourea with? ferric.sulfate is slow, yielding a second-order reaction rate constant k = 6.09 I mol-1 h-1. Sulfur formation in the ferric thiourea system begins when ferric ion reduction approaches to completion. With hydrogen peroxide, sulfur is observed at lower thiourea concentration than ferric. Suifate. The presence of a large excess or free thiourea i.e., s to 20 % thiourea oxidation) retards sulfur formation and maintains favorable dissolution rates. Finally, carbon-in-leach experiments indicate that thiourea solutions a.re stable for several days, with ferric sulfate or hydrogen peroxide. The dissolution rates of gold and silver doubles in the presence or activated carbon when hydrogen peroxide is used as oxidant.

Jan 1, 1989

By Onder Guney, Erdem Demirkesenm

"In this study, the crystallization behavior and thermal expansion coefficient of a lithium disilicate (LS2) based glass-ceramic derived from SiO2-Li02-AhO3-K2O-ZrO2 system was investigated by using x-ray diffraction (XRD), high temperature x-ray diffraction (HTXRD), differential thermal analysis (DTA) and dilatometer techniques. Analytical reagent grade chemicals were chosen as raw materials for preparing glass batches. Nucleation and crystal growth heat treatments were planned according to DTA results. The amounts of the amorphous and crystalline phases developed during the heat treatments were determined by quantitative XRD. XRD results of crystallized samples showed simultaneous formation of lithium silicate (LS) and quartz in the early stage of the crystallization followed by formation of lithium disilicate (LS2) at higher temperatures. The thermal expansion coefficients of glassceramics were also measured depending on the applied heat treatments.IntroductionSignificant developments occurred in all ceramic materials provide the fabrication of high quality dental implants [1]. Glass ceramic based dental restorations like dental inlays, crowns, bridges and veneers are becoming increasingly popular with their reliable and durable performance [2,3]. In addition to their advanced functional properties, glass ceramic implants especially lithium disilicate glass ceramics also face the esthetics expectations of patients and dentists and in this way they are starting to take the place of metal based restorations today [1,3,4,5]. Lithium disilicate glass-ceramics derived from multicomponent glass systems have some superior mechanical and optical properties comparable to natural teeth [ 6]. In restorative dentistry, mechanical characteristics of biomaterials play very crucial role in order to resist the masticatory forces occurred during biting and chewing [7] According to three point bending test results of Roland, flexural strength of the lithium disilicate glass-ceramics were 400±40 MPa and their fracture toughness (K1c) are approximately 3,3 MPa m112 [2,6]. In addition to high mechanical strength, aesthetic appearance is another important prerequisite as material for dental restorative applications. Translucency and light transmission of the LS2 glass ceramics mimic enamel. Moreover, opacity of the material can also be adjusted depending on the restoration types [2,6, 7]. These superior properties of the LS2 glass ceramics are directly related with chemical composition of the base glasses and controlled crystallization heat treatments [ 4, 7]. The aim of the present work is to determine the effect of heat treatment schedules on the crystallization behavior and thermal expansion of the LS2 glass-ceramics."

Jan 1, 2011

The kinetics of the oxidation of cyanide by manganese dioxide was studied using a rotation disc electrode system. The rate? of the half-cell reaction of cyanide oxidation is increased at higher hydroxide concentrations. An addition of copper up to 0.001 mole/l was found to enhance the diffusion current, especially at a high hydroxide concentration (0. 1M). A similar enhancement of the reaction rate is also achieved with nickel added at levels up to 0.01 mole/l. Manganese dioxide however requires a i:ow pH to achieve reasonable reduction rates. Leaching studies indicated that the initial reaction rate is strongly dependent on pH, initial concentration of cyanide. Using manganese dioxide cyanide could be oxidized at neutral pH's and ambient temperatures.

Jan 1, 1989

By Jamil M. Khalifeh, Shadia J. Ikhmayies, Bothina A. Hamad

"We computed the optical properties of the cubic niobium nitride (o-NbN) compound using the full potential linearized augmented plane wave (FL-LAPW) method within density functional theory (DFT). The complex dielectric function and optical constants, such as optical absorption coefficient, refractive index, extinction coefficient, energy-loss spectrum, and reflectivity, are all calculated and compared with experimental results. The behavior of the computed quantities is similar to that obtained experimentally, but the optical positions are shifted to lower energies. This shift was related to the strong interband transitions, which are located at energies higher than 5 eV for NbN- as they are for IV B transition-metal mononitrides- and they appear in the computed spectra and not in the experimental spectra. These interband transitions simply shift the position of the reflectivity edge or the screened plasma frequency to the longer wavelength side.IntroductionIn recent years, NbN, as a transition metal nitride, has become a very popular material due to its high hardness, melting point, wear resistance, chemical inertness and temperature stability, which makes it suitable for use as emission cathodes in microelectronics and sensors, optical films and micro-mechanics etc [l]. Niobium nitride has long been known as highly polymorphic material, for which several crystalline structures have been reported in the literature [2]. These structures include the well known super-conducting rock-salt (Fm-3m, or Bl) structure (o-NbN), the hexagonal structure with space group p63/mmc and prototype Fe2N (18fuN), the hexagonalstructure with space group p63/mmc and prototype NiAs ~-NbN) and others.There has been a lot of computational studies for the structural and electronic properties ofNbN [3, 4-7], but according to our knowledge there is not any computational work that has been devoted to study the optical properties of this transition metal compound. At the same time a number of authors had performed experimental work in this direction. For example, Xin-kang et. al [l] studied the microstructure and optical properties of magnetron sputtered NbN thin films. Torche et. al [8] studied the composition, structure, electrical and optical properties of nonstoichiometric niobium nitrides. Newport et. al [9] investigated the reflection and transmission spectra of cubic niobium nitride films, and Tanabe et. al [10] had investigated the optical parameters and reflectivity of reactively sputtered NbN thin films by using in situ ellipsometry."

Jan 1, 2013

By Shaohua Ju, Jin-hui Peng, Ya-jian Wang, Shuai-dan Lu, Li-bo Zhang, Lei Guo

"The granulation of a red mud is of great importance for recycling this material as an adsorbent for waste water or gas. A new granulating process was developed and its effect was evaluated. To reduce the cost of the granulation process, the wet filter cake (containing 25% water) was directly mixed with different cement contents (4%, 6%, 8% and 10% based on wet material). The mixtures were placed in a moist environment for 4 days, and then were washed with deionized water until the pH values of leachants were lower than 9.0. The efflorescence ratio, surface area and particle size of the aged mixture were determined, respectively, by bottle shaking experiments, N2 adsorption and screening. The results showed that the best addition of cement is 2%, and this yielded granulated material with a particle size of less than 2 mm, an efflorescence ratio of 4.83% and a specific surface area of 17.42 m2/g.IntroductionRed mud is a residue of the aluminium industry that is produced during the alkaline extraction of alumina from bauxite by the Bayer process. For every ton of alumina that is produced, the amount of red mud generated can vary from 0.3 to 2.5 tons, depending on the characteristics of the bauxite. In its typical form, red mud is brick red in colour, caustic, about three times as dense as water and, when un-neutralised, has a high pH, typically around pH 13 [1]. It is primarily composed of iron oxide, silica and alumina, along with traces of heavy metals. Red mud particles are quite small; typically 99% will pass through a 0.6 mm sieve and 87% through a 0.038 mm sieve [2],"

Jan 1, 2012

By Merete Tangstad, Gabriella Tranell, Jeff Kline

"Raman spectroscopy as an instrumental technique for the determination of silicate structure is widely accepted. This method was utilized for analysis of structural modifications associated with the addition of network modifying species. Silicate melts are described by the extent of oxygen bridging. Therefore, understanding the effect different oxides have on modifying the silicate structure will provide valuable information regarding the removal of boron from silicon in slag refining processes. Samples ranging from CaO/SiO2 = 0.56-1.2 were evaluated with and without varying concentrations of B2O3. The addition of CaO to SiO2 revealed Q2 species constitute 45% of the Qn species and addition of B2O3 to the high concentration CaO system results in an increase in Q2 and a decrease in Q0 . The disappearance of the Raman band associated to the three-member ring in the low concentrated CaO system indicates boron addition and destruction of the ring.IntroductionExtensive studies on the structure of silicate systems have been performed using Raman spectroscopy with consensus on the Raman shift associated with different bridging oxygen units [1]. Most of these studies are motivated by the lack of a fundamental understanding of the processes involved in petrology. Due to this, an opportunity exists to build on the knowledge obtained from these studies and conduct more research on slag structures relevant to industrial applications, as these systems are often compositionally similar to magmatic melts. Raman spectroscopic studies of industrial slags will provide insight into the possible structural modifications necessary to enhance removal of impurity species from the metal phase to the slag phase."

Jan 1, 2012

By Tomoya Nihei, Hiroshi Hayashi

"A novel selenium removal process called Recycled Green rust/Ferrite Process is developed by MMC. In this process, a mixed Fe2+-Fe3+ hydroxide compound, green rust (GR), reduces selenate to elemental selenium, while GR is consequently oxidized to magnetite Fe3O4. Sequencing batch-mode experiment showed that the residual selenium concentration gradually decreased with the number of batch test increased. Stable selenium removal was achieved when the number of batch test exceed 15 times. Optimum selenium removal ratio reached 99.95% where initial Se concentration 2.1mg/L decreased to 0.001mg/L. Furthermore, the continuous feeding test carried out through a pilot-scale plant with a feeding capacity 600 L/hr. Approximately 860-hour-feeding test was carried out for the selenium-contaminated groundwater which had an averaged selenium concentration of 0.88 mg/L. Selenium concentration in the effluent from thickener maintained less than 0.01 mg/L (selenium removal rate of 99%) until a net operating time reached 800 hours.IntroductionJapan is one of the largest producers of selenium, and thus there are potential environmental impacts of selenium on soil and aquatic environments. The Mitsubishi Material Corporation (MMC) owns some real estate properties whose soil and groundwater was polluted by selenium and other heavy metals. These sites include former industrial plants: a smelter for nonferrous metal and a fabricating semiconductors and pigments. Selenium in aquatic environment commonly exists in four oxidation states, namely, VI, IV, 0 and -II. Selenate ion (SeO4 2-), the most oxidized form of selenium, and selenite ion (SeO3 2-) are highly soluble and mobile. Elemental selenium (Se0) is insoluble in water and therefore has much lower toxicity. Because selenium is carcinogenic and teratogenic at high concentration, the national effluent standard in Japan is fixed at 0.1 mg/L and the environmental standard at 0.01 mg/L. Although there are several selenium removal techniques, the most conventional process is coprecipitation with a ferric hydroxide because of its simplicity and low cost. It is known that selenite is adsorbed strongly on the surface of ferric hydroxide, but selenate is not. The low affinity of selenate on oxide mineral surfaces was demonstrated by the fact that selenate could be easily displaced by adding competing anions, particularly sulfate ion. Selenate removal from polluted water is one of the most difficult techniques, and more effective methods are desired. MMC developed a novel selenium removal process [1]. In this process, the concentrated slurry that contains Fe(II)-Fe(III) hydroxyl-salts known as Green Rusts (GRs) contributes to selenate removal. The main components of the iron precipitate in the reactor are GRs and their oxidation product, magnetite (Fe3O4)."

Jan 1, 2008

By Xi Dai

The LiFe1-xNixPO4(x=0, 0.05, 0.10) cathode materials for Li-ion battery were synthesized with Fe1xNixC2O4?2H2O(x=0, 0.05, 0.10) as Fe sources by high temperature solid-state reaction method. The Fe1xNixC2O4?2H2O(x=0, 0.05, 0.10) materials were produced by liquid co-precipitation method and crystal structure and morphology of cathode materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The composition contents and charge-discharge performances were measured by chemistry analysis and charge-discharge apparatus. The XRD patterns showed that LiFe1-xNixPO4(x=0, 0.05, 0.10) cathode material samples were well-crystallized homogeneous olivine-type phase, with only tiny trivalent iron impurities according to chemistry analysis results. Charge-discharge test showed that cathode materials possessed excellent charge/discharge capacities, about 150mAh/g at 0.1C rate and more than 120mAh/g at 0.4C rate. The polarization of cathode in charge-discharge process can be restrained effectively, for the potential offset between oxidative peak and reductive peak of doped LiFePO4 material was only 0.079V, lower than pure LiFePO4 markedly.

Jan 1, 2006

By Shenghui Guo, Ying Lei, Hao Niu, Huilong Luo, Jinhui Peng, Libo Zhang, Yu Li

"In this work, the combination of microwave drying (MWD) and heat pump drying (HPD) drying experiments were designed by response surface methodology (RSM) based on central composite design (CCD) using design expert software (Version 7.15), and the process parameters were optimized. The conditions given by software are: the MWD time is 4.6 or 4.4 min; the HPD time is 9.0 or 8.6 min; and the sample mass is 620 or 600 g. Under those conditions the moisture content is 1.0 10-2kg water/kg wet basis, and the effectiveness ratio is 0.70 kg water/kwh. The results of confirmatory experiments conducted under the optimized conditions show the combined drying have superiority of decrease of energy consumption and increase of handling capacity over the single MWD or HPD.1 IntroductionSilica sand is one of a silicate mineral with properties as hard, anti-friction and less reactive, commonly used as raw material for foundry and construction. The silica sand obtained from mineral dressing processes such as scrubbing, magnetic separation and flotation. Its moisture content is approximately 0.08~0.12 kg water/kg wet basis. The most common methods used for drying are solar drying and hot air drying. But these methods have some shortcomings: for example, the solar drying has longer process time due to low energy yield, [1] hot air drying has low-energy efficiency and a lengthy drying time. [2]Microwave is electromagnetic waves with frequency are 300MHz to 300GHz. The outstanding features of microwave heating are rapidity and selectivity. The water specific inductive capacity of 60~78 is much bigger than common materials, the moisture always quickly absorb electromagnetic wave and rapidly transfer to vapors. So, it can significant reduce the drying time. [3] Heat pumps (HPs) are devices for raising the temperature of low grade heat energy to a more useful level using a relatively small amount of high grade energy."

Jan 1, 2011

By Jorge Alberto Soares Tenório, Viviane Tavares de Moraes, Denise Crocce Romano Espinosa, Franco Alves Lavacchini Ramunno

"The traditional process for recovery of metals from waste electric and electronic equipment (WEEE) usually involves pyrometallurgical processing. However, the application of this technology to processing waste printed circuit boards (WPCBs) might lead to the formation of dioxins and furans, due to thermal degradation of flame-retardants and polymeric resins present in the board substrate. Therefore, this paper proposes a hydrometallurgical route for the recovery of copper. The acid leaching behavior of copper has been investigated at three different temperatures (25°C, 50°C and 75°C) with and without the addition of an oxidizing agent (hydrogen peroxide - H202). The dissolution kinetics for acid copper leaching was calculated based on chemical analysis by ICP-OES (Inductively Coupled Plasma - Optical Emission Spectroscopy). At 50°C with 1 mol/L H2S04 added 10 mL H202 (30%) each half hour under pulp density of 1 g I 10 mL, 100% of copper was extracted after 3 hours. The dissolution kinetics of copper with H2SO4-H2O 2 followed 1 - (1 - X)113 =Ket, i.e. chemically controlled reaction model.IntroductionThe information regarding the generation of waste electric and electronic equipment (WEEE) are still difficult to obtain because the estimates should take into consideration the historical production and sale of various products and the rate at which they reach the end of their life cycle, whose duration depends on the behavior of consumers [1]. Thus, the estimated overall WEEE generation varies between 25 and 50 million tons each year, which corresponds to more than 5% of all municipal waste generated [2], and this amount will increase at a rate of 3 to 5% per year, approximately three times faster than other individual types of waste [3].Printed circuit boards (PCBs) are essential parts of electric and electronic equipment (EEE), being found in virtually all electronic products, as well as in weapons systems [4]. A PCB is a basic component, which consists of a board where copper tracks are deposited. While the board behaves as an electrical insulator, the tracks connect electrically the various components attached to the board [ 5]. In addition to glass fibers, paper and resins, the PCBs contain significant amounts of metals, such as copper, iron, nickel, lead, stain, silver, gold and palladium [6]. In general, the weight fraction of metal is around 28% and the remainder of the boards is composed of plastic (19%), bromine (as flame retardant - 4%) and ceramic material (49%) [7]."

Jan 1, 2014