Search Documents

By Leonardo Mota, Lucas L. da Costa, Milton B. Filho, Sergio N. Monteiro, Helion Vargas, Tammy G. R. Portela da Silva

"A natural biofoam extracted from the buriti palm tree has shown characteristics for potential substitution of synthetic foams. In the present work, a photoacoustic thermal characterization was performed on buriti biofoam samples. An open photoacoustic cell technique and a photothermal rise method performed under continuous laser illumination were employed in order to determine the thermal diffusivity and the specific heat capacity of such material. In addition to their intrinsic values (finger print), these physical parameters represent the light-into-heat conversion efficiency and the amount of heat stored per unit volume, respectively. The results showed that the buriti biofoam presents thermal properties that permit its use as an effective insulation material.IntroductionSolid foams are very light materials with increasing engineering applications [1]. A natural biofoam obtained from the petiole of the buriti palm tree (Mauritia flexuosa) has been recently investigated [2-4]. The evaluation of the buriti biofoam properties and the characterization of its microstructural aspects have shown that this biofoam has a potential as a new engineering material with very low density. Additionally, its reduced open porosity and low absorbed humidity revealed a promising material for packing and floating applications. In fact, this buriti biofoam, extracted from the palm tree natural of the north region of Brazil, is being used by the low income population as a modest substitute for Styrofoam® [1].As a potential insulating material, the buriti foam needs to be characterized in terms of its thermal and acoustic properties. A preliminary investigation [3] on the thermal behavior of this natural biofoam by thermogravimetric analysis, TGA, and its derivative, DTG, as well as differential scanning calorimetry, DSC, revealed parametric conditions associated with water loss and structural decomposition. Both the surface humidity and the release of hydration water were determined. Different decomposition events were attributed to both, more rigid as well as to more flexible molecular segments. Table 1 depicts technical data obtained so far for the buriti biofoam. These data are compared to those corresponding to Styrofoam®."

Jan 1, 2011

By Sergio N. Monteiro

Lignocellulosic fibers obtained from plants like cotton, flax, hemp, sisal, jute and many others are natural materials used, since long time, in basic items such as textile, baskets, roofing and carpets. These traditional natural fibers as well as some new ones are nowadays replacing synthetic fibers as composite reinforcement owing to environmental advantages. The heterogeneous characteristic of lignocellulosic fibers is, however, a limitation for application in composites. The buriti fiber, extracted from a tropical plant tree, is recently being investigated as a possible reinforcement for polymeric matrix composites but no complete information exists regarding its mechanical behavior. The objective of this work was then to carry out a statistical analysis on the mechanical properties? uniformity of buriti fibers. By precise dimensional measurements in association with tensile tests, it was found that the mechanical properties depend on the range of the fibers? dimension.

Jan 1, 2009

By Florian Kongoli

"Lime ferrite" slag with limited silica content has proven to be a valuable choice in the modem processes of copper smelting and converting due to several advantages that this slag offers compared to classical silicate slags. Nevertheless the liquidus surface of this slag has been experimentally measured only at low oxygen potentials such as in equilibrium with iron or near it and in air. Although most of the smelting and converting processes that use this slag occur at intermediate oxygen potentials, the liquidus surface of this slag is not known at these conditions and the effect of oxygen potential and silica has not been correctly understood. This has brought some confusion in literature as well as in the industrial practice. In this work the liquidus surface of the calcium ferrite slags has been quantified by the means of a new thermophysicochemical model and a new type of liquidus surface diagrams which are very convenient for any industrial process that uses calcium ferrite slags. These diagrams can be easily used to select the lowest liquidus temperature of calcium ferrite slags at a minimum cost and can help design several fluxing strategies in copper smelting and converting processes. The effect of the oxygen potential and silica is also quantified and important industrially related conclusions are drawn.

Jan 1, 2003

By Lidong Teng, Seshadri Seetharaman, Aida Abbasalizadeh

0In the present paper, the feasibility of the recovery of dysprosium from spent Nd-Fe- B magnets containing approximately 9 wt% Dy was investigated by using molten salt process. The salt bath consisted of a mixture of NaCl-KCl-LiCl corresponding to the ternary eutectic composition. AlCl3 was used as a chlorinating agent in order to enable an efficient dissolution of metal in the molten salt phase in the salt bath. The metal chloride which is formed as the result of chemical reaction between the metal in magnet and AlCl3, is subsequently subjected to electrolysis in order to be deposited on the cathode. Graphite rods were dipped in the salt bath as electrodes and alumina crucibles were used as the containers for the electrolytic cells.

Jan 1, 2014

By H. K. Lin

Thermodynamics of Cu-C1-H2O system and the kinetics of copper dissolution in cupric chloride solution were studied with emphasis on possible difficulties which may occur during copper electrowinning. E,-pC1 diagram of this system wasestablished. Equilibriumdistributionof various copper chloride complexes of different valent states at the presence of metallic copper was computed through the relations of the simultaneous equilibria. The mechanism-of copper dissolution in the cupric chloride solutions was proposed and the mechanism of copper electroposition was discussed. The researched results were used for guiding the investigation of copper electrowinning from cupric chloride solution.

Jan 1, 1991

By Mariana Barcelos, Frederico Muylaert Margem, Giulio Rodrigues Altoé, Pedro Amoy Netto, André Gomes, Sergio Neves Monteiro

Environmentally correct composites, made from natural fibers, are among the most investigated and applied today. In this paper, we investigate the mechanical behavior of polyester matrix composites reinforced with continuous fique fibers, through bending tensile tests. Specimens containing 0, 10, 20 and 30% in volume of fique fiber were aligned along the entire length of a mold to create plates of these composites, those plates were cut following the ASTM standard to obtained bending tests specimens. The test was conducted in a Instron Machine and the fractured specimens were analyzed by SEM, the results showed the increase in the materials tensile properties with the increase of fiber amount.

Jan 1, 2015

By Hideki Yarnarnoto

The simultaneous removal for NH4+ and PO43- in aqueous solution was carried out by using Ca type zeolite synthesized from coal fly ash. The effect of pH on the cation exchange capacity and adsorption properties of the obtained zeolite, the simultaneous removal of NH4' and ~04'. in various solutions and the mechanism of simultaneous removal were investigated respectivel? ,The Ca type zeolite used in this study can simultaneously remove NH4+ and PO43- In aqueous solution without releasing counter ion, and this method gives great advantage over the other ordinary removal methods.

Jan 1, 2002

By Niels Verbaan, Ralph Fitch, Charlotte Forstner, David Dreisinger

A process has been developed to extract gold, silver, indium, gallium, lead, copper, zinc, and other metals from a large resource using an oxidizing acid chloride heap leaching technology. The ore is crushed and/or ground to improve reactivity and then contacted with a solution containing NaCl-HCl-NaOCl. The value metals are leached into solution as chloro-complexes. The leachate is treated in a series of separation and recovery processes to produce separate saleable or disposable products. The paper will provide a summary of process development and application to a silver-indium ore from Bolivia. The possible application of the process to other ore types will be presented for discussion.

Jan 1, 2015

By Steven I. Baskin

Cyanides are utilized in many industrial applications including preparation of chemical intermediates, electroplating, and' mining, Cyanide has been utilized in chemical warfare operations as well Cyanide is also synthesized and found in plants and animals including man where it is thought to perform multiple functions. A variety of enzymes are known to detoxify cyanide under different conditions. These include rhodanese, 3-mercaptopyruvate-sulfur transferase, thiosulfate reductase, cystathionaseand albumin. Cyanide appears tQ exert its toxic effect primarily by inhibiting cytochrome oxidase? although other enzymes are also inhibited. Therapeutic antagonist categories to treat cyanide include methemoglobin formers such as nitrite, sulfane-sulfur donors such as thiosulfate, metal salts or complexes such as cobalt and cyanohydrin-forming compounds such as dihydroxyacetone or alpha keto-glutaric acid. Advantages and disadvantages of each category will be discussed. Newer compounds under development have been found that may allow for prophylactic therapy for cyanide poisoning with minimal side effects; In addition, portable co-oximetry devices may provide real-time measurement of cyanide in field units.

Jan 1, 1998

By T. M. Dreher

The difficulties associated with the operation of a classical rhodium refining process have prompted many attempts to develop a viable solvent extraction flowsheet for rhodium. Recent investigations at McGill University have involved the activation of rhodium prior to its solvent extraction. The role of activation is to convert the aquochloro complexes of rhodium to a form extractable by conventional solvent extraction reagents. In the novel separation scheme identified, chloro complexes of rhodium are converted to bromo complexes, which undergo aquation to a lesser extent, making them more easily extracted. Rhodium is then extracted using Kelex 100, and stripping is achieved by use of a concentrated chloride based solution. Separation of rhodium from iridium is achieved by either prior reduction of Ir(IV) to Ir(III), as the latter is not extracted, or via co-extraction and differential stripping. A conceptual flowsheet for the refining of rhodium using this method is proposed.

Jan 1, 1998

By Zhangm Mingming

Three samples received from the EAF shop were characterized by chemical, X-ray diffraction (XRD), optical microscopy (OM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) methods. The objective of this characterization work was to investigate the occurrence of nickel, copper, zinc, sulfur and phosphorus and to identify their origin and associations with iron minerals in the concentrate samples from the mines. The samples were identified as MINERAL, PELLET, and HRD. The latter is the DRI product. All three samples were received as fine powders. The results indicate that, in the mineral sample, magnetite is the major iron oxide mineral with hematite as a second phase based on the OM and XRD studies. Pyrite [FeS2], chalcopyrite [CuFeS2] and bravoite [(Fe,Ni)S2] are the major sulfide minerals. Trace amounts of apatite [Ca5(PO4)3(F,Cl,OH)], wardite [Na4CaAli2(PO4)8(OH)8 6H2O], giniite [Fe;(PO4)4(OH)3 2H2O] and vivianite [Fe3(PO4)2 8H2O] were identified by SEM and XRD. Microscopic studies also indicated that most of the sulfide grains in the mineral sample are present either as liberated fine particles (about 10 microns) or as inclusions within the magnetite and hematite grains. XRD studies revealed magnetite as the major mineral with subordinate amounts of hematite and pyrite confirming the microscopic findings. Copper, nickel, and zinc are mainly present as chalcopyrite, bravoite, and franklinite [(Zn,Mn,Fe)(Fe,Mn)2O4] in trace amounts in the mineral samples, respectively. Impurities carry over to the pellet and HRD samples. Chemical analyses of the three iron-bearing samples indicate that sulfur and phosphorus in the pellet sample exceeded the specification. Since liberated pyrite and chalcopyrite particles were observed in both the mineral and pellet samples, magnetic and flotation processing routes should be effective for sulfide removal but at the cost of iron losses. The high phosphorus content of all three samples indicates that there are phosphates which are difficult to remove by the current concentrating processes (magnetic separation and flotation).

Jan 1, 2012

By Yuanbo Zhang, Guihong Han, Guanghui Li, Tao Jiang, Zengqing Sun, Yanfang Huang

"Because of small specific surface area and poor ballability, vanadium/titanium-bearing magnetite is difficult for production of oxidized pellet. A novel organic copolymer binder, modified humic acid (MHA), has been authorized recently in China. Effects of the novel MHA binder on the quality of V/Ti-bearing magnetite pellets are studied in this paper. Experimental results show the MHA binder can obviously improve the strength of green pellet. Because of better heat endurance, the MHA binder pellet has a higher strength than Peridur pellet under the same preheating conditions. Moreover, TFe grade of pellet with the MHA binder is much higher than that of the bentonite pellet. The strength of preheated pellet containing MHA binder of 0.25%~1.0% meets the requirements of oxidized pellet production by grate-kiln process. Comparatively, MHA is a promising orgainc binder for iron ore pellets. Its price is only one tenth of Peridur price and about 3 times of bentonite price.IntroductionThe iron-making practices show that the use of pellet is beneficial to blast furnace life, productivity and fuel savings. Therefore, many iron-making plants have expanded the production of oxidized pellets in order to meet the needs of modern large-scale blast furnaces [1]. Presently, bentonite is widely used to improve the quality of iron ore pellets. The negative effects of using bentonite include decreasing total iron (TFe) grade and degrading the metallurgical properties of the final products [2, 3]. Many studies, therefore, have been conducted on the application of organic binders to overcome the weakness of the inorganic bentonite. In comparison with inorganic binders, one of the biggest strengths of organic binders is low residual silica content [4]. However, those studies showed that the economics of foreign organic binder addition into pellets was not attractive. For example, the compression strength of preheated pellets and roasted pellets are both too low, resulting in powder generation and ring formation in the industrial rotary kiln [3, 4]."

Jan 1, 2011

By C. E. Abbey

Cobalt, iron and manganese play various roles in copper electrowinning using lead–calcium–tin alloyed anodes. Cobalt catalyzes electrochemical water decomposition resulting in lower anode potential and reduced corrosion rates. Iron reduces cathodic current efficiency, but is used to reduce higher oxidation states of manganese that oxidize organics in solvent extraction. Manganese also produces anode scale and is generally considered a problematic impurity. The effect of the combined interaction of these three metal ions on the anode potential has not been quantified yet. The current work used a three factor, two level, three replicate central composite design of experiments to analyze the effects and potential interactions among cobalt, iron and manganese. The experiments consisted of chronopotentiometric analysis to assess anode potential after 24 h of operation. Higher [Co], lower [Mn] and either high or low [Fe] yielded lower anode potentials. Two regression models were developed to predict anode potential as a function of [Co], [Fe] and [Mn]. A method to estimate electrical energy consumption for copper electrowinning is also presented.

By Krishna Parameswaran

This paper illustrates sustainability considerations in copper hydrometallurgy using examples of practices at ASARCO LLC, an integrated U.S. primary copper producer. Using the classic Brundtland Commission development of sustainable development, i.e., “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs,” the paper discusses how copper hydrometallurgical processes can be sustainable. The examples used to illustrate sustainable development and related concepts include: water conservation opportunities in milling and leaching operations; implementing green chemistry and promoting product stewardship in the electrorefining of copper.

Smelter operating and environmental requirements demand high on-stream time (high reliability) from the primary smelter sulfur retention device - the sulfuric acid plant. The key to reliable smelter sulfuric acid plant operation is the gas cooling and cleaning system. Problems in the gas cleaning system cause corrosion, plugging, equipment failure, etc - plant down time, in the contact section of the plant. The last fifteen years have seen major changes in gas cleaning system design to the current standard of brick lined venturi scrubber, packed gas cooling tower with plate type liquor coolers and lead or plastic tube precipitators. The current-design offers improved impurity scrubbing along with increased reliability. In addition, a number of alternate gas cleaning systems have been offered. Chematics LAB System: Monsanto DuPont Dynawave System; Lurgi venturi scrubber with lead star gas cooler. This paper will review the design and operating advantages, disadvantages, and risk of the standard gas cleaning system and compare it to the alternate systems.

Jan 1, 1992

By Florian Kongoli

The production of a homogeneous self-fluxing sinter is an important step in iron making processes. A good sinler should have good permeability and reducibility and has to keep those characteristics for a certain time. An early melt down of the sinter in the blast furnace, where its solid state reduction is essential, would cause many problems such as low permeability and reductibility. Nevertheless, the important factors that influence these characteristics, such as the chemistry of the sinter and the fluxing effect during sintering and sinter reduction conditions have not yet been clarified, In today's new reality where many new minor components such as Al2O3 and MgO enter to the sinter through raw materials, the quantification of the fluxing effects during sintering becomes even more important. In this work, the liquidus surface and phase relations of the sinter primary melts in the CaO-FeO-Fe203-Si02 system at sintering conditions have been quantified. The fluxing effect of oxygen potential, Al2O3 and MgO has also been quantified by the means of some practical diagrams that can directly help the optimization of the sintering processes.

Jan 1, 2003

By John J. Mortvedt

Application of some by-products of the metals industry which contain plant nutrients to agricultural lands could constitute resource recovery instead of costly disposal. Some industrial by-products contain appreciable concentrations of heavy metal contaminants, such as Cd, Cr, Ni, and Pb. After land application, these metals may be absorbed by plants and enter the human food chain or be leached to groundwaters. Plant uptake of these heavy metals varies with plant species:, soil pH, soil texture, and the particular metal. Certain leafy vegetables can absorb significant amounts of heavy metals, while absorbed metals are usually poorly translocated to cereal grains. Allowable heavy metal concentrations in fertilizers now are not regulated, but EPA is considering such regulations. Heavy metal impurities in animal feed supplements are regulated by the states; so some by-products may not be permitted for this use.

Jan 1, 1992

By Chengyi Ding, Xuewei Lv, Changyang Ji, Rende Zhang, Xiangwei Zheng

The fraction of liquid phase in sintered ore can be the most important factor to determine the sinter quality and yield in sintering process. The generation ability of liquid phase for mixture of iron ore powders is determined by basicity, roasting time, roasting temperature and chemical composition of iron ores. Five different iron ores were selected in this study and the dried powders of iron ore and CaO reagent (<200 mesh) were homogeneously mixed together at their required proportions, then 15g of the mixture was pressed under a pressure of 20MPa to make a cylindrical sample with a diameter of 20mm. The sintering temperature in this study was kept at 1280℃, the gas phase is air, the holding time was varied with its three levels of 5min,10min and 15min. After that, the sample was cooled under room temperature in the air, and the cooled sample was analyzed by using zeiss optical microscope. The mineral phase compositions were quantitatively determined with an open source image processing software, Image J whicn can calculate the fraction of liquid phase. Besides, the study on how to estimate the sintering behavior of the raw materials in different conditions by the theoretical calculation is of vital importance, and the development of this will greatly improve the sintering production. Factsage will be used to calculate the liquid phases formulation during the sintering. Comparing the experimental results and the theoretical calculation shows that the mass of liquid phase increases with increasing basicity during the sintering, besides, the mass of calcium ferrite increases with increasing basicity. The generation ability of liquid phase of iron ores can be predicted through the experiment verification.

Jan 1, 2015

By Nickolas J. Themelis

Nearly thirty two million tons of municipal solid wastes (MSW) are combusted annually in over one hundred U.S. Waste-to-Energy (WTE) power plants, thus reducing the use of fuel oil by about 1.6 billion gallons of fuel oil. One of the advanced WTE processes is the 0.9-million ton/y SEMASS facility at Rochester. Mass. Most of the combustion in the three giant combustion chambers occurs while the injected shredded wastes are in suspension, i.e .? in flash combustion mode. The velocity. temperature, and concentration profiles in the SEMASS combustion chamber were simulated by representing the combustible fraction of MSW by the simplified formula C6HIO04 and using the CFD program Fluent to solve the turbulent energy and mass transport equations. After validation against plant data. this model will be used to examine options for increasing the productivity of WTE combustion chambers, such as optimum distribution of primary and secondary air and oxygen enrichment.

Jan 1, 2003

By Greg Dowling, Jun Ge, George Shannon, Shufeng Yang, Yongfeng Chen, Lifeng Zhang

"Inclusions in 316L stainless steel ingots poured using two different upgate designs – a traditional upgate and a swirl upgate - were investigated using SEM and ASPEX automated inclusion analysis. The main inclusions were high SiO2 inclusions, MnS inclusions and SiO2-Al2O3-CaO inclusions. More inclusions were detected at the top of the ingot than other places in vertical direction, and more inclusions were at the edge of the ingot than other place in the radial direction. With swirling upgate there were more K- and Na- bearing inclusions than that with the traditional upgate indicating possible more serious flux entrainment with the swirl upgate.IntroductionIngot casting still is very important for production of special steel grades including high carbon chromium bearing steel, thick plate, seamless tube, forgings, bars, and wire rods [1] . During the bottom teeming process, molten steel enters the trumpet and passes through the spider into the runners. Molten steel then enters the ingot mold through an upgate near the end of the runner. In the early stages of filling a mold, a mold flux bag hung in the mold were burnt and the mold flux will cover the top of the rising steel to protect the steel from being reoxidized, acting as well as act as a thermal insulator. So far, some efforts on studying inclusions characteristics in the ingot have been reported. A review paper on the control of inclusions during steel ingot casting was published by Zhang et al. [2] Zhang also studied Inclusions in bottom-teemed ingots of plain carbon steel and found that the >20µm inclusions originated from either the entrainment of mold flux of the reoxidation during teeming process. [3] The results of Nagendra and Du showed that there were more inclusions in the centre part of the ingot [4]. Eriksson et al reported that the composition of inclusions was more complex in the mold samples in comparison to the ladle samples, and more inclusions in the mold were found than in ladle because of the reaction between the mold flux and the molten steel [5]. It was reported that SiO2-CaO-Al2O3 inclusions originating from mold powder with reoxidation product Al2O3 as a part, and there were more inclusions close to the side wall than the center of the ingot in the radial direction. [6]. A more recent investigation showed that four main types of inclusions in runner samples were classified: oxides, sulfides, complex and carbon-nitrides. [7] The flow pattern in the mold during filling has been found to be an important factor regarding inclusions in the ingot. In the early stages offilling a mold, steel enters the mold through the entry nozzle at a high velocity. The effect of the resulting turbulence on the meniscus can lead to the entrainment of mold flux. Efforts have been paid over the years to find methods to reduce the velocity of the molten steel entering the mold, such as using opening angle of the inlet nozzle [8], using swirl blade at the runner [9], using a divergent nozzle combined with a swirling flow generated in the nozzle [10-11]."

Jan 1, 2012