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By Katsuyoshi Tatenuma

"In order to mitigate the effect of global warming by preventing the accumulation of atmospheric CO2, a permanent fixation method of surplus CO2 as an insoluble mineral onto the sea bottom is proposed. As the proposed reduction method of atmospheric CO2, the concrete concept of this method is to form an insoluble carbonate mineral (CaCO3) by direct electrolysis of the seawater; Ca2++2HCO3 -+OH- ? ?CaCO3(insoluble)+CO3 2- (soluble)+H++H2O <not as coral reef reaction>, are directly disposed of itself onto the sea bottom. By this treatment, a concentration of carbonate is reduced in the section of superficial seawater, and therefore the absorption capacity of atmospheric CO2 increases depending upon the shift of chemical carbon equilibrium between the mass of superficial seawater and the atmosphere. As no additives are required, or no secondary waste are produced, the proposed method assuming as green-orientated, has possibility to resolve fundamentally the problem of global warming in a green orientate manner.IntroductionRecently, the amount of atmospheric CO2 has been exponentially increasing and it is a main greenhouse effect gas causing the global warming [1, 2]. The concentration of atmospheric CO2 has increased more than 30% (370ppm in 2001) during only last two centuries, therefore approximately 750 Gton-C of CO2 currently exist in the atmosphere, in which 180 Gton-C of CO2 are accounted for the increment during two centuries [1, 3, 4]. In order to avoid the progressive increase of CO2 global abundance, 3 Gton-C of the incrementing amount per year [4], have to be removed annually from the atmosphere."

Jan 1, 2008

By Peter C. Hayes

"The high temperature reduction of solids through the use of reactive gas atmospheres has application in a wide range of industrially important processes. Whilst significant advances have been made in understanding and describing these processes, some key aspects of the chemical reactions and reaction mechanisms operating in these systems, for example, the transformation from metal oxide to metal, remain poorly understood. A number of different product morphologies have been identified in these reaction systems and the reaction rates have been shown to be critically dependent on the product structure.Theoretical examination of the elementary process steps taking place in the region of the gas/metal/metal oxide interface, combined with electron microscope studies of the resultant product microstructures, have enabled the key process and material variables responsible for the development of the various product morphologies to be identified. By considering i) established criteria for the stability of moving interfaces in a thermodynamic potential gradient, ii) the relative rates of chemical reactions on the oxide and metal surfaces, and iii) key process phenomena and physico-chemical properties of the solid phases, the mechanisms and conditions for the formation of various product morphologies are identified. Interestingly the analysis points to direct analogies between these phase transformations and, the phenomena and microstructures observed in metal solidification, and the potential to develop generic models of these fluid/solid reaction systems."

Jan 1, 2013

By J. D. Miller

Air-sparged hydrocyclone (ASH) flotation is a high-capacity flotation technology originally developed in the Department of Metallurgical Engineering at the University of Utah for processing mineral resources. However, the technology has been found to be useful in industrial waste processing, in the recycle of secondary resources, and in remediation of environmental problems. For example, areas in which the ASH technology is expected to have potential application include cleaning of waste coal fines, air stripping to remove volatile organics from drinking and process water, water disinfection by ozone or chlorine sparging, dispersed oil removal from water, and contaminated soil remediation. Recently, the ASH has been studied extensively for deinking flotation in the wastepaper recycling industry and has been shown to have excellent efficiency/capacity. In fact, a 20-million-dollar plant has been in operation since June 1992. The ASH technology can provide a specific capacity hundreds of times more than that which can be achieved with conventional flotation equipment and in certain instances is expected to provide superior separation efficiencies when compared to other technologies. The design and principles of ASH flotation are described. Experimental data for fine coal flotation, volatile organics stripping, and deinking flotation for paper recycle are presented and discussed. Finally, other potential areas of application for environmental technology are considered.

Jan 1, 1993

By Batric Pesic

Recovery of gold from refractory ores was studied by pressure oxidation as the method of ore pretreatment followed by bromination of oxidized residues. Three different ores were examined, Au-Ag, Au-Ag-Te, and Au-silver free ore. Pyrite was the major host mineral for gold in these ores. The effect of pressure oxidation parameters (temperature, pressure of oxygen, time, and pulp density) on subsequent bromination under standard conditions was examined. Bromination of residues produced under standard pressure oxidation conditions was examined as a function of: temperature, bromine and sodium bromide concentration, and time. Recovery of gold on activated carbon, from the pulp after bromination, was studied too. Recovery of gold from silver containing ores was lower (87-91%) than the recovery of gold from silver free gold ore (97%). In each studied case, the presence of activated carbon in the pulp further increased the recovery of gold.

Jan 1, 1992

By P. K. N. Raghavan

This paper identifies potential technologies for Carbon dioxide abatement from the mining and metal industry with special reference to the Aluminium industry. Mine reclamation could contribute to this effort to successfully reach the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction commitments for a nation. An overview of GHG production by the mining and metal industry together with a review of principles used to set the context in which specific options for GHG reduction are described. Options for GHG reduction in the mining and metal industry include reforestation, Addition of soil amendments or neutralizing agents, CO2 capture and storage, initiatives towards energy reduction, waste heat recovery and alternative energy use. An analysis and quantification of the potential GHG reduction of potential carbon sinks and sequestration options for the mining and metal industry are provided. Cost estimates for different options are provided. The paper also identifies sources that could fund research regarding GHG reduction options. The paper concludes with recommendations.

Jan 1, 2011

By A. F. Giamei, F. Landis, M. O. Duffy, R. J. Mador

"The directional solidification of complex advanced gas turbine airfoils must be carried out without the nucleation of undesirable grains and with minimal shrinkage. Such problems are typically eliminated by using a number of mold design and process iterations. A more efficient approach is envisioned where a solidification model is generated and utilized to accelerate process development. Towards this end, the directional solidification (DS) of simple geometrical shapes in a crystal grower apparatus has been simulated with MARC finite element nonlinear thermal analyses.The finite element models of cylindrical (2D) and rectangular (3D) cross-section bars in the DS environment are presented. Temperature dependent properties, the impact of latent heat of fusion and a time-dependent radiation boundary condition constitute the more salient features of the MARC models. Solidification zone thermal behavior is predicted during the withdrawal transient for the specific case of nickel based superalloys grown in ceramic shell molds. Comparisons of analytical results with experiments demonstrate notable prediction accuracy. INTRODUCTIONSingle crystal and uni-directional crystal turbine blades require tightly controlled conditions if metallurgically and mechanically acceptable parts are to be produced. Gated blade geometry and process parameters must be precisely determined if incorrect grain structure, orientation and shrinkage are to be avoided. Since purely experimental development programs designed to evaluate these parameters can be excessively costly and time-consuming, an effort combining engineering analysis and verification by experiment has been initiated at Pratt & Whitney. Comparison of analytical predictions and measured data for geometries simpler than a turbine blade, namely cylindrical and rectangular bars, comprised the initial stage of this effort. Subsequent tasks involve modeling geometries of increasing complexity and ultimately the simulation of the directional solidification of the turbine blade, shown schematically in Figure 1. This paper summarizes the results of the initial stage of the effort."

Jan 1, 1986

By Lawrence D. May, Harry Mudgett

"In the course of developing a new industrial process, information produced at the Research and Development (R&D) stage is critical to determining the technical and economic feasibility of the project. Understanding the fundamental operating parameters for each unit operation in a flowsheet typically comes from historical knowledge of similar systems or by technical development through a robust research program. This approach holds true for processes incorporating fluidized-bed technology. In this paper, the authors will present a practical approach for performing a research study that will allow a process owner to determine if the concept of using a fluidized-bed system can become a reality. Included are discussions of key steps required at each level of the R&D program, and the critical information required for advancing the project to the next stage.IntroductionThe conduct of a research and development program typically starts with a process owner identifying a new industrial need or modification to an existing operation. The owner can pursue this need through multiple routes, including initial in-house development, coordination through an engineering firm, contacting suppliers of key equipment envisioned for the process, or through direct contact with research and development organizations. Where and when the project is conducted is as variable as the number and types of owners who pursue them. Factors that can influence the decision of where to conduct a research program can include the type of process desired, the scale and scope of the project, the location of the project site relative to the R&D options, the experience, capability, and availability of the potential research sources, and the costs to conduct the program. Often, the owner may choose a combination of the available resources to achieve their objectives. In the end, the owner's choice should be based on a thorough understanding of their goals and objectives for the program, and a good understanding of how to measure success while achieving those objectives. Herein, the authors will describe the methods we have typically used to develop the information an owner needs to make an educated decision for investing in a new or modified process."

Jan 1, 2014

By Jose F. Hevia

This study is part of a broader project on the hydrothermal conversion of copper concentrates to metallic copper by solid state reactions in which the copper remains localized in the solid phases. The kinetics of the solid/solid hydrothermal hydrogen reduction of tenorite (CuO) and cuprite (Cu,O) to metallic copper are presented. After an induction period, the process is governed initially by a nucleation step followed by rapid solid state reduction. Nucleation promoter agents decrease the induction period and control the particle morphology. Separate nucleation and reduction rate processes have been identified. Following nucleation, reduction follows a shrinking core process.

Jan 1, 1994

By David B. Dreisinger

Mass and heat balance modeling is a powerful tool for the design and analysis of hydrometallurgical process flowsheets. In this first of two papers, we examine the basic fundamentals of mass and heat balance modeling, and apply these concepts to several flowsheets using a simple spreadsheet model. In this way, we aim to demonstrate how such models are not only easy to construct, but can also be indispensable for comparing various flowsheet alternatives, for making rational economic decisions, and for developing a basic understanding of existing process behaviour.

Jan 1, 2002

By Timothy W. Ellis

"This paper presents the basic theory of operation, physical chemistry and phase equilibria which allow the development of liquid-liquid extraction circuits based on metallic solvents. The incorporation of reduction and reduction/diffusion processes into the process scheme is discussed and a detailed description of several liquid-liquid extraction schemes are developed. A synopsis of experimental results obtained using this method to separate rare earth and other metal based materials will be given.IntroductionConcerns over the effects of waste materials in the environment has been one of the significant social hallmarks of the late 20th century. Essentially every industrialized country has had to incorporate the cost of waste material into the equation of production. Legislative initiatives have led to the passing of very tough laws, by historical standards, which govern the environmental impact of materials processing.Liquid-Liquid extraction is a very common unit operation normally using aqueous and/or organic based solvents. Early work at the Ames Laboratory focused on the use of this technique for the reprocessing of spent fuel from liquid metal breeder reactors by the use of metallic solvents. Recently, we have revisited this area as a means to recycle/reprocess several emerging rare earth based materials, although this method has a much wider range of application. The reinvestigation of this technology is particularly timely as hydrometallurgical based processes are coming under increasing scrutiny in the U.S.A. by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Although technology currently exists to remove contaminants from aqueous based waste streams, often the application of such methods is expensive. With proper design and judicious selection of reagents liquid metal extraction can achieve a high recovery along with a benign waste stream.This process has several possible advantages over other technologies. First is the elimination of aqueous solvents. Therefore, problems associated with disposal or reprocessing of the aqueous carrier are eliminated. Second, with proper system design, very high separation coefficients can be obtained thus limiting the number of stages required. Third, metals are extracted from metals with a metallic product, thereby eliminating the need to re-reduce metal for oxides or other compounds which are the common output for aqueous based extraction procedures."

Jan 1, 1996

By Zhang Duomo

A novel homogenous precipitation method, including microwave heating, solution conductivity controlling and freeze drying, was developed for the preparation of US nanoparticles. The effects of the precipitation conditions on the structure and morphology of CdS particles were discussed individually. It was found that under the experimental conditions the particle sizes were controllable in the range of 14nm to 100nm. Blend-type CdS was obtained from nitrate or sulphate solution and the more stable wurtzite-type US was obtained from chloride solution, which was ascribed to the coordination of C1 and Cd2+ altering the supersaturation of the solution as well as the different growth units and their connecting patterns, In the precipitation process the surface of US nanoparticles were surface modified with CH3CHSCOOH. The results demonstrate that the bifunctional thiols of thioglycolic acid modified the surface through Cd-S coordination bonding and the induced counter ion AOT-SO3 as the balance charge further increased the stability and dispersity of US nanoparticles. This surface-modified US nanoparticles had been used to prepare nonlinear optics and self-assemble catalysts.

Jan 1, 2003

By Murali Thirukkonda, Rahul Shah, Srinivas Tangrila, Shankar Rachakonda, Jan Kajuch, Arthur Gurson

"High-temperature superconductors have potential for a variety of applications such as power generators, superconducting magnets for mine sweepers or ship propulsion motors, and magnetic levitation transportation systems. Interest in the use of superconducting wires and tapes increased dramatically after the discovery of high-critical-temperature (high-Tc) oxide superconducting compounds, which offer operating temperatures above that of liquid nitrogen. Several techniques have been proposed to produce commercially viable high-Tc oxide based superconducting wires. One of the promising methods involves multi-pass powder-in-tube (PIT) wire drawing followed by rolling and heat treatment. This work focuses on the development of a numerical model to simulate the PIT drawing process for fabrication of long lengths of silver sheathed Bi-2212 superconducting wires. The finite element based model was used to predict densification of the oxide powder, wire drawing forces, and silver sheath thickness during drawing. A cap-type pressure dependent constitutive equation was implemented in the model to simulate the powder behavior. The model incorporated experimentally obtained material data for the silver and powder. Results indicate that powder densification is increased by decreasing the initial silver thickness and increasing the silver strength. Data from wire drawing experiments were used to verify model predictions. IntroductionSuperconducting wires and tapes can be used to carry large dc currents with no measurable loss due to resistivity. When used in superconducting magnets for power generators, motors, levitation devices, magnetic detectors, or energy storage devices, they could potentially result in significantly reduced energy losses. In the past, most prototypes were tested in liquid helium at 4.2K [1]. However, the necessity to provide liquid-helium cooling systems proved to be a serious limitation in commercialization. In 1986 high-critical-temperature (high-Tc) oxide superconductors were discovered [2], which could allow for higher operating temperatures above liquid nitrogen (77 K). Since then, both academia and industry have concentrated their efforts on the development of high-Tc oxide superconducting wires, tapes and coils. As yet, large scale fabrication of long lengths of these wires with the required current carrying capacity and mechanical properties remains an enormous challenge."

Jan 1, 1994

By D. Doungdeethaveeratana

The extraction kinetics in a novel solvent extraction process have been investigated. In this process, the liquid-liquid emulsion is generated by bottom gas injection into countercurrently flowing aqueous and organic phases. This process has a number of advantages over the mixer-settler unit or the spray column in terms of simple equipment configuration, without any mechanical moving parts, and the ease of cleaning and process control, while providing a sufficiently large interfacial area for rapid mass transfer. The overall rate increased with increasing gas injection rate and height of the aqueous phase but decreased with increasing injector diameter at the same gas injection rate. The variation of the overall rate constant was correlated against a set of dimensionless numbers, representing the operating conditions. Extraction rates and efficiencies comparable to those in a mechanically generated emulsion were attained in this new process.

Jan 1, 1998

By R. Hurman Eric

The flow of molten slag and matte and the estimation of the mass of settled matte in electric furnaces is discussed and the action of the electric furnace as a settler is considered. Particle size of the concentrate and its grade are major contributors to settler dimensions. Discussion on the production capacity of the electric furnace with reference to operating current, power input, furnace dimensions such as width and length and electrode diameter are given. These discussions are based on considerations derived mainly from experimentally determined properties of the slag such as its resistivity, viscosity and liquidus temperature. Extension of the design and operating considerations to circular furnace symmetry is also discussed.

Jan 1, 1995

By Fathi Habashi

"Davy, Faraday, and Bunsen laid the foundation of electrometallurgy which had a· great impact on other areas of metallurgy. Electrometallurgy is presently dominated by the production of aluminum, the electrorefining of copper, and the electrowinning of zinc. It has also been successful in the electrowinning of copper from solutions obtained by leaching-solvent extraction. Electrowinning processes, however, are capital intensive. Improvement of the present technology should be intensely investigated especially when it is expected that such processes will increase greatly as a result of a shift from certain pyrometallurgical processes to pressure hydro metallurgy.INTRODUCTIONPyrometallurgy was used for thousands of years to produce copper and iron from their oxide ores!). Today it is still the only route to produce iron and steel and it is certain that it will remain so for many decades to come because pyrometallurgy is most suitable for the treatment of high grade oxide ores. Even when high grade iron ores are exhausted, it is possible to beneficiate the low-grade ores and produce pellets suitable for reduction in the blast furnace, which is a very efficient reactor, being a heat exchanger as well. Hydrometallurgy on the other hand can be traced to the time of alchemists in the Middle Ages when they were seeking to transmute base metals into gold, and thus were able to prepare many acids and bases which are the essential leaching agents."

Jan 1, 1997

By Anil Saigal, Mark H. Shooter, Michael A. Zimmerman

Liquid Crystalline Polymers (LCPs) provide favorable dielectric properties for extremely high frequency (30–100 GHz) radio frequency device packaging and printed circuit board substrates. The material studied in this work is a proprietary, thermotropic LCP composite developed and manufactured by iQLP (Woburn, MA, USA). Dielectric constants measured in the flow direction of the post-processed materials differ between the two processes, 3.51 in injection molded plaques, and 4.23 in cast films. This investigation sought to determine the cause of process-induced variation in the dielectric constant between injection molded and cast film extruded LCP. The complex thermomechanical environment present during processing of LCPs creates a through-thickness hierarchical structure, simplified in this study as a skin and core layer. The volume fraction of skin layer of the post-processed LCP was determined to be the differentiating factor, and responsible for the difference in dielectric constant between the injection molding and cast film extrusion processes. The resulting dielectric constant is a function of this volume fraction with a near linear relationship.

Mar 1, 2017

By J. S. Becker

Technology developed and first implemented in the United Kingdom enables very low grade aluminum scraps containing oils, organics, plastics and ferrous metals to be directly charged, without pretreatment, into a unique melting furnace. The system has been in full scale production for over three years. The oxy-fuel-based furnace design incorporates internal afterburning in the furnace&apos;s hot zone, producing excellent thermal efficiency and very low emissions. The furnace is inherently low in NOx. This paper will provide both theoretical background and extensive operating results for this new melting concept. Applications describing both purpose built new furnaces and retrofits of existing reverberatory furnaces will be presented. Extensive operating emissions data will be presented.

Jan 1, 1996

By Chuanyu Feng

In this paper, a load-based micro-indentation technique suitable for field applications was developed. This technique bears the same theoretical background as traditional load-depth sensing indentation, and does not need any direct measurement of indentation depth or contact area. The removal of this requirement will reduce much of the cost associated with traditional instrumented indentation. To demonstrate the feasibility, a portable indentation system suitable for online material characterization was developed. Design issues of the portable unit were discussed and preliminary results using the portable unit were also presented.

Jan 1, 2009

By John J. Mazza

Treatability studies were performed to determine the effectiveness of two commercially available treatment methods (solvent extraction and thermal desorption) for the removal of PCBs and PAHs from contaminated dredged riverbed sediments. The solvent extraction method evaluated was the B.E.S.T. process which extracts the contaminants with triethylamine. The thermal desorption method utilized was the ATP process which desorbs the contaminants at elevated temperature in an anaerobic atmosphere. A description of both methods and. an evaluation of the treatability study results is provided. Each treatment method was used to treat two separate samples (high and low concentration) from the site. Overall, both methods proved to be very effective with solvent extraction achieving 98% removal of both PCBs and PAHs and thermal desorption achieving better than 99% removal of both the PCBs and PAHs from the high concentration sample. Both solvent extraction and thermal desorption achieved greater than 99% removals of PCBs and PAHs from the low concentration sample. Vendor cost estimates for full scale treatment were roughly equivalent. The primary differences between the two methods lies in the realm of permitting, operational requirements, and emission concerns.

Jan 1, 1994

By Pier-Lorenzo Solari, Philippe Moisy, Michel Schlegel, Stephane Pellet-Rostaing, Eric Mendes, David Bengio, Richard Husar, Thomas Dumas

Ionic liquids (ILs) are molten salts composed of an organic cation that are liquid below 100 °C. They demonstrate unique physico-chemical properties such as good conductivity, negligible vapor pressure and non-flammability. As a consequence, they are often regarded as green solvents and could become an alternative to the use of both high-temperature molten salts and volatile organic solvents in rare-earth elements processing and recycling. The diversity of interactions existing in an ionic liquid allows the solubilization of both polar and apolar compounds. Moreover, coordinating functions on their composing ions can lead to stabilization of some species. For instance, in non-aqueous media, europium exists in the (II) oxidation state which is not stable in aqueous solutions. Understanding the mechanism of Eu(III) electrochemical reduction to Eu(II) and the stabilization of Eu(II) species in IL media could be of major interest for the development of innovative recycling processes. Using transient electrochemistry and UV-Vis spectroscopy we could get valuable information on the redox behavior of the Eu(III)/(II) couple in the ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide ([EMIm][NTf2]). Reduction of Eu(III) to Eu(II) and stability of Eu(II) was also studied thanks to a XAS-spectroelectrochemistry set up used to follow in situ the evolution of the XANES spectrum around the L3 edge of Eu during electrolysis.

Mar 1, 2018