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By G. Bjorling

After complete dissolution of chalcopyrite concentrate in sulphuric acid in presence of nitric acid the excess of the latter is expelled by a surplus of concentrate and the last traces of nitrate removed in the mother liquor after crystallization of the copper and iron sulphates. Zinc accumulates in the mother liquor from which it can be removed by solvent extraction of zinc sulphate as a pair of ions. After dissolution of the sulphate crystals in water the neutral solution is oxidized in an autoclave at 140°C where iron sulphate is thermally hydrolyzed; the iron-free solution is taken to copper electrowinning and the cell acid after partial evaporation recirculated with the mother liquor to the leaching circuit. Total recovery of copper is about 96%; other metals like zinc and iron are concentrated in industrially usable products. At a copper price of about 70 c/lb, the method appears to be profitable also in a small unit.

Jan 1, 1976

By T. T. Chen, J. E. Dutrizac

"Grooved cast Pb-Ag anodes are used by some zinc refineries to improve current efficiency. It was found that the manganese oxide scale formed on a grooved Pb-0.75% Ag anode consists mainly of MnO2, which occurs characteristically in rhythmically banded colloform structures and adheres to a layer of ""Pb02+PbS04"" that oxidized from the anode. The relatively homogeneous and nearly fracture-free morphology of the ""Pb02+PbS04"" layer suggests the relatively uniform corrosion of the anode. Deposition of the Mn oxide initially follows the contours of the anode surface, but the grooves eventually become filled with Mn oxide and gypsum. Hydrous Mn oxides and amorphous Mn oxides are believed to be also present in the manganese oxide scale. Tiny particles of PbS04 and SrS04, together with gypsum, other impurities and micro-pores, tend to concentrate in the grooves.IntroductionManganese is a common impurity in hydrometallurgical zinc processing circuits. The manganese originates from sphalerite (Zn,Fe,Mn)S and from the Mn02 added to the leaching circuit to oxidize ferrous ions [1]. Manganese in the sphalerite follows Zn through the roasting, leaching and purification processes, and is present as Mn(II) in the purified ZnS04 solution. The Mn in the added Mn02 is reduced to Mn(II) during the oxidation of the ferrous ions present in the leach solutions. In both cases, MnS04 is generated, and the MnS04 accumulates in the purified solution. In the cellhouse, Zn is plated at the cathodes to produce high quality metal. The Mn(II) is partly oxidized at the anode surface to Mn(IV), and the Mn(IV) precipitates as a scale on the surface of the anode and as a sludge on the bottom of the electrolysis cells. The presence of a thin layer of manganese oxide scale on the surface of the Pb-Ag anode can minimize the corrosion of lead and, accordingly, reduce the contamination of the electrodeposited zinc. However, a heavy manganese scale build-up can cause ""staining"" of the zinc deposits and reduced current efficiencies. Consequently, periodic anode cleaning to remove excess manganese oxide scale is carried out routinely in commercial operations."

Jan 1, 2011

By Marcelo B. Mourão

An experimental investigation was carried out to -study the rates of reduction of pellets containing iron oxides by carbon dissolved in liquid iron, at temperatures ranging from 1720 K to 1973 K. Several different pellet types were employed; the materials used in the pellet's manufacture were pure hematite, two kinds of commercial iron ores, and mixtures hematite/silica and hematite/lime: Reaction times were determined employing the constant volume pressure increase technique (CVPI). It has been observed that the reaction rate increases as the temperature and the pellet's specific surface area increases. The reaction rate is also affected by the oxide type: pellets made from commercial ores or from mixtures hematite/silica or hematite/lime show reaction rates lower than those made from pure hematite.

Jan 1, 1996

By T. Shimizu

In Japan, the emission standard of selenium in effluent was set at a maximum of20 mgll in Feb. '94 for the first time, and it is scheduled to be further decreased to a maximum of 0.1 mg/I from Feb. '97 due to tightening of the Water Pollution Prevention Act. Selenium (IV) and (VI) are generally found in effluent from precious metals refineries. Although selenium (IV) can be easily eliminated by some reducing agents, selenium (VI) is more difficult to be reduced. Therefore, many smelters are having difficulty in complying with the new emission standard. At Mitsubishi Materials' Naoshima smelter, the behavior and the elimination of selenium in effluent have been extensively investigated. As a result, it was found that two strategies were particularly effective. One of them is improving the overall operation of precious metals refinery, that is, feeding uniformly the effluent to the waste-water treatment plant, reducing the effluent volume by recycling and recovering more selenium (IV) in the effluent. The other is eliminating selenium (VI) in the effluent from the precious metals refinery. It was found that selenium (VI) can be effectively reduced by using hydrazine under high? sulphuric acid concentration and high temperature conditions. By using these measures, it is considered that Naoshima Smelter will be able to comply with the new emission standard.

Jan 1, 1996

By J. Vander Linden, R. De Ketelaere, M. Verhaege

In this paper, results are presented concerning the search to implement Supported Liquid Membrane (SLM) technology for the recovery of copper from electroplating effluents. Acid copper electroplating rinse solutions or effluents resulting from the post-treatment of, for example, cyanide-containing copper electroplating baths all contain copper (2+) in the lower concentration levels. A thorough study of the influence of the individual parameters and of their combined impact on mass transfer in small scale laboratory SLM modules has been performed, enabling to set forward the appropriate operating conditions for a pilot plant installation. The pilot plant, containing two SLM modules. of 18 m2 of surface area, has been tested extensively, including short and long term runs, with real process solutions. It was demonstrated that this installation is able to treat 40 l/h of acid copper sulphate rinse solutions· containing 500 ppm of copper. The final copper concentration in the effluent can be reduced to a few ppm while copper metal is recovered by electrolysis of the concentrate. This technology is also applicable to the treatment of solutions with low copper content of origins other than plating shops, such as tailings from copper plants or mine waters.

Jan 1, 2000

By T. J. White

Xtaltite is the trade name for a generic technology which exploits the well known insolubility of some minerals, which naturally incorporate toxic waste elements, to consolidate and immobilise a range of inorganic waste products. It is a specific case of synthetic mineral immobilisation technology (SMITE) which is already used to immobilise high level nuclear wastes (HLW. Although HLW is highly toxic, it exists in relatively small volumes, occurs in central facilities and may be stabilised at low waste loading (< 10 wt%). In contrast, heavy metal wastes are of considerable volume, therefore Xtalitite waste forms must routinely accommodate high waste loadings (usually in excess of 30 wt% for a particular toxic oxide or combination of oxides) and be suitable for fabrication in remote locations using relatively simple technology. This paper details the methodology underlying Xtaltite, with particular emphasis given to the interplay between solid state chemistry, durability and economic considerations. Specific reference is made to the treatment of arsenious and mercurial wastes.

Jan 1, 1994

By G. Gerbeth, Y. Gelfgat, A. Cramer, A. Bojarevics

The production of highly porous metallic substrates requires an effective and well controlled production of metallic fibres with diameters in the range of 50 to 200 microns. The melt extraction, where a quickly rotating wheel extracts fibres directly out of the inductively heated melt, is a promising technology for that purpose. The main limitations of this process are due to turbulence within the melt and a wavy motion on the surface. Both effects give rise to strong and time dependent deformation of the melt surface which, in turn, causes non-stationary conditions of the contact zone between the extraction wheel and the melt. In the patent literature many examples can be found which try to overcome these problems by submersing mechanical parts directly into, or placing them at least in close vicinity to the melt, aiming at a stabilisation of that contact region. Even made of heat resistant ceramics they suffer from corrosion or cracks and do not work reliable at all. The present work describes a non invasive control mechanism by means of a magnetic field. Model experiments were carried out to study the calm down of the turbulent surface of a inductively stirred melt. The stabilisation of the melt surface has been demonstrated in practise by the installation of a solenoid at a working extraction facility under rough industrial conditions like a powerful induction heating and vacuum.

Jan 1, 1999

By Joel Anderson

Allvac 718Plus is a newly developed superalloy with a good potential for use in fabricated aircraft engine structures when service temperatures exceed 650°C; the limit for standard alloy 718. Fabrication involves welding, where cracking usually is a prohibitive factor. Comparison of the solidification cracking behavior between these two alloys was made by Transvarestraint testing. It was shown that the total amount of cracking was significantly lower for 718Plus alloy, which was associated with a lower amount of ?/Laves or ?/NbC eutectic-type constituents. This in turn is believed to be due to the lower iron content of the Allvac 718Plus material. The analysis of alloying element segregation both within primary dendrite and interdendritic constituents clearly indicates that the segregation of Nb is the controlling factor in determining the final solidification microstructure in these alloys. The Nb concentrations of these constituents are significantly higher compared to the bulk alloy concentration. This was confirmed by the SEM-EDS analysis and calculations assessed with JMatPro, the latter also indicated that alloy 718 is more prone to form Laves and NbC eutectic-type constituents compared to Allvac 718Plus material.

Jan 1, 2008

By J. W. Dini

Introduction The mission of the Materials Fabrication Division (MFD) is to provide fabrication services and technology in support of all programs at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). MFD involvement is called for when fabrication activity requires levels of expertise, technology, equipment, process development, hazardous processes, security, or scheduling that is typically not commercially available. Customers are encouraged to utilize private industry for fabrication activity requiring routine processing or for production applications. MFD is .a large diversified service organization including approximately 400 full time employees. The group provides a wide variety of processes including all common machining and fabrications operations, laser and water jet cutting, electrical discharge machining, lapping, electron beam and laser welding, vacuum brazing, heat treating, forming, electroplating and metal finishing, optical polishing and grinding, vacuum coating, vacuum engineering and a variety of plastics operations. These operations occupy more than 1,250,000 square feet of floor space. For more detail on the many fabrication related services available from MFD, see Reference 1.

Jan 1, 1992

By K. Asokan, K. Subramanian

"Electrowinning of copper by monopolar cells require common anode and cathode busbar and crossbars to connect each electrode to the respective common busbar. On the other hand, the bipolar configuration warrants the end electrodes only to be connected to busbars; there is substantial reduction in copper requirement. In the present work, an electrowinning cell with bipolar electrodes and end electrodes, each having an area of 1000 cm2 was designed and operated. The bipolar electrode is made of mixed metal oxide coated titanium mesh welded to plain titanium sheet. Coated titanium mesh acts as anode and the plain titanium sheet acts as cathode. Environmentally unacceptable lead anode and the recurring loss of lead are done away with. Closer spacing of the electrodes, paves way for the application of higher current density leading to mass transfer enhancement. Performance of bipolar copper electrowinning cell is reported.1. IntroductionThe normally adopted practice in electrowinning of copper is the conventional monopolar configuration. In this practice, the individual electrodes act either as anode or cathode. Hence there is a need to connect every one of the electrodes to the common anode or cathode busbar and crossbars running across the top of the cell are necessary. The common busbar carries very high current which is divided among the individual crossbars and hence has to be thicker in relation to the current load of the cell. The drawback of the need to use common busbars of thicker cross section and the need to have crossbars are obviated in the bipolar configuration."

Jan 1, 2009

By Wan Pu

Chrysotile asbestos samples from different mines have been studied by SEM and TEM, including high resolution electron microscopy, to find reasons for differences in physical properties of different types of asbestos fibres. The results show that the inner diameters of fibre tubes and the lattice images of fibres are different for soft and hard asbestos fibres. These differences are related to temperatures and geochemical conditions during the growth of chrysotile asbestos.

Jan 1, 1989

By Yong Xian, Zhaohui Sun, Honggang Zhong, Qijie Zhai, Jie Sun

Vacuum refining is admitted as an effective means to remove impurities in the process of alloy smelting. In this paper, Orthogonal and single factor experiments were carried out to investigate effects of multiple factors, such as superheat degree of the melt, degassing time and vacuum degree, on the vacuum refining process. The results showed that the best removal rate of oxygen and nitrogen is up to 82.71% and 61.3%, respectively, due to high vacuum degassing efficiency. It is found that the superheat degree is minimal impact on the deoxidization rate, in addition, nitrogen removal is controlled by the degassing time. The inclusions exist in the AlV55 alloy are mainly composed of oxides and vanadium-nitrogen compounds.

Jan 1, 2015

By Shaolong Chen, Carl-Gustav Berg, Hannu Mansikkaviita

Kumera Steam Dryer has been developed particularly for nonferrous metal concentrates with steam as heating source generated from waste heat boilers. Its unique structure enables the dryer to work at high capacity, up to 240 t/h, and high availability, over 95%. With half a century of engineering experience, and more than twenty industrial steam dryer installations worldwide during last 15 years, Kumera has demonstrated significant benefits of the steam drying technology in terms of energy efficiency and emission reduction to the end users. The dryer of this type can also be applied for other suitable mineral materials.

Jan 1, 2015

By Hideki Yamamoto, Shigeno Matsumoto, Junji Shibata

"Some fundamental studies were carried out in order to produce composite powders comprising of two or three metal oxides ~y using liquid-liquid extraction and to develop the control technology of the particle size. The combination of samarium and cobalt was selected as the two component composite powders. Both stripping and crystallization occurred at the same time by emulsifying the organic phase loading the two metals extracted with Versatic Acid 10 and the aqueous solution containing oxalic acid. The effect of aqueous pH, oxalic acid concentration and agitation speed was examined on some properties such as crystallization percent, particle size and shape of each metal oxide powders obtained in this process. The analysis by using EDX showed that the two metal oxides were distributed uniformly.IntroductionComposite metal and metal oxide powders with high purity are indispensable as industrial materials in the fields of electrical engineering, electronics and metallurgy. It is difficult to mix metal powders or metal oxide powders uniformly for the production of alloy powders. If insoluble metal salts are allowed to collect as crystallization products in the crystallization-stripping process, the conventional melting and crushing process can be avoided. After mixing of the organic phase containing metals in fixed composition, fine metal and metal oxide powders of alloy composition are produced by using a crystallization-stripping method. Versatic Acid 10 and D2EHPA, both acidic extractants, were chosen in this experiment, and the metal oxide powders were produced by using oxalic acid as a crystallization reagent. Mixed metal oxalates containing samarium and cobalt were precipitated from the mixed organic phase containing these metals. Furthermore, the physical properties of the powders, such as particle size, shape and thermal decomposition, were measured in order to evaluate them for industrial purposes."

Jan 1, 2000

By John ?gren, Martin Schwind, Henrik Larsson

"A new model for internal oxidation, as well as similar processes, has been implemented on computer. It is based upon a combination of random walk and cellular automata and is capable of treating 3-dimensional cases. To model diffusion, it utilises quantised units of matter. All steps of the process are included: nucleation, growth and coarsening. The effect of grain boundaries on diffusion as well as nucleation is taken into account. Further possible development is briefly discussed; especially the treatment of nucleation needs further consideration. IntroductionComplex diffusion-controlled processes may now be simulated on a routine basis when concentration varies along one co-ordinate only. One-dimensional simulations capture much of the information of interest but not all. For the case at hand, especially the spatial and the size distribution of precipitates, as well as the impact of grain boundaries, would be interesting information not accessible from 1-D simulationsSolving the full Fick-Onsager law in three dimensions does not seem feasible with the computers of today. In the model described in this article, random walk by quantised units of matter are considered. The model should be useful for a number of cases involving dispersed systems. With further development, it would indeed seem possible to simulate most types of phase transformations.Previous workWe have previously published two articles [1,2] on the new approach discussed in this work. In those articles we described the basic idea and showed, among other things, that very good agreement with an experimental concentration profile can be obtained, in a single-phase system, using independently assessed thermodynamic and kinetic data. Also, Schwind used the same random walk based concept to model coarsening [3]."

Jan 1, 2001

By U. M. Mutnti

In order to meet the stringent market requirements for high purity cobalt, ZCCM commissioned the VIR plant in December 1982. The plant comprises a 4.1 tonne/heat vacuum induction furnace with a rated annual capacity of 2,500 MT of barstock. In the VIR furnace, molten cobalt is held under vacuum at 1600°C resulting in the removal of more volatile impurity elements by distillation. Operations todate have demonstrated that Pb, Zn and Cd have good distillation rates in excess of 95%, leading to cobalt containing 1 ppm or less of the above elements. Removal of other impurities such as Se, Bi is about 65% with the finished product still assaying around 1 ppm of each of these elements. Vacuum refining of cobalt offers an economic route for producing higher grades of cobalt from the type of concentrates and treatment processes available within ZCCM. The consistency of VIR cobalt quality has been confirmed by ZCCM and some of its alloy customers.

Jan 1, 1988

By X. Jay Gao

A fast high-temperature carburizing process integrated with materials design and optimization via a systems design approach was developed to significantly reduce process cycle time. Process experiments were focused on boost cycles to obtain a robust boost process and investigate surface reaction kinetics, primary carbide formation and dissolution. Weight gain and microhardness were measured, all showing evidence of non-monotonic time evolution for longer boost times at higher temperatures. Optical and electron microscopy and other techniques have been used to identify possible carbides, their location and types. These results assist the picking of first boost time with least variation rate in terms of content of case carbon and carbides, dissolvable in subsequent diffuse if any. The results also provide critical information to properly formulate surface reaction kinetics and diffusion and formation kinetics of carbides modeled using DICTRA. Keywords: high temperature vacuum carburizing, partial pressure carburizing, heat treatment, process development, carbide, case hardening, microstructural analysis, over carburizing

Jan 1, 2003

By John Pilling

The concept of microstructure, its evolution through materials processing and its effect on the properties of the material is, perhaps, the foundation upon which the science of materials is built. PHAUST, a computer aided learning program, attempts to provide instruction in establishing the relationships between phase diagrams, thermal processing and microstructure. Using phase diagrams derived from a database or created by the user, the evolution of microstructure during processing is quantified using the lever rule and/or the Scheil equation and tracked through a doubly linked list (a form of binary tree). Microstructures, in the form of full colour cartoons are then drawn using the quantitative and logical information contained within the linked list using bitmapped templates and logigal operators such as NOT. AND, OR and XOR, giving the student a view of the structure as it would be seen under the optical microscope. The software provides complete diagnostics of student answers, locates errors and misconceptions as well as providing tutoring towards the correct solution method and answer.

Jan 1, 1991

By M. E. Karabin, R. J. O'Malley

"A mathematical model of the roll casting process has been developed which predicts macro-variables, such as roll separating force, roll torque, and strip exit speed for a range of roll speeds. Continuum variables, such as interface pressure, interface shear stress, freeze-front shape, and internal temperature distribution are also predicted.The model consists of two independent segments: solidification and rolling. The solidification model is two-dimensional (thickness and rolling direction) and is capable of handling alloy solidification. The solidification model is employed until solidification through the thickness is complete, then the rolling solution is activated.The rolling model is a one-dimensional (rolling direction) mechanical solution based on the von Karman approach, coupled with a two-dimensional thermal solution. The flow stress is expressed as a function of the average through-thickness temperature of the strip.Experiments were performed using a laboratory roll caster to test and refine the model. Experimental strip exit temperatures were used as input to the model. Experimental and predicted roll torque and strip exit speea were forced into agreement at a single reference roll speed to obtain values for the coefficient of friction and the interfacial heat transfer coefficient. Using these values, good agreement was obtained between predicted and experimental torque and strip exit speed over the entire range of roll speeds examined."

Jan 1, 1986

By Bo Zhou

During secondary aluminum recovery, complex aluminum scraps are melted and refined often in a rotary melting furnace and the aluminum metal has to pass through a molten salt layer and melt down in a bottom aluminum bath. Previous experimental study and industrial observations have indicated that salt shell formation and re-melting on the metal solids in the early stage plays a critical role in the overall melting process of the scrap. In the present paper, mathematical models are developed to simulate the process of salt shell formation and its re melting, as well as aluminum melting in the molten melt. Influence of the salt layer properties, the residence time of the metal particles in the salt layer, the particle size, the temperature of bulk melt were investigated. Reasonable agreement with the measurement data was reached. The developed melting model will be used to construct a population balance model of the scrap melting behavior for a rotary melting furnace, taking into account the distributed characteristics of the scrap. Finally, an overall process model based on Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) for the rotary furnace will be constructed, coupling with the population balance model for the scrap melting.

Jan 1, 2003