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By Javier Antoñanzas, Juan Carlos Múgica, Lourdes Yurramendi

The gasification of wastes containing an organic fraction is usually performed at low-medium temperature using different kind of catalysts. The off gas obtained is a mixture of carbon oxides, mainly carbon monoxide, and hydrogen and can be used for different energetic applications. The main problem is the production of tars in the off gas that has to be separated from the valuable gas flow and, finally, treated separately. An interesting alternative is the partial or total treatment of organics at high temperature. In this case, the off gas contains a higher content of hydrogen and elemental carbon as particulate matter. The energetic source to obtain a temperature in the range of 1,000 - 1,200 ºC is obtained by a plasma torch. In order to make de process attractive, an important issue to be considered is to commercialize the carbon obtained for different industrial applications.

Jan 1, 2008

By Kang-In Rhee

Nonferrous metal recycling not only provides energy saving and environmental benefits but also is a significant factor in the supply of various types of metals used in our society. Recycling plays an important role in establishing the sustainability of materials. The total amount of recycled nonferrous metals by weight accounts for less than 5% but their value is larger than 50% compared to ferrous metal recycling which consists of about half of the total metal recycling in weight. This paper describes trends and typical achievements in nonferrous metal recycling and overviews the present and future of nonferrous metal recycling technology and business in Korea.

Jan 1, 2006

By S. Vellinga, G. H. R. Janssen, C. J. N. Buisman, C. F. M. Copini

Non-ferrous metallurgical plants are often confronted with the need to neutralize bleed streams or effluents containing sulfates. The treatment of these streams could produce large amounts of gypsum. With a biological sulfate-reduction process, the production of gypsum is avoided and the metals can be recovered as sulfides. In this paper, the biological treatment of an industrial stream is presented. The bleed solution from a roaster gas scrubber was treated by means of a two-step process. First, the acid was neutralized with calcine. The resulting zinc sulfate solution was converted to ZnS with bacteria using PAQUES-THIOPAQ® technology. The precipitated ZnS was de-watered to 70 wt% solids, and was returned to the roasters. The quality of the effluent stream complied with the environmental regulations.

Jan 1, 2000

By P. M. Rosário

The extraction performances exhibited by a phosphoric (D2EHPA), a phosphonic (Ionquest 801), a phosphinic (Cyanex 272) and a dithiophosphinic (Cyanex 301) acid derivative towards indium recovery from a diluted sulfuric solution are evaluated and compared. Equilibrium extraction isotherms were obtained. The chemical reactions involved and the approximate stoichiometry of the In(III) extracted species by the four ligands are presented and discussed. Stripping of In(III) from loaded D2EHPA and Ionquest 801 has been accomplished successfully, but has not been so effective from loaded Cyanex 301. Plots of %E vs. pH were established for D2EHPA, Ionquest 801 and Cyanex 301, denoting their behavior towards the extraction of similar mass concentrations of In(III), Fe(III), Fe(II) and Zn(II). Cyanex 301 is the least selective towards In(III), whereas D2EHPA and Ionquest 801, both for a pH = 0.5, do not extract Zn(II) at all.

Jan 1, 2003

By Joseph J. Poveromo

Technical progress in ironmaking will be discussed in three sectors: blast furnace ironmaking, direct reduction and alternative ironmaking to feed electric arc furnaces and ironmaking for waste oxide processing. The contributions of iron ore producer, Quebec Cartier Mining, in each sector will be outlined.

Jan 1, 2006

By T. J. Weitz, J. E. Micheletti

"Pegasus Gold's Beal Mountain Mine is located near the Continental Divide, SW Montana. Conventional surface mining utilizes crushing, heap-leaching, carbon absorption/desorption, electrowinning and refining to produce approximately 60,000 oz gold annually. A leach pad sits at 2,300 meters (7,500 ft) elevation. Winters are long and cold with average snow accumulations ofl-2 meters; temperatures fall below minus 40'C and wind chill temperatures below 70°C. The Beal Mountain staff has developed special tools and procedures for burying drip emitter lines, and managing the heap and process solutions to allow for uninterrupted gold recovery during the winter season. Management of water balance and spring runoff is critical to the operations' success, due to mountainous terrain, high precipitation and proximity to a fishery and elk herd. The mine has an extensive network of land application disposal (LAD) and stormwater control systems to assure environmental protection and regulatory compliance.ABSTRACT ONLY"

Jan 1, 1997

By Ray D. Peterson, Garry G. Blagg

"Molten aluminum is routinely transported hundreds of miles to customers in large ""over-the-road"" crucibles. This is especially common for aluminum recycling organizations handling scrap and by-products. Receiving the aluminum in a molten form can save the customer time and money since in-house melting costs and capital equipment can be avoided. Additionally, the alloy can be on specification and nearly ready to use for the casting operation.A number of transport crucible designs are currently in use. The specifics of each design are based on the needs of the customer, the equipment used at both the producer and the consumer, and over-the-road transportation constraints. Crucibles are designed to maximize carrying capacity, and refractory life while minimizing heat flow and dead weight. These conflicting demands place difficult design criteria on the design engineer.This paper will review the basic advantages and disadvantages associated with molten metal transport, give examples of the design restrictions and examine several types design of crucibles currently in use."

Jan 1, 2000

By Marcel Sturzenegger

Though the extraction of copper is well established, generation of sulfur dioxide (S02) is still a troublesome issue. Conventional processes are further challenged by the increasing amount of impurities in the concentrates. Direct decomposition of the metal sulfides into the metal(s) and elemental sulfur under concentrated solar radiation offers a promising path to solve both problems. Thermogravimetric measurements under inert atmospheres have shown that synthetic chalcocite or chalcopyrite yield copper at temperatures as low as 1773 K. Even though optimum reaction temperatures might be somewhat higher, such temperatures are straightforwardly accessible in solar chemical reactors. The absence of oxygen will reduce the extent of slag forming reactions and thereby alter the evaporation characteristics of volatile impurities such as arsenic or antimony. Chemical equilibrium calculations for a chalcopyrite-enargite feed, e.g., have shown that under inert atmospheres arsenic compounds are completely evaporated at temperatures above 1000 K and an effective separation of arsenic from the matte is expected. An important step towards a solar production of copper is the design and testing of prototype solar chemical reactors for this reaction. Numerical modeling is a key tool supporting a rational design but it requires data of the high-temperature properties that prevail in these processes. Development of techniques for determining the essential quantities such as decomposition rates or radiative properties at temperatures up to 2000 K is therefore a main activity in our laboratory in order to control and optimize the process. Though developed in the frame of high-temperature solar technology, the experimental techniques are also suited to advance the understanding of conventional high-temperature processes. Keywords: Solar technology, Sulfur dioxide, Solar Radiation, Thermogravimetry, Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Numerical modeling.

Jan 1, 2003

By Alice Barreto Bevitori, Frederico Muylaert Margem, Noan Tonini SImonassi, Caroline Oliveyra, Sergio Neves Monteiro, Isabela Leão Amaral da Silva

"The mechanical behavior and the fracture characteristics of composites with DGEB/TETA epoxy matrix reinforced with up to 30% in volume of continuous and aligned ramie fibers were evaluated by tensile tests. Specimens with selected thin fibers aligned along the tensile axis were room temperature tested to rupture. The fracture surface was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy. The results showed significant increase in both the ultimate tensile strength and the elastic modulus. The fracture analysis indicated the possible mechanism for the fiber/matrix interaction, which could be responsible for the composite performance.IntroductionSince the middle of last century, polymer composites have substitute many conventional monolithic materials in applications ranging from aerospace to sport [l]. The main advantages of these composites are the low density and flexible properties specially using fiber as reinforcement to suit the mechanical performance requirements [2]. These are usually high strength and stiffuess requirements that could be reached with synthetic fibers such as gloss, carbon and aramid fibers. Its most commonly used example is ""fiberglass"", i.e., a thermoset polymer matrix composite reinforced with glass fiber. Indeed, ""fiberglass"" has a specific strength of the order of 500 MPa.cm3/g, which is the double of the strongest steels like the maraging. This motivated, at earlier times, ""fiberglass"" to replace many conventional materials including wood and natural fiber composites. Today, ""fiberglass"" has a wide range of uses from aerospace systems and appliances to sport and leisure components. However, its fabrication as well as those of any synthetic fiber such as carbon and aramid composites, requires a relatively large amount of energy. Presently, a growing concern exists regarding the consequences to the environmental by gases like C02 associated with both the energy consumption and the processing of synthetic fibers and their composites. These gases are well known responsible for global warming [3]."

Jan 1, 2013

By Takayuki Ichikawa

Hydrogen storage properties of ballmilled mixtures composed of the hydrogenated nano-structured carbon (CnanoHx) and lithium hydride (LiH) were examined by thermal and optical spectroscopic analyses. LiH needs higher temperature than 600°C for hydrogen desorption even under vacuum condition, while CnanoHx, which was mechanochemically synthesized from graphite powder by ballmilling under hydrogen atmosphere, reveals hydrogen and hydrocarbons desorption in wide temperature range from 300 to 800°C. Nevertheless, the composite of CnanoHxand LiH prepared by ballmilling desorbs hydrogen in relatively lower temperature range from 150 to 450°C. These phenomena indicate that the thermally liberated hydrocarbon radicals immediately react with LiH and release hydrogen instead of hydrocarbons emission, because CnanoHx contains hydrocarbon groups at the edge of nano-meter sized graphenes, which are recognized as IR active C-H stretching mode, and LiH is well-known as an ionic crystal. Furthermore, it is of interest that a nanostructural feature persists in this composite even after annealing at 350°C, which shows excellent cycle properties as hydrogen storage media.

Jan 1, 2006

By Peter G. Smith

Tri-calcium aluminate (TCA) is a dominant alkaline component of the red mud residue from the Bayer process. A method being considered for industrial implementation partially neutralizes the residue by contacting it with gaseous CO2. This paper outlines the chemistry of CO2neutralisation of TCA under conditions relevant to the treatment of Bayer residue. CO2 neutralisation of the liquor is fast. It results in the formation of amorphous aluminium hydroxide and dawsonite that agglomerate together. Neutralisation of solid TCA is slower and leads to the formation of calcite, dawsonite and amorphous aluminium hydroxide. The dissolution of TCA in partially neutralised slurries causes pH reversion. However the carbonated solutions contain a store of bicarbonate that can supply aqueous carbon dioxide to complete the transformation. The pH at which the carbonation is carried out will affect the degree of TCA transformation during the carbonation process. In particular, if the pH of the carbonation is too low (near 7.0), calcite precipitation is inhibited and the degree of transformation is low. Controlling the carbonation pH helps to optimise the neutralisation process.

Jan 1, 2003

By Ahmet Geveci

[Generally accepted formula related to sulfur slag-metal distribution ratio is given by the following equation: [ ] According to the above equation it can be deduced that sulfur distribution between slag and metal is governed mainly by metal composition (?s term), slag composition (slag basicity and in turn sulfide capacity), oxygen potential of the system (ao¬¬ term) and temperature(related to equilibrium constant, K). In this study, the results of ladle furnace operations conducted in Erdemir-Iron and Steel Works Co. (Turkey) in relation to sulfur removal, have been given. Typical ladle furnace slag analyses of 4937K quality steel have been presented. Activity coefficient of FetO,?FetO, have been calculated with the relation obtained fromthe literature. Activity calculations have been performed with the program written in Mathcad. The changes in activity of aFetO in the slag phase,, have also been studied in relation to the sulfur removal: The relation between % Decrease aFetO and %DeS (measured)have been investigated for 4937K runs and someother types of steel produced in the Erdemir Plant. Related to ladle operations %desulfurization defined as [(%Sinitial-%Sfinal)/S%initial]*100 values have been presented for different steel qualities.]

Jan 1, 2006

By P. J. Harrington

The recovery and recycling of low concentration metal and other ions has traditionally been carried out using adsorption or ion exchange processes which, however, become uneconomical at higher concentrations, such as those that occur with many intermediate or waste streams where recycling is now being required. This paper describes the development of a process based on non-dispersive solvent extraction for the recovery of chromium (VI) from electroplating rinse water. During the chromium plating of steel, the concentration of chromium (VI) in the rinse bath rises to concentrations in the order of 100 mg/L when it becomes unusable and is then disposed of. The aim of this work was to investigate processes for recovery and recycling of the chromium in the rinse bath. The recovered chromium is required to be concentrated and purified before reuse. Tertiary amines have been shown capable of concentrating and purifying the chromium (VI) in solution. However, solvent extraction processes that have been applied to the recovery and reuse of metals from waste streams have had only limited success in the past, primarily because of the relatively high solvent losses when existing contacting equipment is used on low feed concentrations. Attempts to eliminate losses by immobilizing these complexing agents on substrates have not been successful. In order to control the losses and maintain specificity, a hollow fibre-contained liquid membrane has recently been trailed in a pilot plant to recover chromium from chromium plating waste streams. Details of the trial and modeling of the results are presented, and show that the level of losses is significantly reduced. However, issues relating to fouling still need to be addressed. This type of equipment has many applications in the recovery and recycling of a range of materials in the manufacturing processes.

Jan 1, 2003

By Yang Tian-zu

Sodium pyroantimonate which is widely used as the clarifier in the glass industry and as the synergist in anti-flaming industry respectively has a production history of about 30 years in China. At present there is the production capacity of about 20,000 tons per year in China and China is chief producer of sodium pyroantimonate. In this work the production processes adopted by the producers of China, the operation conditions and the product qualities of sodium pyroantimonate prepared by different preparation methods have been summarized, and on the basis of comparing the advantages and disadvantages for each process the most advanced method - the air-oxidation method was introduced in detail. The production processes of sodium pyroantimonate mainly include the method of oxidation by sodium nitrate, the oxidation method of hydrogen peroxide, the potash salt method, the chlorination method and the air-oxidation method etc. The method of oxidation by sodium nitrate in which the crude antimony oxide, sodium carbonate and sodium nitrate are separately used as the raw material, the flux agent and the oxidant, has the advantage of short and simple technological process, but low grade quality of sodium pyroantimonate and bringing about serious environmental pollution are the disadvantages and this method has been substituted by other methods. Sodium pyroantimonate can be directly prepared by the hydrogen peroxide oxidation method with the advantages of simple technological process, high grade quality of the product and little environmental pollution. High grade quality of sodium pyroantimonate can be also synthesized by the potash salt method, in which industrial antimony white, the hydrogen peroxide, potassium hydroxide and sodium hydroxide are applied as the starting material. The disadvantages of these two preparation methods are high production cost and high requirements on the raw materials. The chlorination method with the crude antimony oxide, hydrochloric acid and chlorine as the raw material has the advantages of low production cost and high grade quality of the product. However complex process, high requirement of anti-corrosion for the equipments and producing plenty of waste water limit its application. The air-oxidation method with stibnite/jamesonite concentrate, sodium sulfide, and sodium hydroxide as the raw material and atmosphere as the oxidant is a newly developed method and its advantages are low production cost and the complex raw material can be treated by this method and its disadvantage is that the quality of sodium pyroantimonate is lower than that prepared by the oxidation method of hydrogen peroxide and the potash salt method.

Jan 1, 2006

By Hong Yong Sohn

On the occasion of this symposium in my name, I reflect upon the contributions of my academic mentors and early associates who helped shape my professional career. I was fortunate to have these people around me during my graduate work and at the start of my professional career. In forming my view of the technical field and career, they represented academia, research institutions, industry, and different parts of the world.

Jan 1, 2006

By Susumu Okabe

The Mitsubishi Continuous Copper Smelting/Converting Process employs an electric furnace for settling the slag/matte mixture formed in the smelting furnace. In order to improve the separation of slag and matte and to minimize power consumption, the design and the operating conditions of the electric furnace should be optimized. As the first step, numerical heat and fluid flow analysis of the melts was carried out based on the distribution of current density and Joule?'s heat obtained by the electric field calculation. For these calculations, 3-D body fitted coordinate system and a finite volume method were applied. Using the developed numerical model, the flow pattern analysis by pulse input of a tracer element was simulated. It was found that a strong thermal convection of the molten slag exists around the electrodes due to the concentrated Joule's heat generation in a small area just under the electrodes, and this strongly affects the flow pattern in the furnace. The calculation results were compared with the data obtained from 'a plant test.

Jan 1, 1998

By Hong Yong Sohn

On the occasion of this symposium in my name, I reflect upon the contributions of my academic mentors and early associates who helped shape my professional career. I was fortunate to have these people around me during my graduate work and at the start of my professional career. In forming my view of the technical field and career, they represented academia, research institutions, industry, and different parts of the world.

Jan 1, 2006

By Alexandr I. Volkhin

It is practically useful to separate copper from nickel at the fire refining stage of blister copper by transferring nickel in electrochemical inert silicides which are being concentrated further into the tank-house slimes. The treatment of copper melt by silicon-containing reagents is resulted in lowering the interfacial tension of the melt, its deoxidizing, selective siliconizing of in-melt nickel and forming a by-product with fluxing properties. Si-containing reagents have positive influence on results of fire and electrolytic refining, and further pulverizing of copper in plant conditions.

Jan 1, 2006

By Ian Masters, Saul B. Davies, David T. Gethin

The purpose of this model is to simulate and analyze the energy flows within a rotary aluminum recycling furnace, using the global properties of its main components, the gas, metal and refractory walls. The model will simulate a series of operations such as loading, heating and stirring which will constitute the processing of a batch. Each main component of the furnace is treated as a one-dimensional heat transfer medium, the thickness and area of each medium being calculated from the actual geometry of the furnace. The physical properties are taken as the weighted average of those for the various layers forming the medium. Incorporated into the model are elements describing the radiative exchange within the furnace, melting of the charge, and forced convection in the melt due to the rotation of the furnace. This approach has produced a model with a reasonable computing time that can be used to run a whole series of simulations for the prediction and comparison of the furnace performance under different operating conditions.

Jan 1, 2000

By D. J. Burkhardt

Newer copper SX/EW facilities often incorporate hot water heating for the cell feed electrolyte to obtain the necessary plating temperatures of 40 to 50°C. Heating is most necessary in oxide heap leaching, however it may also be required in bioleaching of secondary sulphides in colder climates or higher altitudes where most of the heat gain in the heap is lost to the environment. Given that the solution flows in the leach, organic circuit and electrolyte circuit are circular in nature, and the fact that the hot lean electrolyte is often exchanged with cooler rich electrolyte, it can be difficult to access the heating requirement for the cell feed. There are energy losses in piping, tankage, raffinate, and energy gains through the PLS and electrowinning process itself; some of these are significant and others are not. This paper discusses the overall heat balance, the relative significance of the various energy gains and losses, and describes a methodology to develop a heat balance to assist the engineer in sizing the heating equipment.

Jan 1, 2003