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By P. G. McCormick

The refining of rare earth metals by the direct solid state reduction of their respective chlorides during mechanical alloying has been studied. Erbium and gadolinium were synthesised by milling their respective chlorides with calcium. The mechanical alloying of SmC13 with calcium resulted in partial reduction of SmC12. Examination of the milled powders using X- ray diffraction and analytical electron microscopy has enabled characterisation of product structure and morphology. The synthesis of Fe17Nd2 by the mechanical alloying of NdC13 and Fe with calcium has also been studied. The Fe17Nd2 phase forms during heat treatment of the mechanically alloyed powder.

Jan 1, 1992

By Sungdon Kim, Chuljoo Kim, Joonsoo Kim, Hosung Yoon

"This study was performed to establish the optimum leaching condition through the experiments for the oxidized roasting followed by leaching of fluorocarbonate rare earth mineral (bastnasite) using sulfuric acid, and to establish the optimum condition for the recovery of cerium by ion- sieve method from the leached solution of bastnasite. The optimum conditions for the sulfuric acid leaching by the oxidizing roasting of bastnasite concentrates are that the roasting temperature is 550 -600 °C, the roasting time is 2 hrs, the concentration of sulfuric acid is 6N, the leaching temperature is S0°C and the leaching time is 3 hrs. At this time, the leaching yield of total rare earth oxides in the leaching of bastnasite concentrates is about 91%. When cerium is recovered by ion-sieve method from the solution obtained by the sulfuric acid leaching of the roasted bastnasite, the optimum conditions are that the TREO(total rare earth oxide) of leached solution is below 70 g/l, the flow rate of leached solution is 9.6 ml/min and the ratio of height to diameter of resin packed in column is above 9. In these conditions, the recovery of cerium of yield 85% and purity 96% is possible.IntroductionThe rare earths are generally called to Lanthanides, which are totally 17 elements including Scandium of atomic number 21 and Yttrium of atomic number 39 in addition to 1 S elements from Lanthanum of atomic number 57 to Lutetium of atomic number 71. Since the separation to each element is very difficult because of their similar chemical properties, the rare earths were used as the mixed rare earths and the mischmetal without separating to each element. However, the high purity rare earths are recently produced commercially to each element so that they are used as the materials for high tech. industry such as electric and electronic materials, catalysts, optical materials, special alloy and 8Uperconductive materials, and their consumption is rapidly increasing. Therefore, the purpose of this study is firstly to prepare leached solution by using the series of process of the oxidation-roasting and leaching by sulfuric acid. Next, second purpose is the separation and recovery of cerium by ion-sieve method."

Jan 1, 1998

By Jan Yaozhong

The composition and the possible utilization of Ti bearing blast furnace from a titanomagnetite blast furnace smelter were studied. The slag contained about 20% Ti02 and trace Sc. The mineralogical analysis indicated that Ti in the slag is mainly as perovskite. By means of magnetite separation, the Ti containing phase could not be enriched. An effective hydrometallurgical approach was proposed with sulphuric acid leaching. The method proposed for processing the studied slag renders product Ti02 and SC203. Besides the recovery ofTiO2 and SC2O3' the leaching process yields fine grained residues which can used as additives for making cement.

Jan 1, 1996

By S. Goto, S. Yamashita, K. Hata

"The average consumption of zinc dust for purification of zinc leaching solution is more than 25 kg per tonne of electrolytic zinc. Authors proposed to remove impurities in zinc leaching solution by electrolysis instead of cementation by zinc dust. The effects of copper and arsenic on electrodeposition of cobalt in zinc sulfate solution were examined fundamentally using a potentiostat. It is observed that cobalt is easily deposited on a cathode at potentials under -480mV with arsenic. Mesh cathodes of stainless steel and lead anodes were used in a small electrolytic cell and the electrolyte was circulated through 'the electrodes during the electrolysis. The effect of electrolyte circulating rate , pH, cell temperature, current density, and concentration of copper and arsenious ions on removal of cobalt were studied. Removal of Cd and Ni are also examined.IntroductionCobalt is difficult to remove from a zinc leaching solution by a simple cementation reaction using zinc dust. However, it is easily precipitated by zinc dust with co-addition of arsenious or stibinous oxide and copper ion in practical operations(I), (2), (3). The consumption of zinc dust for purification is 16-152 kg per tonne of electrolytic zinc and 65% of this zinc dust consumption is used for cobalt purification. The average retention time for purification of cobalt is 4.5 hours (1). A more economical process for purification is desired instead of zinc dust. The mechanism of this acceleration effect of copper and arsenious oxide on removal of cobalt are explained by the authorsas follows; a galvanic cell is formed between zinc dust and copper which is precipitated firstly, and cobalt is reduced on copper as Co-As alloy by this galvanic current(2). This assumption was confirmed in experiments using a galvanic cell with a membrane( 4). The following galvanic reactions occur between zinc dust and copper precipitate; on copper cathode,2H+ + 2e -= Hz(g)2Coz+ + 2HAs02 + 6H ++ 10e -= 2CoAs + 4HzOand on zinc anode,Zn = Zn = 2+ 2e –This galvanic current becomes almost zero in a zinc sulfate solution which includes only cobalt and no arsenious oxide, and cobalt is weakly deposited on a copper cathode. Cobalt deposition requiers a high degree of cathodic polarization. However, the galvanic current flows almost constantly in an electrolyte, which includes arsenious oxide, and the cathode potential is kept at about -500mV. Cobalt is precipitated as Co-As on the cathode.The authors assumed that cobalt may be removed by electrolysis at a very low current density instead of zinc dust and the following experiments were carried out. In the first part of this paper, the fundamental experiments using a potentiostat on the behaviour of cobalt in zinc sulfate solution are described. In the second part, the results of the electrolysis are reported. Cobalt is removed by a new type of an electrolytic cell, which was desigoed to <Iccelerate the rate of deposition of cobalt. The removal of cadmium and nickel in a solution which includes cobalt and arsenic are also examined."

Jan 1, 1997

By Nobuyuki Higashiyama, Ikuo Yonezu

"Hydrogen-absorbing alloys containing rare-earth elements are used in high capacity nickel-metal hydride secondary batteries,' hydrogen storage systems for portable fuel cells, and refrigeration systems. New hydrogen-absorbing alloys containing rare-earth elements have also been developed and introduced into these applications. High performance in nickel-metal hydride secondary batteries is strongly demanded because of the remarkable advancements in portable electric appliances. A large hydrogen absorption capacity, high electrochemical reactivity and superior corrosion resistance in an alkaline solution are required for hydrogen-absorbing alloys used in nickel-metal hydride batteries. The aim of this investigation is to improve the performance of conventional LaNi5 type hydrogen-absorbing alloys. For example, Mm(Ni-Co-Al-Mn)„ type hydrogen-absorbing alloys with various non-stoichiometric compositions were developed. In addition, a new process of rapid quenching process was applied for preparing these hydrogen-absorbing alloys in order to improve their performance.IntroductionRecently, the trend in electronic appliances toward portability has increased the demand for high capacity of secondary batteries as power sources. Since nickel-metal hydride batteries were first commercialized in 1990 in Japan, they have become increasingly popular as power sources for cellular phones, portable computers, electric shavers, and other, products.The performance of a nickel-metal hydride battery, such as its discharge capacity, high rate capability, and charge-discharge cycle life, strongly depends on the characteristics of the hydrogen-absorbing alloy negative electrode. Many types of hydrogen-absorbing alloys have been developed so far. For a hydrogen absorbing alloy to be used as the negative electrode material, (1) it must allow a large amount of hydrogen to be absorbed and desorbed in an alkaline solution, (2) its reaction rate should be high, and. (3) it must have long term durability under repeated charge-discharge cycling. However, LaNi5, a typical rare earth-nickel type alloy, shows significant capacity deterioration during repeated charge-discharge cycling. Therefore the first step in its development was to obtain sufficient corrosion resistance of the LaNi5 alloy for its use as an electrode material. A partial replacement of nickel with cobalt and a substitution of the lanthanum- content with misch metal (Mm), a mixture of rare earth elements such as lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium and neodymium, were very useful in improving the charge-discharge cycle life. However, the discharge capacity of the alloy was still not sufficient for a practical battery. A study of the effect of the partial substitution of aluminum and manganese showed that the best alloy composition was Mm(Ni-Co-Al-Mn)x, as follows.The stoichiometry x of Mm(Ni-Co-Al-Mn)x largely affects the discharge capacity and cycle life. Theose alloys with non-stoichiometric alloys with the compositions of [Mm(Ni-Co-AMn)x: 4.7<x<4.8] have a large capacity and a long cycle life. Nogami' et al. reported that 'a non-stoichiometric alloy with a Mm(Ni-Co-Al-Mn)x (x=4.76) composition showed approximately 10% higher discharge capacity than the stoichiometric alloy (x=5) [1] and greater influence of x on the electrochemical properties of multi-component AB„ type hydrogen-absorbing alloys for batteries."

Jan 1, 2000

By Junzo Hino

Most of the waste that contains a small portion of copper is landfilled. The recycling process of copper from the waste, such as shredder residue, should be developed in order to save mineral resources and prevent environmental pollution. Shredder residue, generated from disposed automobiles and electric appliances, consists of many types of plastics, glasses and metals. The combustion heat of plastics is efficiently used for smelting in the recycling process that consists of melting and reduction. Because the waste contains numerous components the knowledge of the distribution behaviors of the main components is necessary to develop the recycling process. The distribution behaviors in the recycling process are evaluated by using the thermodynamic calculation program, HSC Chemistry. The calculation results are compared with the practical operation data of the recycling process and discussed.

Jan 1, 2003

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

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

Jan 1, 2011

By B. R. Adams

This paper discusses the use of a reacting CFD model to determine chalcopyrite kinetics in a drop tube furnace and to predict the reaction of a chalcopyrite concentrate in the reaction shaft of an industrial smelter. Reacting CFD codes can be applied to determine the consequences of the interaction of gas with particles and therefore improve the ability to derive kinetic parameters that take into account the temperature and oxidation histories that different particles will see. This paper describes the application of such a model to derive improved kinetic parameters for the pyrolysis and oxidation of chalcopyrite. The reaction shaft model includes the effects of turbulent fluid mechanics, entrained flow mixing, turbulent particle dispersion, heterogeneous particle reactions, radiative and convective heat transfer, and&apos; surface and bath deposition rates. Particle reaction and composition characteristics are predicted as a function of particle trajectory and deposition and are used to aid in evaluating shaft performance.

Jan 1, 1999

By Kalyani Das Sarkar

"Steel Authority of India Limited, a Public Sector Undertaking with a production capacity of 14 million tones of crude steel, is India's largest steel maker and ranks among the leading steel producers in the world. SAIL owns and operates eight manufacturing plant – five integrated steel plants at Bhilai, Durgapur, Rourkela, Bokaro and Burnpur producing carbon steel, and three speciality steel plants. All integrated steel plants have hospitals of 650 – 750 bed capacity with modern facilities to serve it's employees and adjoining localities in a clean and sustainable environment.According to the Bio-Medical Waste(Management and Handling) Rules, 1998 and as amended to date, all Bio-Medical waste which is generated during the diagnosis, treatment or immunization of human beings or in research activities pertaining thereto or in the production or testing of biologicals are to be categorized and taken to any facility wherein treatment, disposal of this waste or processes incidental to such treatment or disposal is carried out.The hospital management has created adequate treatment facility for Sharp and Infectious Waste, Pathological Waste and Anatomical Waste through Autoclave, Shredding Machine and developing deep burial pits. Some of these hospitals is ISO 9000-14000 certified. Use of above said treatment facilities in these hospitals are discussed in this paper.INTRODUCTIONBio-Medical waste means any waste, which is generated during diagnosis, treatment or immunization of human beings or animals or in research activities pertaining to these or in the production or testing of biologicals.Steel Authority of India Limited, a Public Sector Undertaking with a production capacity of 14 million tones of crude steel, is India's largest steel maker and ranks among the leading steel producers in the world. SAIL owns and operates eight manufacturing plant – five integrated steel plants at Bhilai, Durgapur, Rourkela, Bokaro and Burnpur producing carbon steel, and three speciality steel plants. All integrated steel plants have hospitals of 650 – 750 bed capacity with modern facilities to serve it's employees and adjoining localities in a clean and sustainable environment."

Jan 1, 2008

By Sne?ana Devi

Mineralogy is a significant scientific discipline, essential in establishing the nature and the character of raw materials, regardless of whether they are monomineral or polymineral. Mineralogical characterization is very important, because its results give valuable information on features and nature of examined materials. Information&apos;s on mineralogical nature of mineral raw materials influence directly the quality assessment of a raw material, and thus the possibility of its use. The possibility of use of mineralogy in different industrial branches confirms constant activity of this scientific discipline. By use of methods within mineralogical analysis (optical microscopy, x-ray diffraction and others) data on mineral raw materials can be obtained as support in mineral raw materials quality assessment. Short description of results of mineralogical analysis of some mineral materials (granodiorite, dolomites, clay, refractory materials, slags and casting powders) in this paper shows the importance of its support to quality assessment and determine the possibilities of their use.

Jan 1, 2009

By Cesar Garban

The samples of the washings are characterized of the ore for physical, chemical and metalurgical properties for representivity. the optimum values are determined for the recuperation of gold of the washings of the gold ore from the zone El Callao, Venezuela by acidic solutions of thiourea of the following parameters: Ph , contact time, composition of the liquid mixture, ratio of solid to liquid, grade of liberation, in an apparatus designed for contacting solid powder of the mineral with liquid solution of thiourea mantained in suspension by bubles of compressed air. The experimental results showed that the velocity of lixivation in primier time of (20) minutes is rapid and practically 2/3 part of the reaction is completed. For experimental design of parameters, the optimum conditions of recuperation of gold determind in this experimental investigation are:

Jan 1, 1999

By N. Ono, H. Fujiwara, S. Otsuka-Yao-Matsuo, T. Omata

"The electrical conductivity and the oxygen release and uptake of sintered indium tin oxide (ITO) upon heating and cooling under the condition that P(O2)/P*=4.9X10-4 (P* = atmospheric pressure), :when P(O2) was approximately 50Pa, were simultaneously measured by using a closed-system oxygen-gas analyzer. A large increasing in -the electrical conductivity - upon the· oxygen release detected in 1130<T<1273K was observed. Quantitative relationship between the number of oxygen atom released from ITO and the conduction electron density in ITO was studied. The release of one oxygen atom agreed with the generation of two conduction electrons, i.e., the efficiency-carrier-generation for the oxygen release from the ITO was almost one. The oxygen atom released must be originally at the quasi-anion site in the C-type rare-earth lattice, i.e., the 16c site in the space group of Ia3, as an interstitial excess oxygen, Oi"". It was concluded that the mechanism of conduction carrier generation and compensation upon SnO2 doping into In2O3 can be expressed by the defect equation, 2SnO2-2Sn1n +2(1-z)e'+zOi""+3O0 x+(l-z)/2O2, and that the oxygen release bringing the increase in the electrical · conductivity can be expressed by the equation, Oi""-1/2O2+2e'.IntroductionThin films of SnO2-doped In2O 3 (generally designated as ITO, for indium tin oxide), which have high optical transparency for visible light and high electrical conductivity, have been used as transparent electrodes for liquid crystal and electrochromic displays. It is well known that the electrical conductivity of ITO depends on the content of SnOi-dopant and oxygen. However, a reliable relationship between electrical conductivity and the absolute oxygen content in ITO has yet to be reported. The elucidation of such a relationship is one of the important clues for realizing extremely highly conductive ITO electrodes."

Jan 1, 2000

By Mei Yang, Wei Gao, Jian Yang, Qingcai Liu, Wenchang Xi

"TiO2 has been loaded on cordierite porous ceramic to prepare the SCR catalyst carrier by using both APCVD and sol-gel technology. In APCVD method, TiC14 and O 2 were used as reaction precursor. TiC14 was gasified by using N2 as carrier gas which was controlled to 500sccm. Its reaction temperature and reaction time were limited to 773K and 30min respectively. The physical properties, SEM and SEM-EDX of the TiO2-cordierite carrier and the properties of SCR catalysts prepared by these carriers have been tested. The tests showed that TiO2 loaded by APCVD method were of graininess shape and even accumulation. The loading rate of TiO2 and the specific area of carrier sample were increased 114% and 21 % respectively comparing with sol-gel technology. In the result of sol-gel method, the maximal difference of Ti content was 66.92%, while the result of APCVD method was 18.89%. It demonstrated that TiO2 was uniformly attached with the cordierite ceramic by using APCVD method, which would ensure more active ingredients well loaded on the Ti02-cordierite carrier. This difference made the denitrification ratio of catalyst prepared by APCVD method was 8.1 % higher than that of catalyst prepared by sol-gel method.IntroductionIn recent years, the emission of NOx, which were caused by coal-fired power plants, has gotten more and more attention. SCR (selective catalytic reduction) is the most effective technology to DeNOx [ll. The core technology of it is the catalyst. The SCR catalyst usually uses Ti02 as the carrier, and V2O 5 as the active component [2, 3] . However, the thermal stability and mechanical properties of TiO2 carrier are unstable, which would influence the performances of the catalyst. The commercial catalyst generally uses WO3 or MoO3 to promote its heat stability at present [4-7] Besides, TiO2 is expensive. Compared with TiO2, the cordierite is of good thermal stability and lower price. So loading Ti02 on cordierite porous ceramic as carrier to produce SCR catalyst is of good prospects [S, 91 • Currently, TiO2 is usually loaded on cordierite by the sol-gel method. But some research has shown that the sol-gel method easily reduced the loading performances of TiO2, such as distribution, combination, etc. APCVD (atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition) has many advantages to preparing TiO2 films, such as high bonding strength, fast reaction rate and so on [l0-13l_ In this paper, TiO2 has been loaded on cordierite porous ceramic to prepare the SCR catalyst carrier by using both APCVD and sol-gel methods. The properties of the carriers prepared by the two processes have also been compared."

Jan 1, 2011

By Jae-Chun Lee, Jinki Jeong, Manis Kumar Jha, Divika Gupta, Pankaj Kumar Choubey

Rare metal indium (In) is mostly used as electroluminescent material in liquid crystal displays (LCD) monitors. Present paper describes leaching studies for the recovery of In from waste LCD monitors in presence of different other impurities. The leaching studies showed that more than 85% of In was leached out using 20% sulfuric acid at 60oC in mixing time 30 min at fixed pulp density 25 g/L. The solution could be purified using SX/IX and from the pure solution metal/ salt could be produced by evaporation, precipitation, electrolysis, crystallization processes.

Jan 1, 2014

By Chen Wen, Li Zhao-jia, Zhao Qiang, Ning Shun-ming, Tang Sanchuan, Wang Hong-qiang

"The carbon-burdened and cold-bonded pelletizing-electrosmelting process is used to dispose low-grade manganese, and the qualified rich-manganese slag is obtained. On the condition that reduction roasting temperature was 1000?, reduction time was 45min, particle-size was -1mm, reductant dosage was 1.6%, basicity was 0.3, smelting temperature was 1410?, smelting time was 60min, it had a good effect on the melting between slag and metallographic phase, the manganese content was 32.58%, manganese recovery was 92.16% in the slag; while the iron content was 94.40%, iron recovery was 95.32% in the metallographic phase. It was proved by the demonstration tests.IntroductionManganese is an important raw material for steelmaking, which is extensively utilized in modern industry, the consumption of manganese for iron and steel industry accounts for 90% to 95%. After mining over 30 years, the high-grade manganese resources drop markedly, especially with the hypergrowth of steel industry, the domestic manganese is far from the requirement, as a result, we have to buy significant quantities of manganese overseas. Besides, the property of imported manganese is more and more complex, and the high-grade and lump manganese decrease year by year, while the fines and high-crystal water manganese are on the increase. Therefore, how to make effective use of domestic low-grade manganese and intensify the manganese’s smelting is an effective approach to reduce the cost of manganese series ferroalloy and improves market competitiveness[1-4]. It has important practical meaning."

Jan 1, 2012

By Ragnhild E. Aune, Shahid Akhtar, Reza Beheshti

"The potential use of Black Dross (BD) as a raw material for the production of refractories, fluxing agents and glasses is the main motivation of the present study. Heat treatment experiments were carried out in Ar, and under reduced pressure (20 Pa), to evaluate the salt removal efficiency. The chemical composition of the BD after heat treatment was investigated by SEM-EDS and XRD analyses. Based on the present results, it is established that the salt starts to evaporate at ˜1273 K in Ar, and under reduced pressure. The salt removal efficiency in a 20 g sample was found to increase in both cases as a function of time and temperature. Moreover, in Ar the chlorine concentration was lowered to 0.3 wt% after heat treatment at 1523 K for 10 hours. Under reduced pressure, however, 0.2 wt% residual chlorine was obtained after 8 hours at 1473 K.IntroductionIt is believed that aluminum recycling in the near future will become the main route of aluminum production [1]. Black dross (BD) that is produced during this process contains, among other things, high amount of salts like NaCl and KCl [2, 3]. Almost 800,000 tons of BD is annually land filled in United States and this number continues to grow with the increase in aluminum recycling [2]. The BD should be dumped in controlled land field and it is costly procedure [4, 5].The water-soluble compounds in BD react with water or environmental humidity and release chlorides into the water and/or generate toxic gases such as H2, CH4, NH3 and H2 S [6-8]. In the Europe, BD is considered as toxic waste and its disposal as landfill is forbidden [8, 9]. After salt removal, the BD is considered to be non-hazardous and can be buried under ground [10].On the other hand, BD do also contains many relatively valuable compounds that may be changed in to useful materials as a result of further treatment [11, 12]"

Jan 1, 2012

By Jin-tao Gao

In order to recover Ti resource from titanium bearing blast furnace slag, a new technology to separate perovskite phase from CaO-TiO2-SiO2-Al2O3-MgO system by supergravity is researched. In the condition of gravity coefficient of 750g, treatment temperature of 1305°C and time of 20min, the significant layers appear in samples which are obtained by means of centrifugal treatment. Along the direction of the supergravity, the volume fraction of perovskite phase increases gradually, and the equivalent diameters of perovskite phase crystals increases with the area approaching to the bottom of the sample. It is indicated that TiO2 is enriched in the bottom of sample as concentrate with a recovery ratio of 74.05% by supergravity treatment.

Jan 1, 2014

By Suzzann Nordwick

The metallurgical treatment of mercury-containing materials for precious or base metals recovery imposes many processing and environmental challenges. Mercury is usually present as elemental or cinnabar. Historically, mercury has been removed from mined ores pyrometallurgically by roasting, but hydrometallurgical methods have also been employed. For example, alkaline sodium sulfide solution acts as an universal solvent for most mercury compounds. While, most other metals are highly insoluble in this solution. This allows for a high degree of selective separation of mercury from other metals with the exception of tin, antimony and arsenic. Mercury leached with a solution of sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide or sulfur can be re-covered by cementation or stabilized through sulfide precipitation. Hydrometallurgical technology for the pretreatment of mercury removal from gold, silver, and base metal ores using alkaline sulfide leaching will be discussed with a focus on alkaline sulfide leaching of mercury sulfide-containing materials.

Jan 1, 2003

By Baokuan Li, Fang Wang

"Comparing with the single electrode in electroslag remelting processes, two series-connected electrodes have the advantage of little inductance, lower power consumption and higher melting rate, which was widely used to produce superalloys and specialty steels. Detailed understanding of the electromagnetic field distribution is essential for both improving ingot quality and saving electric energy. In the present work, a 3D finite element model was developed for the magnetic field, electromagnetic force, current density and Joule heating field of electro slag remelting processes (electrode, slag and ingot) with two series-connected electrodes using Maxwell equation, Lorentz law and Joule law. The results show that the maximum current distribute occur at the middle of electrode, due to the interaction of selfinduced and mutual-induced of two series-connected electrode; associated magnetic flux density on the inner side of electrode increase and the outer decrease; The maximum joule heating is at the interface of slag and electrode. The parameter study shows that if the current frequency is greater than 35Hz, the current density in inner electrode tend to linear distribution; with the increasing of original current, The maximum current density near the wall in electrode will increase linearly; with the increasing of electrode innnersion depth and decrease of slag cap thickness and the maximum of the joule heat in slag will increase.IntroductionElectroslag remelting processes(ESR) are widely used to produce superalloys and specialty steels [l-3l_Two pair, four pair or six pair electrodes in electroslag remelting processes is common in casting large scale ingot, which has the advantage of little inductance, lower power consumption and higher melting rate, comparing to singe electrode. They have the same essence with two electrodes in ESR.Compared to the single electrode ofESR, the other electrode is added which can decrease the reactive resistance and power consumption in the two electrodes of ESR. It is a complicated metallurgy process with a series physical and chemistry phenomenon from the molten of steel to the solidification of ingot [4-71_ These physical and chemistry phenomenon originated the effect of alternating current of high intensity. The rule of the alternating current of high intensity which revealed the law of physical and chemistry phenomenon in ESR is the precondition of improving ingot quality and saving electric energy. Jihe Wei and Yongli Ren[S-9lstudied the distribution of electromagnetic field in single electrode ofESR with Maxwell equation and relative electromagnetic theory. It had the limitation that take the electrode and mold as infinite conductivity. A detail analysis of Electromagnetic fields in ESR had been conducted by Patel A D [JO-llJ using general stream-function formulation. It is difficult to extend to three dimensions which could not be used widely. Daniel V [lZJ and Kharicha A [BJ only analysis the current density associated magnetic flux density field and temperature field without the whole irlformation of electromagnetic field. Maopeng Geng [l4J considered the current density and temperature field of the real and fake electrodes in ESR without skin effect. As to the complication of the two electrodes of ESR, it is rarely reported the electromagnetic field and Joule heating field of the two electrodes in ESR. The rule of effect of electromagnetic and modification of numerical simulation should be studied in depth."

Jan 1, 2011

By C. Carreno, A. D. Gonzalez Escarcega, M. A. Neri, A. Martinez –Villafane, O. Cobarrubias-Alvarado

"Waspaloy is a superalloy used to manufacture some aeronautical parts subjected to high temperatures and stresses. During thermo-mechanical processing cracks are generated, causing some parts to be rejected. In order to determine the causes of these cracks, this alloy was characterized using techniques such as chemical analysis, optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and EDX analysis. Heterogeneous grain sizes in the microstructure cause a non-uniform strain distribution in these parts, creating cracks in zones with different grain sizes.IntroductionNickel-base superalloys are important materials for high-temperature service applications. The manufacture of components from these materials is typically based on solidification or powder-metallurgy processes [1]. Solidification techniques comprise either the direct casting of parts or the casting of ingots which subsequently undergo a series of thermo-mechanical-processing steps to refine the microstructure. During solidification, microsegregation is usually unavoidable. The primary solidification product is a disordered nickel solid solution with an fee crystal structure (?). In many alloys, the material which solidifies last is a mixture of ã and an ordered fee phase (? '). In prototypical nickel-base superalloys, the ?'-phase is Ni3(Al,Ti) [2-3].Waspaloy is a superalloy that is used in demanding high-temperature environments in which good creep and fatigue resistance are required. One of the most common applications of Waspaloy is for turbine engine rings. To ensure the required mechanical properties, the rings are usually forged and heat treated (Figure 1). Two distinct types of microstructures are usually found to be attractive for such applications: a) A microstructure with a grain size of ASTM 10 to 14 for tensile strength, ductility, and resistance to crack nucleation in low-cycle fatigue; or b) A microstructure with a grain size of ASTM 4 to 8 required for creep strength and resistance to crack propagation [4]. Because it is impossible to refine the grain size through heat treatment, a skillfully designed forging process is crucial for the control of the grain size and, hence the properties of the forged ring [5-6]."

Jan 1, 2012