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By Teuku A. R. Putra, Patrick R. Taylor

Various pyrometallurgical methods for treating copper concentrates that contain appreciable arsenic are reviewed. Various aspects of the engineering of these treatment methods are discussed. The methods discussed include: complete oxidation with arsenic fixation; selective volatilization of arsenic; acid baking, soda ash roasting, and others methods. Methods for the ultimate disposal, or marketing, of the arsenic are discussed.

Jan 1, 2014

By Chaoying Ni, Dimitry Sediako, Prashant Karandikar, Sean Fudger

Neutron diffraction measurements were performed on steel encapsulated metal matrix composites (MMCs) in order to quantify bulk residual stresses. A coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) mismatch induced residual compressive stress method is utilized as a means of improving the ductility of the MMCs and overall efficiency of several macro hybridized materials systems. Systems consisting of an A36, 304 stainless steel, or Nitronic® 50 stainless steel shell filled with an Al-SiC or Al-Al2O3 metal matrix composite are evaluated in this work. Upon cooling from processing temperatures residual strains are generated due to a CTE mismatch between each of the phases: steel, aluminum, and reinforcement. The analysis shows variation in the measured strain and stress results due to outer steel thickness, difference in CTE between materials, and relative position within the composite.

Mar 1, 2017

By Ozgul Keles, Dila Sivlin

Lithium ion batteries are potential energy source of next generation electric vehicles (EVs). However, some problems such as safety, durability, low capacity, cycle life etc. restrict their use in EVs. These problems mostly related with cathode materials, an improvement in cathode materials may cause significant changes in battery performance. In this work, to overcome cycle life problem Al2O3 coating on LiNi0.5Mn0.3Co0.2O2 cathode material produced by sol-gel method. The surface modification of LiNi0.5Mn0.3Co0,2O2 was started by adding LiNi0.5Mn0.3Co0.2O2 powders into alumina sol. Then, sonication was started and two different sonication powers were tested (45, 100%). After the second gel is obtained, last heat treatment for Al2O3 crystallization was done at 600 °C for 4 h. X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements showed that the material had a well-ordered layered structure and Al was not in the LiNi0.5Mn0.3Co0.2O2. Al2O3 coated materials show better cycling performance compared to the pristine material. It is believed that, this improvement is caused by the fact that Al2O3 layer prevents direct contact between active material and electrolyte and reducing decomposition reactions.

Mar 1, 2018

By H. H. Kellogg

The Process Fuel Equivalent (PFE) for nine different flowsheets for production of anode copper from sulfide concentrates has been evaluated and compared for a set of uniform conditions and a "standard" concentrate analysis. The processes considered are: reverberatory smelting, (wet-charge and hot-calcine charge), electric furnace smelting, Outokumpu flash smelting (2 versions), mom flash smelting, Noranda Continuous Process (2 versions), and the Mitsubishi Continuous Process. The energy required for the numerous processes auxiliary to the principal smelting processes-¬roasting, drying, air compression, gas handling, dust collection, slag cleaning, acid manufacture, etc.--are separately evaluated and incor¬porated into the process comparisons. The factors in process design that lead to important energy savings are: use of fuel rather than electric energy; use of oil or coal rather than natural gas; maximum use of oxygen enrichment of the process air; drying of charge before smelting, or, even better, drying and preheating of charge by partial roasting in a fluid-bed; recovery of waste heat from all major hot process gases.

Jan 1, 1976

By Hui-gang Wang, Mei Zhang, Min Guo

Metal-doped Ni–Zn ferrite with spinel structure was directly synthesized from treated zinc-containing electric arc furnace dust (Zn-containing EAFD) by solid state reaction method, realizing the transformation of Zn-containing EAFD from solid waste to high value-added material. A certain mass of NiCl26H2O was added to the treated Zn-containing EAFD before calcination. Then the effects of the mass ratio of treated Zn-containing EAFD to NiCl26H2O (RTZE/N, g g−1) and calcination temperature on the synthesis and magnetic properties of as-synthesized samples were systematically investigated by X-ray Diffraction, Raman Spectroscopy and Physical Property Measurement System. It is indicated that RTZE/N and calcination temperature had important influences on the synthesis of single-phase spinel ferrite and their magnetic properties. Pure metal-doped Ni–Zn ferrite, which exhibited good magnetic properties of higher saturation magnetization (Ms, 60.5 emu g−1) and lower coercivity (Hc, 49.8 Oe), was obtained when the calcination temperature was controlled at 1100 °C for 2 h with RTZE/N of 1:0.9.

Mar 1, 2017

A novel, low-pressure adaptation of Praxair?s coherent jet technology utilizing CoJet lances was developed for application at Inco&apos;s Copper Cliff Smelter where oxygen is available in large tonnage quantities but only at relatively low supply pressures (< 193 kPa header pressure). The project objectives were to evaluate the effect of coherent jet technology on controlling oxygen lance accretion (?horn?) formation and to increase oxygen efficiency in the Inco Oxygen Top-Blowing Nitrogen Bottom Stirring (TBBS) MK Reactor used for converting nickel- contaminated chalcocite to semi-blister copper. This paper describes the development and subsequent implementation and testing of two CoJet lances in this application.

Jan 1, 2005

By Jorge Gibson, P. Chris Pistorius, Megha Jampani

"The main reason for the significant carbon intensity of integrated steelmaking (approximately 1.8 tons of CO2 per ton of steel) is the use of carbon-based reductants in blast furnace ironmaking. Several changes to blast furnace ironmaking have been proposed as ways to reduce carbon intensity and cost. A conceptually simple two-zone blast furnace mass and energy balance can be used to quantify the expected impact of such process changes on coke rate, carbon intensity, and productivity. Examples to be discussed include top gas recycling, combining lower blast temperatures with increased coal injection to produce a rich top gas, using prereduced feed, and tuyère injection of natural gas. The use of the operating window – which illustrates how allowable flame temperatures and top-gas temperatures constrain feasible oxygen enrichment levels – is illustrated. Increased use of natural gas would lower the carbon intensity of blast furnace ironmaking.IntroductionBecause of the significant carbon intensity of steelmaking (approximately 1.8 tons of CO2 emitted per ton of steel produced) and the high production rate of steel (more than 1.4 billion tonnes per annum), steelmaking is responsible for a large percentage, approximately 6.7%, of world anthropogenic CO2 emissions [1]. By far the largest input of the carbon into conventional steelmaking is as coke, which is essential to blast furnace ironmaking. A typical fuel rate for blast furnace ironmaking is 450 kg of fuel per tonne of hot metal (THM). (""Fuel"" includes coke and injectants which partially replace coke; pulverized coal and natural gas are typical injectants.) Assuming the fuels to contain 90% carbon on average, and since nearly all of this carbon exits the steel plant as CO2, a fuel rate of 450 kg is equivalent to a CO2 intensity of 1485 kg/THM – by far the largest part of the total CO2 intensity of steelmaking.Blast furnace ironmaking is expected to remain the main source of new iron units; this paper gives some estimates of the extents to which further reductions in carbon intensity from blast furnace ironmaking is possible. A recent European assessment suggested that blast furnace process intensification options such as increased pulverized-coal injection or natural gas injection would yield only modest energy savings [2]. However, if the focus is on CO2 emissions rather than on total energy use, there would be an advantage to using fuels – such as natural gas – which have lower carbon contents relative to energy content."

Jan 1, 2014

By Jiongtian Liu, Guihong Han, Shuzhen Yang, Yanfang Huang

Binder, as a necessary functional material of electrode in lithium ion battery, has a vital influence on the electrochemical performance. The humics, coupled with polyacrylamide (PAM) and sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), were used as a water-soluble binder for LiFePO4 (LFP) cathode using in lithium ion battery. The techniques of cyclic voltammetry (CV) and galvanostatic charge-discharge were conducted to evaluate the performance of humics binder in LFP electrode. The reversible specific capacity of LFP (HA + PAM + CMC) electrode can reach to 142 mAh g−1 after 50th cycling (100 mAh g−1) on conditions of raw materials with 1 wt% PAM addition, humics and CMC with a mass ratio of 3:1 in binder, and the raw materials mixed in an interval order. Humics has the potential to be used as a novel, eco-friendly and high-efficient binder for lithium-ion battery.

Mar 1, 2018

By Fiseha Tesfaye, Pekka Taskinen

"Thermodynamics of the equilibrium phase assemblage Ago_9Cul.lS-Cu2-xS-CuS have been studied by an EMF -method. The ternary phase was synthesized from the pure Cu2S and Ag2S in vacuum furnace at high-temperature and mixed with appropriate compositions of Cu2S and CuS to form the cathode electrode. The EMF-measurements were made on the solid-state galvanic cell Pt(-) I Ag I RbAg,ils I Ago9Cu1.1S-Cu2-xS-CuS I Pt(+), in a temperature range from 316 K to 498K.Based on the measured EMF vs. T relations, thermodynamic functions (?fG° , ?fS and ?fH°) of stromeyerite (Ag0.9Cu1.1S) in equilibrium with Cu2-xS and CuS have been determined. The obtained experimental values have been compared with the available literature values. New experimentally determined thermodynamic properties of the solid solution (Ag,Cu)2Sss were determined.IntroductionDue to intense mining of high grade sulfide ore minerals in the past, recently, the available sulfide ores are poor in metals and becoming increasingly complex; such that, the production of high grade metals by the conventional pyrometallurgical processes is compromised. Consequently, smelters are in need to modify their operating flow sheets and strategies for processing more complex feed materials economically, while meeting the strict environmental regulations. To make the appropriate modifications, accurate thermochemical data of phases and phase assemblages which exist in these complex ore minerals are essential.Silver-bearing sulfosalts are encountered in ore minerals for the production of base metals and are common sources of silver. Among the silver-based sulfosalts, stromeyerite (Ag0_9Cu1.1S) is relatively common ore mineral in most hydrothermal vein and replacement deposits [1]. Recently, the ternary chalcogenide compound Ago0.93Cu1,07S has been studied, intensively, due to its high ionic conductivity and gradual disorder in the sequential phase transitions [2]. Therefore, accurate knowledge of the thermodynamic properties of stromeyerite has considerable fundamental and practical interest in many aspects of extractive, chemical and physical metallurgy."

Jan 1, 2014

By Bora Derin

The partial pressure ratios of sulfur and oxygen for several copper flash smelting plants were derived using the Reddy-Blander (RB) model and predicted dissolved sulfur contents available in the literature. The sulfide capacities (Cs) of six different flash smelting plants (FeO-CuO0.5- CaO-MgO-FeOwAIOl.s?SiO2) slags were calculated. The log (Po2/PS2) versus matte grades of various industrial processes was determined. The PoiPS2 ratio increased with an increase of copper grade. The calculated partial pressure ratios for the copper flash smelting are in good agreement with those of the experimental data.

Jan 1, 2003

By Bora Derin

The partial pressure ratios of sulfur and oxygen for several copper flash smelting plants were derived using the Reddy-Blander (RB) model and predicted dissolved sulfur contents available in the literature. The sulfide capacities (Cs) of six different flash smelting plants (FeO-CuOo.5- CaO-MgO-FeOu-AlO15-SiO2) slags were calculated. The log (PO2/PS2) versus matte grades of various industrial processes was determined. The PO2/PS2 ratio increased with an increase of copper grade. The calculated partial pressure ratios for the copper flash smelting are in good agreement with those of the experimental data.

Jan 1, 2003

By J. R. Kiji

The Cerro Matoso S.A. mine and smelter, in the Cordoba lowlands of northwestern Colombia, consist of a dedicated laterite nickel mine, ore blending, drying and an RKEF process to produce high-quality ferronickel. At a project investment of $400M, first production of ferronickel was in September 1982, and in its inaugural year CMSA produced 6,150 tons of contained Ni from a mined ore grade of 3.2% Ni. Initial operational difficulties resulted in a number of furnace run-outs, which impacted ramp up to design ore throughput of 128 dry t/h Since then CMSA has steadily incorporated process improvements and initiatives to take the single line operation to an ore throughput of 175 dry t/h. A second 175 dry t/h line was added in 2001 (investment of US$ 300M) to consolidate CMSA as one of the world&apos;s lowest cost Ni producers with an installed annual production capacity of 50-55,000 tons Ni. The most recent addition is commissioning of Phase I of an ore-upgrading project to counteract the effect of declining ore grades. Keywords: Laterite, ferronickel, pyrometallurgy, smelter.

Jan 1, 2004

By Joseph Gambogi

In 1998, approximately 57,000 tons of titanium metal was consumed in the form of mill products (1). Only about 5% of the 4 million tons of titanium minerals consumed each year is used to produce titanium metal, with the remainder primarily used to produce titanium dioxide pigment. Titanium metal production is primarily based on the direct chlorination of futile to produce titanium tetrachloride, which is then reduced to metal using the Kroll magnesium reduction process. The use of titanium is tied to its high strength-to-weight ratio and corrosion resistance. Aerospace is the largest application for titanium. In this paper, we discuss all aspects of the titanium industry from ore deposits through extraction to present and future applications. The methods of both primary (mining of ore, extraction, and purification) and secondary (forming and machining) operations will be analyzed. The chemical and physical properties of titanium metal will be briefly examined. Present and future applications for titanium will be discussed. Finally, the economics of titanium metal production also are analyzed as well as the advantages and disadvantages of various alternative extraction methods.

Nov 26, 1999

By Jürgen Antrekowitsch, Thomas Griessacher

"Heavy metal containing residues are typically hazardous wastes because on the one hand, a deposition gets more and more complicated and on the other hand, the large amounts of metals like Zn, Cu, Fe and Pb represent a significant value. Thus, a post-treatment of these materials with the recovery/recycling of the metals and stabilization of the waste is not only ecological but often also economical. The therefore typically applied recycling processes utilize pyrometallurgical steps, where carbon or carbon monoxide from fossil coal and coke is used as a reducing agent, which results in large amounts of CO2 emissions. An alternative option is the application of a hydrogen-rich gas emitted in biomass utilization processes as a carbon-neutral reducing agent. Investigations in a retort process which were done at different temperatures and times showed excellent results concerning the achievable reduction rates and final contents of the heavy metals for various residues.IntroductionNowadays heavy metal containing residues like electric arc furnace dust (EAFD), dust from cupola furnaces, waelz slag, etc. are declared as hazardous wastes in a growing number of countries due to the leachability of the heavy metals in these residues. For that reason it is no longer possible to landfill these materials or use them for road construction or disposal works. Some land filling activities, carried out until now, have only been realizable because of some process modifications or cost intensive post-treatment steps of these residues. But the disposal capacities for such materials are decreasing, therefore increasing the prices. The second point for the growing disposal limitations is the stringent environmental legislations and regulations, which restrict the number and amounts of materials which can be dumped [1 – 5].From the other point of view these heavy metal containing residues usually have high contents of zinc, lead, iron, etc., which represent a significant value and therefore a big potential to recover these metals. This is why in recent years the number of recycling processes and the amount of recycled heavy metal containing residues have continuously increased. These recycling processes have the target to recover the valuable metals from the residual materials in the form of a saleable product as well as the stabilization of the slag produced in these processes [5, 6]."

Jan 1, 2011

By J. R. Goode

There are at least a dozen methods of selectively removing cerium from a mixture of the rare earth elements (REE) including separation techniques based on the oxidation of cerium to the quadrivalent state. Several of the oxidation processes have been operated on a commercial scale, others have been tested and in some cases are part of proposed flowsheets. In this paper, we describe and compare the various methods. We also present preliminary estimates of the costs of early Ce removal and discuss recovery and purity aspects of the options.

By Ramana G. Reddy, M. R. Bogala

Transition metal silicides have good potential for converting waste heat into electrical energy at higher temperatures. Transition metal silicides are used as thermoelectric alloys at higher temperatures because of their low toxicity, high natural abundance, good transport properties, and better thermal stabilities. In this article, thermodynamic, and thermoelectric properties of promising metal silicides are reviewed, calculated, and compared for waste heat recovery application. Higher manganese silicide (Mn4Si7) was produced from easy one-step self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) procedure of arc-melting technique. Characterization of the alloy phases were done using X-ray diffraction (XRD). In this study, lattice constants, Vickers microindentation hardness, and thermoelectric (TE) properties (Seebeck coefficient, electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and figure of merit) of Mn4Si7 alloy were experimentally determined, and compared with the reported literature values.

Mar 1, 2017

By S. N. Sinha

The distribution coefficients of lead and silver between copper and matte phases have been measured at two different temperatures. Experiments covered the ranges of 0.009-1.8, 0.07-0.13, and 0-11 wt pct lead, silver, and iron in matte, respectively. The distribution coefficients of lead have been measured at 1405 and 1505 K and correlated with lead and iron concentrations in metallic copper and matte. The values of the distribution coef¬ficient of lead between copper and iron-free matte, at infinite dilution of lead, have been determined to be 3.60 and 4,06 at 1505 and 1405 K, respectively. The distribution coefficient of silver between copper and iron-free matte is independent of silver concentrations and has been measured to be 2.13 and 2.21 at 1400 and 1500 K, respectively. For an iron-bearing matte, the distribution coefficient of silver has been correlated with iron concentration in the matte at both 1400 and 1500 K. From the measured values of distribution coefficients, the Raoultian activity coefficients of PbS and AgS0.5 in copper-saturated matte have been calculated. At infinite dilution, the following equations correlating the Raoultian activity coeffici¬ents of PbS and AgS0.5 with matte- composition and temperature have been obtained: log Y° PbS =1.515 + 1080/T 0.14 NFes lbS Fog YAgS = -0.074 - 425/T + 0.09 NFes. - 0.5

Jan 1, 1983

By Markus Reuter, Antoinette van Schaik

In this paper the link between process metallurgy, classical minerals processing, product centric recycling and urban/landfill mining is discussed. The depth that has to be achieved in urban mining and recycling must glean from the wealth of theoretical knowledge and insight that have been developed in the past in minerals and metallurgical processing. This background learns that recycling demands a product centric approach, which considers simultaneously the multi-material interactions in man-made complex ‘minerals’. Fast innovation in recycling and urban mining can be achieved by further evolving from this well developed basis, evolving the techniques and tools that have been developed over the years. This basis has already been used for many years to design, operate and control industrial plants for metal production. This has been the basis for Design for Recycling rules for End-of-Life products. Using, among others, the UNEP Metal Recycling report as a basis (authors are respectively Lead and Main authors of report), it is demonstrated that a common theoretical basis as developed in metallurgy and minerals processing can help much to level the playing field between primary processing, secondary processing, recycling, and urban/landfill mining and product design hence enhancing resource efficiency. Thus various scales of detail link product design with metallurgical process design and its fundamentals.

Jan 1, 2014

By Daniel Hoffman, Katerina Aifantis, Ibrahim Miskioglu, Jaroslaw Drelich

"A new method to determine the elastic modulus of a material using the atomic force microscope (AFM) has been proposed by Tang et al. (Nanotechnology 2008, 19, 495713). This method models the cantilever and the sample as two springs in a series. The ratio of the cantilever spring constant (k) to diameter of the tip (2a) is treated in the model as one parameter (a=k/2a). The value of a, along with the cantilever sensitivity, are determined on two reference samples with known mechanical properties and then used to find the elastic modulus of an unknown sample. To determine the reliability and accuracy of this technique it was tested on several polymers. Traditional depth-sensing nanoindentation was preformed for comparison. Using both methods, the elastic modulus of the polymers tested was calculated. The elastic modulus values from the AFM were within ±(5-20)% of the nanoindenter results.IntroductionThe atomic force microscope (AFM) has proven to be a useful tool for characterizing materials on the micro- to nano-scale. The most common use of AFM is to image and measure the topography of the sample surface, but AFM has also been used to characterize the mechanical properties of materials [1-3]. With AFM's ability to scan the sample surface, features of interest can be found and indented. It provides an advantage over traditional nanoindenters that use optical microscopes and thus cannot resolve nano-scale features. This makes AFM a useful tool for characterizing materials on the nano-scale."

Jan 1, 2011

By Albaharna O. T., Argyropoulos S. A.

"This paper describes the development and the implementation of process control in a variety of instruments used in metallurgical laboratories. These instruments are used for different research projects in extractive metallurgy. Hardware and software aspects for this implementation are described and analyzed. Extractive metallurgy applications where process control was .used are presented. IntroductionMicroprocessors are invading almost every area of our lives and are turning up in unexpected applications. A great deal of new equipment which is coming into the market have built- in microprocessor systems. Nevertheless, the area of upgrading existing processes has been slow to develop. There are a variety of reasons for this, and many of these are economic. One of the principal reasons, however, is the general reluctance on the part of many organizations to commit a strong effort to put this new technology into their existing processes.Microprocessor systems developed ""in lab"" are capable of not only measuring thermophysical events which are taking place in metallurgical furnaces, but simultaneously controlling these furnaces. In this paper software and hardware aspects in the implementation of microprocessor control for resistance and for induction furnaces are presented. In addition to this, metallurgical results are given from experiments where this furnace control was applied."

Jan 1, 1989