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By Sergio N. Monteiro

Polymer matrix composites have been applied in components such as helmets and shielding for which toughness is a major requirement. Natural fiber presents interfacial characteristics with polymeric matrices that favor a high impact energy absorption by the composite structure. The objective of this work was then to assess the Izod impact resistance of polymeric composites reinforced with different amounts, up to 30% in volume, of a promising high strength natural fiber from the Amazon region known as curaua. The results showed a remarkable increase in the notch toughness with the amount of incorporated curaua fibers. This can be attributed to a preferential debonding of the fiber/matrix interface, which contributes to an elevated absorbed energy.

Jan 1, 2009

By Baojun Zhao, Zhixiang Cui, Zhi Wang

"Bottom blown oxygen copper smelting process has been developed in Dongying, China by Dongying Fangyuan Nonferrous Metals Co., Ltd. in commercial scale. This is the first modem copper smelting technology developed in China with the advantages of high oxygen enrichment, low temperature and autothermal operation. Production capacity of more than 100,000 tonnes per year of copper has been achieved through a single bottom blown oxygen furnace with instantaneous feed rates reaching up to 90 t/h. The main features of the bottom blowing smelting process are that high grade matte (up to 72 wt% Cu) can be produced at relatively low temperatures with 2-3 wt% Cu remaining in the smelting slag. Analyses of quenched smelting slag show that significant amount of magnetite crystals are present in the slags at operating temperature which indicates that the operating temperature was much lower than the liquidus temperature of the slag. After four years operation this new technology has shown great potential for expanding production capability and energy saving. Process development continues on the first commercial scale bottom blown furnace at Dongying Fangyuan Nonferrous Metals and a larger bottom blown smelting furnace is under construction.IntroductionFlash and bath smelting technologies are the major processes used in modem copper making industry [l]. Ausmelt/Isasmelt using top blown and Noranda/Teniente using side blown are typical and common bath smelting technologies. In 1980s-1990s Hunan Shuikoshan Mineral Bureau, jointly with China Nonferrous Engineering and Research Institute (now China Enfi Engineering Corp.), developed the concepts of the bottom blown oxygen processes for both lead and copper smelting [2]. After the pilot test on 3000 ton copper per year scale in 1991, it was not progressed to industrial scope."

Jan 1, 2013

By Denise Cristina de O. Nascimento

Natural lignocellulosic fibers are increasingly being used as polymeric matrix composite reinforcement owing to economical and environmental advantages as renewable and biodegradable materials. Among these, the piassava fiber extracted from a palm tree native of South America stands as one of the most rigid with a potential to be used as composite reinforcement. Therefore, the present work investigates the notch toughness behavior, by Izod impact tests, of epoxy composites reinforced with up to 40 % in volume of continuous and aligned piassava fibers. It was found that the incorporation of piassava fibers results in significant increase in the impact energy of the composite. Scanning electron microscopy analysis showed that the nature of the piassava fiber interface with the epoxy matrix is the major responsible for the superior toughness of the composite.

Jan 1, 2009

By Carvalho A. Felipe de

The search for environmentally friendly and cost-effective methods for gold extraction has been undertaken in order to provide alternatives to the use of cyanide leaching in the gold industry. Among such alternative reagents is the combination of chloride and hypochlorite ions due to their oxidation of metallic gold and its complexation. Therefore, the current work aims at investigating gold leaching from an oxidized material by means of a solution comprising calcium hypochlorite and sodium chlorite. The sample used in the current research contained 66.1% Fe2O3, 20.4%SiO2, and 35.7 g/t of Au. In addition, XRD and SEM-EDS analysis revealed iron oxide, quartz and muscovite as the main crystalline phases in the sample. For comparison purposes, cyanidation of the oxidized material resulted in 90% gold extraction in 24 h. The reference conditions for the leaching tests with the chlorite-hypochlorite system were: particle size −37 μm, solid/liquid ratio of 10% (w/v), 10 g/L NaCl, 10 g/L Ca (OCl)2, pH 5–6, 3 h of leaching. The effects of the: (i) Ca(OCl)2 concentration, (ii) NaCl concentration, (iii) pHrange and (iv) the effect of pulp density in the extraction of gold were assessed. In addition, the stability of the hypochlorite solutions (OCl−) was investigated. The ideal concentrations of Ca(OCl)2 and NaCl were determined as 25 g/L and 15 g/L, respectively, whereas the optimal pH range was 4–6. Under these conditions, the final gold extraction reached approximately 84%. By varying the solids content of the pulp (10%, 20% and 30%), it was observed that the lower solids value resulted in greater gold extraction (84%). The degradation of the hypochlorite solution and the possible catalytic effect of the presence of the solid were evidenced. To sumup, in the experiment, high gold extractions were achieved in shorter periods of time (3 h), as compared to the cyanidation of the same sample. On the other hand, itwas necessary to use significant amounts of the reagent due to hypochlorite instability at the pH conditions recommended for high gold extractions.

By Brian Patrick, Norman Bell, Mark Schoenfield, Thomas Weber, Dietrich Gross

"The reduction of carbon dioxide emissions and the resultant greenhouse gas affect is hampered by the fact that all fossil fuels contain copious quantities of carbon. Process tweaking can keep the amount of carbon dioxide to a minimum but cannot significantly reduce the amount of carbon dioxide generated. The very nature of utilizing fuels requires that they be burned to release the heat required for the various processes. Reduction of metal oxides to manufacture or modify pure metals, generation of power, transportation and many other forms of fuel usage result in much of the generation of man made carbon dioxide. Oxyfuel is a unique contributor to carbon dioxide emissions. While creating higher concentrations of carbon dioxide the total volume of carbon dioxide generated is reduced. This paper will examine the unique characteristics and potential of oxyfuel that make the generation of lower volumes of carbon dioxide possible.Nearly ten years ago a commercial application of oxy-fuel was installed at Jupiter Aluminum Company in Hammond, Indiana. This process was funded and developed by Dietrich Gross CEO. This aluminum remelt facility now runs completely on oxy-fuel and has continuously for over ten years. This has reduced the melt rates to as low as 750 BTU per pound in continuous melting periods."

Jan 1, 2009

By Katia Vutova, Vania Vassileva

Investigations and results on the refining of tungsten scrap applying electron beam melting (EBM) in vacuum are presented and discussed. In this work EB melting experiments were performed in single or double-melt operations with different power inputs and refining times for tungsten purification and recovery of multiple metals (including refractory and other metals such as Mo, Nb, Cu, Zn, etc.), which are alloyed elements or impurities with high concentrations in the initial materials. Evaluations for extraction of some valuable metals, generated in the condensate at their removal from the liquid metal during the refining process are provided. Efficient technological regimes for e-beam melting and refining that enable the simultaneous production of pure metal ingots and condensates that can be used directly or can be used for subsequent extraction of expensive and valuable metals are presented.

Jan 1, 2016

By James E. Simpson, Suresh V. Garimella, III de Groh

"An experimental and numerical study of the horizontal Bridgman growth of pure succinonitrile (SCN) and of a succinonitrile-1.0 mol. % acetone alloy (SCN-1.0 mol. % ACE) has been performed. Experiments at growth rates of 0, 2 and 40 µmis were investigated. The solid/liquid interface was stable (non-dendritic and non-cellular); however, it was not flat. Rather, it was significantly distorted by the influence of convection in the melt and, for the growth cases, by the moving temperature boundary conditions along the ampoule. For the alloy, the interface was determined to be unstable at growth rates greater than 2.8 µmis, but stable for the no-growth and 2 µmis growth cases. When compared to the pure SCN interface, the alloy interface forms closer to the cold zone,· indicating that the melting temperature has been suppressed by the addition of the alloying element. Two-dimensional computer simulations were performed for the no-growth case for both the pure and alloy materials. These simulations indicate that a primary longitudinal convective cell is formed in the melt. The maximum magnitude of velocity was calculated to be 1.515 mmls for pure SCN and 1. 724 mm/s for the alloy. The interface shape predicted by the computer simulation agrees well with the experimentally determined shape for the pure SCN case. In ongoing work, numerical simulations of the process during growth conditions are being performed.IntroductionIncreasingly, advanced materials used in the aerospace, automotive, optics and electronics fields require low levels of defects and high levels of solute uniformity. Directional solidification by the Bridgman process is widely used for synthesis of these high-quality materials. During Bridgman crystal growth, heat and mass transfer by both thermal and solutal gradient-driven convection and diffusion influence the shape of the solid/liquid interface and dopant segregation levels, and hence, directly determine the final crystal quality. Key process parameters include the applied furnace temperature distribution and rate of translation, ampoule properties and furnace orientation."

Jan 1, 1999

By Jinrong Zhang

Major components of soil were tested for their ability to attenuate cyanide. Feldspar, kaolinite, plagioclase and bauxite are found to degrade cyanide at an appreciable amount mainly through adsorption. A soil near a mining site in northern Nevada was studied in detail using a tall column. Many species of cyanide were anlyzed to determine the mechanisms of the reactions of cyanide with soil. Volatilization, adsorption, oxidation, precipitation and complexing were quantitatively identified, being 5 to 10, 11.7, 4.2, 7.3 and 4 per cent of the total cyanide added, respectively. It is found that the oxidation of cyanide to cyanate is due to the catalytic effect of nickel and copper leached from the soil. Precipitation of metal-cyanide complexes occurred at low pH values.

Jan 1, 1991

By G. G. Richards

The zinc slag fuming process is used to recover zinc from molten iron-calcium silicate slags by treatment with pulverized coal and air. The rate of zinc fuming is controlled by the complex interaction of several kinetic factors including the rate of entrainment of coal in the slag, the extent of the coal-slag reaction and the rate of ferrous oxide oxidation to ferric oxide. This paper briefly outlines the mechanism of fuming and, on this basis, optimization of process parameters is discussed. Modelling analysis and recent industrial trials at Cominco show that coal entrainment in the slag, bath temperature, and bath depth are critical variables affecting process rate and efficiency. The first step in process optimization is to assess coal bypass of the bath. In general, changes which promote operation at a higher temperature, greater coal entrainment in the slag and extended residence time of the coal in the bath increase fuming performance. Coal entrainment is controlled by injection conditions whereas bath temperature is a function of coal combustion and ferrous oxide oxidation. Residence time of the coal is largely a function of bath depth. The implication of model predictions for continuous fuming is shown.

Jan 1, 1994

By Sebastian Schmuck, Petrico von Schweinichen, Dieter Senk, Mohammad Peymandar

"At Department of Ferrous Metallurgy of the RWTH Aachen University in Germany steels in the system Fe-Mn-C(-Al) are investigated and produced in the framework of the SFB 761 ""steel-ab initio"". A new world of steel grades leads to special challenges regarding the production and recycling at the end-of-life cycle of product. In order to recycle high manganese steel alloys the EAF has to be chosen preferentially. A good slag practice is necessary avoiding loss of manganese content during melting in the EAF. This paper investigates on the reaction kinetics at the interface of slag and steel containing Mn (17-22 wt.-%) and up to 3 wt.-% Al. The effect of changes in the composition of slag and steel on the interfacial reaction kinetics is studied. The thermodynamic software FactSage™ is utilized to calculate the composition of slag and steel at equilibrium.IntroductionTRIP and TWIP steels are highly alloyed steels which show superior strength and ductility when compared to standard carbon steel and stainless steel alloys. These TRIP- and TWIPsteel grades contain typically 15-30 wt.-% manganese, 0-4 wt.-% silicon and aluminum, and up to 1 wt.-% carbon. Steels containing 18-28 wt.-% manganese and 0.7-1.2 wt.-% carbon together with aluminum addition from 3 to 12 wt. -% and without silicon refer to TRIPLEX high manganese steel alloys. These alloys combine high strength at even large ductility [ 1-4]. At the Department of Ferrous Metallurgy (IEHK) of the RWTH Aachen University in Germany, steels in the system Fe-Mn-C(-Al) is under investigation at the collaborative research center, SFB 761 ""Steel-ab initio"". In this project, high manganese alloyed TRIP and TWIP steels are in the focus.The mechanical properties such as high strength and high ductility make this kind of steels perfect candidates for impact absorption applications in auto body such as vehicle doors and bumpers [2, 5]. With increasing the use of TRIP-, TWIP- and TRIPLEX-steels more high manganese steel scraps will be available at the end of life cycle of products, which need to develop the technologies and metallurgical processes to recovery of high manganese steel. A new steel grade brings new challenges in recycling. In order to recycle high manganese steel scraps the electric arc furnaces (EAF) have to be chosen preferentially [1]. Nevertheless it's not easy to prevent the manganese loss during the process in EAF. During the oxygen refining of high manganese molten steel in EAF the manganese content decreases strongly by oxidation and vaporization, which is affected by slag composition, slag properties such as basicity and viscosity, slag weight as well as melt temperature [6-8]."

Jan 1, 2014

By G. Granata

In this work, we studied the recovery of copper from AMD by cementation with iron powder. To control the size of copper particles within the nanoscale range, we tested the use of the anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). We tested three concentration levels (0.2, 0.4 and 0.6 M) and temperatures (25, 50 and 75 °C). The activation energy of cementation was also assessed by fitting the experimental data with the Arrhenius equation. Under all investigated conditions, the cementation reaction was found to be a diffusion-controlled process. Without surfactant, the activation energy was 19.9 kJ/mol. In the presence of SDS the activation energy increased up to about 35 kJ/mol. With or without SDS, the particle size of the copper product was strongly affected by the cementation temperature. Without SDS, the cemented product aggregated into micro-sized clusters of about 15 μm at 25 °C, 2–3 μm at 50 °C and 1 μm at 75 °C. The addition of SDS resulted in a dramatic decrease of copper particle size up down to the nanoscale range. Under the best operating conditions, the particle size of copper was <100 nm.

By Harrison Cooper, Stephen Pack

"Data from samples taken during rotary air blast and reverse circulation drilling are crucial to properly assessing economics of mineral deposits in the case of exploratory work, and are equally critical in accurately delineating ore and waste in execution of mine operation plans. Past studies of sampling procedures, comparing results of conventional splitting to more precise extraction of representative samples, illustrate the significant degree of error frequently encountered. Economic impact of error in mine blast hole sampling work can be shown to result in theoretical losses valued at millions of dollars annually in operating large scale mining projects. Results of past drill sampling studies are reviewed.Drill sampling technique can be improved by collecting coarse and fine particles together and extracting samples for assay from the complete flow of rock and dust simultaneously. This can be accomplished with a collection unit attached to the drill stem through which all except a small proportion of extreme fines are retained. The bulk mass can be static sampled as flow takes place through the collector when size reduction is not required. Alternately, collected mass with fines and coarse intermingled can be processed for increased accuracy through size reduction to obtain proportional samples."

Jan 1, 1999

By W. R. McDonald

The U.S. Bureau of Mines investigated treatment of gold and silver refractory ores and concentrates that respond poorly to conventional cyanidation techniques due to the complex mineralogy of the ore. Three types of ores were investigated: gold locked placer sands, gold locked in sulfides, and gold that is robbed from the pregnant cyanide solutions by minerals in the ore. Ore treatment included grinding, flotation, cyanidation, air oxidation, pressure oxidation, hypochlorite oxidation, roasting, and carbon in leach.

Jan 1, 1991

By C. J. Beyke

In recent years recycling of household batteries has received increasing attention, primarily for environmental reasons. This article reviews the major battery types and some of the technologies available to recycle them. It also discusses issues such as collection and sorting which are related to battery recycling in the United States. Finally, results from research being conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Mines on the reclamation of nickel-metal hydride, alkaline, and zinc-carbon batteries are presented.

Jan 1, 1995

By Melinda Channel, Alan W. Weimer, Jonathan R. Scheffe

"There is a need to develop cost effective renewable energy processes for the production of clean fuels that can simultaneously mitigate the U.S. energy/global environmental security issue. If H2 can be obtained cost effectively via the splitting of water using concentrated sunlight, then it’s possible to operate a fuel cell using renewable H2 or to synthesize other fuels based on renewable H2 for generating electricity or for running internal combustion engines. For example, H2 can be reacted with sequestered carbon dioxide (CO2) to produce syngas (H2/CO) via reverse water gas shift (RWGS), i.e. H2 + CO2 ? CO + H2O. The syngas can be catalytically methanated to form synthetic natural gas (SNG) or it can be catalytically reformed to produce liquid fuels such as “green” gasoline via the MTG process (syngas? methanol ? gasoline). The desert SW United States is home to world class sunlight. Fundamental ferrite thermodynamics will be reviewed, an example of the beneficial effect of ferrite surface area on reaction kinetics will shown, and process economics will be investigated for a 100,000 kg/day facility to produce H2.Introduction and Background ThermodynamicsSpinel ferrites of the form MxFe3-xO4, where M generally represents Ni, Zn, Co, Mn, or other transition metals, have been shown to be capable of splitting water according to the two step cycle shown below:MxFe3-xO4 + solar thermal energy ? xMO + (3-x)FeO + 0.5 O2 (1)xMO + (3-x)FeO + H2O ? MxFe3-xO4 + 2H2 (2)This is an inherently clean and sustainable process, as the only net inputs are solar energy and water, and the net outputs are hydrogen and oxygen. Ferrite water splitting cycles are advantages compared to other high temperature water splitting cycles, such as the ZnO/Zn and Mn2O3/MnO cycles, because thermal reduction has been demonstrated at significantly lower temperatures[1, 2]. As a result, overall efficiency may be increased due to the fact that radiation losses increase as the fourth power of temperature, and material considerations for reactor design should be more flexible. Additionally, cycle repeatability has been demonstrated with relative ease as compared to other thermochemical cycles [3-6]. However, the amount of hydrogen per mole that is generated is significantly less than for other high temperature thermochemical cycles due to the fact that only Fe3+ is capable of being reduced at the temperatures of interest[6]. In addition, water oxidation kinetics appear to be very slow, likely due to diffusion or surface area limitations created by near surface oxidation [6, 7]."

Jan 1, 2010

By Kotaro Ogura

"Ethylene has been produced in aqueous solution from CO2 by the electrochemical reduction driven by a natural energy. This process is useful for storing a large amount of the natural energy. In the closed system, the conversion efficiency of CO2 is almost 100%, and the maximum selectivity for the formation of ethylene is more than 70%. On the other hand, the current efficiency for the competitive reduction of water is less than 10%. The electrolysis is practicable under such special conditions as three-phase interface consisting of gas, solution and metal, concentrated solution of potassium halide, low pH and copper or copper halide-confined metal electrode. These requirements are thoroughly examined, and the grounds to reply upon are revealed. A series of chemical apparatuses including an electrolytic cell in a large scale are designed for the ethylene production, which allow us continuously to supply raw CO2 and to extract the product.IntroductionIn connection with the depletion of the petroleum reserve, much attention has been paid to the utilization of natural energies such as sunlight, wind force and waves. However, these energies are always changeable, and some means of storing them are necessary for the common use. In general, natural energies are transformed to the electric energy at the time of utilization, but the electricity is not very storable. This is one of the reasons why the application of natural energy is not so expanded. On the other hand, the storing of natural energy by plants is very skilful. In the photosynthesis, solar energy is transformed to chemical energy by fixing carbon dioxide."

Jan 1, 2009

By Christoph Beckermann, Kai Liu, Richard A. Hardin

"A two-dimensional heat transfer model for transient simulation and control of a continuous steel slab caster is described. Slab thermal and solidification conditions are computed by the model as a function of time-varying casting speed, secondary spray cooling water flow rates and temperature, slab thickness, steel chemistry, and pouring and ambient temperatures. A solidification model that includes the effects of steel chemistry, cooling rate and mierosegregation on the solidification path is incorporated directly into the caster model. Comparisons between measured and predicted liquidus and solidus temperatures are given for two low alloy steels, and show good agreement. Predicted and measured slab surface temperatures recorded on an operating caster are compared with this transient model and show that the model can predict the temperature response at the slab surface. Results of several simulations are given to demonstrate the effects of changing casting conditions on the slab thermal profile and the solidification end-point. A control methodology suitable for online control of a continuous casting machine is described, and its ability to control the surface temperature profile by dynamically adjusting secondary spray cooling flow rates is demonstrated using the simulator. IntroductionIn order to remain competitive in today's world-wide market for continuously cast steel products, steel producers are finding that it is ever more important to implement process control and to develop a more thorough technological understanding of their casting process. By integrating process control and monitoring into both production and quality control, producers are better able to meet customers' demands for steel of the required quality, quantity, size, grade, and properties at the lowest cost. Computer models used for real-time/on-line prediction and control of continuous steel casters are fundamental tools to accomplish this. Accurate on-line prediction and control of steel solidification and heat transfer allows for more flexibility in caster operation by giving operators the ability to change casting speeds while keeping critical process parameters within required ranges. Such control 'capability also results in more uniform quality throughout an entire casting sequence from startup to shutdown. Furthermore, due to the unreliability of temperature sensors, and the lack of good sensors for important process parameters such as solidification end-point and liquid pool depth, computer-based control models are often the only available option."

Jan 1, 2000

By Rajashekhar Marthi

Lithium is a key component for future electric vehicle batteries and energy storage. The future availability of lithium to meet the growing demands remains in question. Around 60% of lithium resources exist in the form of continental brines. Traditional methods to recover lithium from brines use solar concentration with precipitation and have found limitations in lithium extraction due to interference of Mg in high Mg/Li brines. Thus, there is a need for highly selective adsorbents. Recently, spinel structured delithiated lithium manganese oxides have demonstrated promising results. However, due to the small particle sizes, it is economically difficult to recover the adsorbents and thereby limits industrial applications. In our work, LiMn2O4 ion sieve was synthesized and immobilized on diatomaceous earth. Fundamental adsorption studies were carried out in lithium buffer solutions to understand the nature of adsorption and kinetics. The adsorbents were also tested for recycle stability, as well as recovery of lithium from Great Salt Lake water samples.

By T. Plikas, L. H. Gunnewiek, L. Oshinowo

"Electric furnace smelting is one of the principal unit operations for ferroalloy production, and increased process intensity, improved availability, minimal maintenance and a longer campaign life are common objectives for electric furnace operation in order to obtain favourable economics of production. Furnace designers have continued to develop innovative solutions, e.g., furnace cooling systems, that have allowed these objectives to be realised and CFD modelling plays a key role in the design process. Enhanced understanding of the energy transfer process in the furnace and the ability to develop, evaluate and optimize components of the crucible design to match process requirements are the key motivators for modelling.This paper provides an overview of recent applications of CFD to the design of electric furnaces. The aim is to illustrate what can be done, and identify areas where further work is needed in this field. Examples include furnace bath simulation, crucible cooling system design, taphole design, baking of Soderberg electrodes, off-gas systems, and fume control and building ventilation. It is argued that the trend is for numerical models to become more encompassing while at the same time more accessible, and therefore further improvements in furnace design will be realised with continued and well validated modelling efforts.IntroductionOne of the main processing steps in ferroalloy production is the smelting of ore in electric furnaces. The three-electrode, AC submerged arc furnace is most prevalent method for smelting in the industry, with shielded-arc and DC plasma arc furnaces achieving limited application (1,2). Commercial furnaces range in size from a few megawatts to more than eighty megawatts of supplied power, and operate with the objective of maximising the return on capital invested. Maximising productivity and energy efficiency are two pathways to achieving this objective, through process intensification, increased availability, minimal maintenance, and increased campaign life for the furnace and associated equipment. Concurrently, the need to reduce the environmental impact of metal production by controlling the emission of particulate emissions, greenhouse gases, and other harmful by-products must also be met."

Jan 1, 2004

By Pan Gu, Zhen Zhang, Jiang Diao, Bing Xie, Hongyi Li

Furnace refractories are in most cases chemically incompatible with smelter slag, which leads to a steady erosion in their thickness over time. Once too thin, refractory walls become mechanically unstable and catastrophic failure can result. Historically, external shell cooling was applied to generate a freeze lining of slag and thus prevent refractory erosion. Many modern high intensity smelting furnaces instead maintain their physical integrity by the use of internally cooled wall panels, plates or finger coolers. An initial refractory lining is often installed inside of the coolers, such that the furnace originally operates with a temperature (insulated) rather than a heat flux (freeze lined) boundary condition. This paper examines the change in slag-wall heat transfer coefficient and slag superheat as a function of process intensity. The implications of the changes in heat transfer on residual brick thickness are explored using analytical modelling.

Jan 1, 2016