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By Stephanie Trant

Montana Tech has been engaged in fundamental research on the processing of critical materials for more than a decade. Efforts include examining novel reagents for the flotation of Rare Earth Minerals (REMs). For this paper, research results on a collector, salicyl hydroxamic acid (SHA), are presented. Various REMs were examined and include the rare earth oxides (REOs), carbonates (RECs), and phosphates (REPs) of a suite of Rare Earth Elements (REEs). Differences are attributed to solution and surface chemistry, coordination number, and ionic diameter. SHA adsorption follows an ion-exchange process that leads to chemisorbed and surface-precipitated states, depending mostly on pH. Many effects are directly attributed to lanthanide contraction. Results should also be applicable to other REM/collector systems and further suggest that REM flotation should consider dual collectors.

By William Petruk

The primary requisite for a successful extractive metallurgy operation is to grind an ore fine enough to liberate the minerals so that they can be concentrated, or to expose mineral surfaces so that the minerals can be leached. The ease or difficulty of liberating or exposing the mineral grains is dependent upon the mineral textures such as grain size, crystallinity and bonding between mineral grains. In particular, mineral grains with straight grain boundaries and a weak bonding to other minerals are easily liberated and readily concentrated into high grade concentrates. In contrast mineral grains that have re-entrant boundaries and are strongly bonded to their neighbours are not easily liberated and will not produce high grade concentrates, even with regrinding. Similarly, inclusions that occur along fractures and grain boundaries can be readily exposed and leached. Whereas minute random inclusions in large grains will not be liberated or exposed unless they occur along planes of weakness.

Jan 1, 1995

By S. R. Reddy

Thennodynamic properties of several quaternary systems are calculated using our recently modified Margules equations. The modified Margules equations are expressed up to infinite order in the vicinity of solvent. Quaternary system of one solvent and three,solute partials are derived. First order interaction coefficients of binary, ternary and cross -interaction parameters of quaternary system are used to'evaluate the partial functions. In the original fonn of Margules equations,derived partial functions are convergent and same 'as Unified ,Interaction Parameter Fonnalism. But considering up to infinite order of the Margules coefficients, the functions are divergent, in order to overcome this restriction, Margules equations are modified to get consistent equations. Derived partial functions are thennodynamica Hy consistent with Maxwell and Gibbs Duhem relations. The derived logarithmic activity coefficient of the solvent and solutes are consistent with the ternary systems. The calculated data, ie., activity coefficient values of nitrogen and interaction coefficients are in good agreement with the data of Fe-Cr-V -N. Fe-Ni-V -N, Fe-Cr-Ta-N and Fe-Ni-Ta-N systems.

Jan 1, 1999

By Jagdish C. Agarwal

Although copper ranks very low in the order of abundance of elements in the crust of the earth, it has been one of the first metals utilized by mar, at his emergence from the Stone Age, about 10,000 years ago. Use of copper for weapons, tools, utensils and ornaments dates back to the twilight of history, 6,000-5,000 B.C. Native copper outcrops and the malleability of the metal explain its very early use by the cave-dwellers. The working, melting and extraction of copper from its minerals are among the oldest metallurgical achievements of the human race. The oldest complete smelting installations for the extraction of copper from its minerals, dated about the fourth millenium B.C., were recently discovered in the Timna Valley, Wadi Arabah, Israel. (1) The history of the developments of the extractive metallurgy of copper has been adequately reviewed recently. (2,3) The center of copper production migrated from the Eastern Mediterranean to Northern Europe (Mansfeld, Germany, Swansea, Wales) towards the end of the Middle Ages (1500 A.D.). The production of the metal was boosted tremendously in North America since the end of the nineteenth century (Fig. 1).

Jan 1, 1976

By Kimio Itagaki, Makoto Ohtsuka, Kouki Chiba, Minoru Matsumoto

"The properties of Ni-Mn-Ga films such as chemical composition, crystal structure, microstructure and transformation temperature were investigated with respect to sputtering conditions in the present study. The Ni-Mn-Ga films were deposited on a polyvinyl alcohol substrate with a radio-frequency magnetron sputtering apparatus using the NisoMn2sGa2s and Nis2Mn:«1Ga24 targets. After separating from the substrates, the films were annealed at the temperature between 873 and 1273 K for 3.6 ks. The chemical composition of the films depended on the radiofrequency generating power, however, there was no dependence on the heat treatment temperature. Each deposited film had a columnar grain structure. After heat treatment, the width of columnar grains widened and then became indistinct with increasing heat treatment temperature. The Heusler type cubic crystal structure of the fi4n with heat treatment at 1073 K changed to the tetragonal one through the martensitic structural transformation during cooling. The martensitic structural transformation temperature increased with increasing nickel content of films, while the Curie temperature decreased. The film obtained at 200 W using the Nis2Mn24Ga24 target after heat treatment at 1073 K showed one-way shape memory effect through the reverse martensitic structural transformation during heating.IntroductionThe ternary intermetallic compound NiiMnGa has a Heusler-type crystal structure and is an intelligent material, which has a shape memory effect and a ferromagnetic property. The martensitic structural transformation occurs within the ferromagnetic temperature region. The cubic crystal structure of L21 at high temperature changes to a tetragonal one through the martehsitic structural transformation during cooling. The films of this compound can be applied for an actuator of micro-machines."

Jan 1, 2000

By Xiang Zhu

Xidagou is the largest waste water discharge channel of the Anshan Iron and Steel Complex (AISC) with average flow rate of 8000 cubic meters per hour, which is about 75% of the total effluent of the AISC. The waste water from Xidagou seriously polluted the Taizi River Basin. In order to meet the Chinese Class V Standard for Surface Water Discharge and the Standard for Recycled Industrial Water Reuse, with the aid of the World Bank, the AISC began the treatability studies in 1991. Based on the bench-scale test, the AISC carried out pilot-scale treatability studies on three different treatment processes and five different chemical coagulants for more than half a year in 1992. The study results show that the processes of primary sedimentation- chemical mixing and flocculation-secondary sedimentation-filtration can meet the requirement and that PFS and PAM are effective and economic chemical coagulants.

Jan 1, 1994

By Martin E. Nelson

Several heavy metal separation techniques are currently being developed for soil remediation at various Department of Defense and Department of Energy (DOE) Facilities. The majority of these techniques involve a wet process using water, PH modifiers or other compounds. The United States Naval Academy (USNA) has developed a dry process for heavy metal separation. The process uses air classification technology to concentrate the metal contaminant into a fraction of the soil. The advantages of this dry process are that it creates no contaminated by product and uses commercially available technology. The USNA process is based on using a Gayco-Reliance air classifier. Tests have been conducted with the system at the Naval Academy and the University of Nevada-Reno (UNR). The USNA tests used soil from the Nevada Test Site mixed with bismuth at a concentration of 500-1000 ppm. The UNR tests used soil from four DOE sites mixed with uranium oxides and plutonium at an activity level of 100-700 pCi per gram. Concentration of activities and volume reduction percentages are presented for the various soils and contaminants tested.

Jan 1, 1995

By Muhlis Nezihi Saridede, Burak Birol

"Plastic wastes become a huge problem day after day due to the growth of plastic industry. Hence, plastic wastes are used as a raw material for other industries to eliminate this problem. Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), which is a commonly used for plastic bottles, may be used as a reductant for iron production because of its C and H content. In this study, composite pellets containing iron ore concentrate, flux and reductant were prepared. Crystallized PET bottles and coke were used as reductant after ground. The prepared pellets were reduced at 1400°C for 30 min. and iron nuggets were produced successfully. Usage of waste PET purely as reductant in composite pellets gives a higher metallization degree and proper carbon content than coke or PET and coke mixture.IntroductionPlastics can be seen everywhere, especially at packaging industry in our common life. The increase of plastic usage ends up with an important problem, the increase of plastic wastes. Many studies have been carried out about usage of plastics as reductant in blast furnace such as Ogaki et al.[1], Heo and Baek [2], Saridede [3], Minoru et al.[4], etc. Besides, Kato et al. [5], Nomura and Kato [ 6] and Rongfang et al. [7] have pointed out the use of plastics in coke ovens regarding to its calorific content. In EAF steelmaking, a mixture of coal/coke and plastics can be used as an energy resource instead of only coal or coke. [8] Also, the usage of PET and PC in self-reducing composite pellets increased the reduction rate. [12]PET (Polyethylene terephthalate ), which is commonly used for soft drink plastic bottles, is an important municipal waste due to its C and H content. Its molecular formula is (C10H8O 4)n. Demir and Dincer showed that PET can be crystallized at 250°C to have the ability to be ground to a size of -100 µm. [11]"

Jan 1, 2011

By Zizheng Zhou

The separation of cobalt from other base metals can be achieved using diffusion dialysis in a two-compartment reactor separated by an anion exchange membrane. In this work, a Neosepta AFX membrane was used to study the separation of various metals in an acid-chloride solution. The separation of one metal from another was investigated on the basis of the various chloro-complex stabilities. The metals investigated included cobalt, nickel, copper(II), iron(III), aluminum, zinc and cadmium. The impact of several critical experimental conditions, including the initial metal and chloride concentration in the feed solution and their initial concentration in the receiving solution, on the separation factor and the metal transfer rate is reported in this work. Effective separation of different metal pairs was achieved under the experimental conditions.

By Na Wang, Chao Du, Hongmin Zhu, Kai Huang, Shuqiang Jiao

"Niobium aluminides were directly synthesized by a sodiothermic reduction process of NbC15 - AlCb which was dispersed into LiCl - KCl - NaCl - CaCb melts. The melt supplied a homogenous reaction medium which was substantially beneficial to the co-reduction of Nb and Al to form niobium aluminides in situ. The reduction was performed at 500°C for 4 hours. The products were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The corresponding results indicated that niobium aluminides powders were successfully synthesized.1. IntroductionNiobium aluminides have received considerable attention as high-temperature structural materials, due to their high melting points, relatively low density, high strength, excellent oxidation and creep resistance [1-4]. Figure 1 shows that there are three intermetallic compounds in the Nb - Al binary [5], which includes Nb3Al (A15 structure, Cr3Si type), Nb2Al (D8b structure, cr-CrFe type) and NbAb (D022 structure, TiAb type). These niobium aluminides have been used in turbine blades or in stationary gas turbines [6-8]. However, despite their attractive features, the ir applications are still limited by the long and costly fabrication process [9, 10].Niobium aluminides were industrially fabricated by the mechanically alloyed process [11-13]. Traditionally, niobium is extracted from Nb2O 5 or K2NbF7 by a metallothermic reduction process while aluminum is produced by the Hall-Heroult process of Ah03 electrolysis. Based on the extraction of Nb and Al, respectively, niobium aluminides is synthesized by a mechanical powder alloying process. The present process for making niobium aluminides requires a set of complicated equipment, has high production cost and time consuming [14, 15].The purpose of this work is to present the simple, economic and direct synthesis of niobium aluminides powders utilizing a sodiothermic reduction from NbC15 - Al Cb dispersed into molten salts."

Jan 1, 2011

By Charles L. Richman

The effect of the addition of Silver Sulfide on the rate of Chalcopyrite (CP) of Sulfuric acid (H2SD4 leaching is discussed, Although Ag2S in an expensive addition, a theoretical explanation of it's use will aid in the development of a economic substitution. We have used cyclic voltammography to show the presence reaction species at different potentials. Cyclic Voltammography maps the surface reaction current peaks on CP, to regions on the CP Phorbaix diagram. AC Electro-lmpedance spectroscopy (EIS) models the surface impedance properties, which control the rate of electron and ion transfer, and the surface kinetic reactions, with and with out light. EIS and other measurements show that AgCuS u Photo-reactive material- The EIS results are compared with the SEM and EDXA results to show the presence of diffusion pores, and diffusion controlled reactions during CP leaching without the addition of silver sulfate. We hypothesize that AgCuS is an ionic conductor like Ag2S. EIS shows an imposed negative leaching rate greatly. Our theory shows how the formation of Silver Copper (1) sulfide layer at open circuit potential gives an effect similar to negative potential, that is enhanced with illumination. We verify that AgCuAS is an N-type semiconductor that forms a diode type junction with the electrolyte with the Mott-Schoottly relation.

Jan 1, 2001

By I. A. Ibrahim, A. K. Ismail, A. A. I. Afifi

"Synthetic rutile for paints industry is conventionally produced by a combined smelting and leaching process. Smelting process is an energy intensive step and represents economic burden in view of the increasing energy costs. Egyptian ilmenite ore containing 40% TiO2 and 38% total Fe was thus directly leached with sulphuric acid to produce eventually synthetic rutile. The process-involves digestion of the ore with sulphuric acid whereby both TiO2 and Fe are dissolved. The solution was then treated with iron powder to convert Fe3+ to Fe2+ to avoid co-precipitation of iron during the hydrolysis step. After solid/liquid separation and clarification, Fe was crystallized as ferrous sulphate hydrate by chilling. The titanium pregnant liquor was concentrated by evaporation and then hydrolyzed to precipitate hydrated titanium dioxide which was then calcined to produce synthetic rutile containing 98.6 TiO2 and 0.58% Fe2O 3. The optimum conditions of all the processing stages were determined.IntroductionSynthetic rutile for paints, welding rods and other industries could be produced from ilmenite ore by sulfuric acid leaching process. This process is a batch process and nearly 80% of all TiO2 produced in the world is made by this process [1]. Figure l shows simple block flowsheet of the process. The process involves the following stages.Digestion: In this stage, ilmenite ore is treated with concentrated sulfuric acid where both iron and titanium are converted to their respective sulfates according to the following equations:"

Jan 1, 2000

By Jaeheon Lee

Gold-copper alloys are shown to form during the cementation of gold on copper in a solution containing 0.25M [S2O32-] at 25oC. The alloy composition is strongly dependent on the initial Cu:Au ratio in solution and ranges from Au3Cu to AuCu3. XPS results for Au, Cu, S, and O are reported as a function of depth through an entire deposited film with an initial solution containing 20 ppm [Au] and 30 ppm [Cu]. The deposit contained about 20 atomic % gold and was predominantly Cu3Au. Underpotential deposition (UPD) theory is discussed as a mechanism for explaining the formation of these alloys. Several other systems that produce alloys during contact reduction/cementation are also discussed.

Jan 1, 2003

By R. G. Hilton

This paper deals with application of Super Detox? stabilization technology to the treatment of electric arc furnace dust (US-EPA listed hazardous waste KO61 ). The process has been used on approximately 170,000 tons of electric arc furnace dust. In addition to the nearly four years of commercial experience at Sterling, Illinois, the process is now being permitted for application at two other locations. The process was originally developed by the Bethlehem Steel Corporation and then further improved by Conversion Systems, Inc. (Bethlehem Steel's Licensee). The treatment process offers many unique bases for its selection, including: A) Low cost compared to the treatment alternatives; B) Lowest available TCLP leachate levels for any process treating K061. Many other processes leave some residue that represents a disposal requirement, although often not addressed; C) Produces minimized final waste disposed, including the fact that the total volume of dust generated and less than the volume occupied by the residue slag from HTMR; and, D) Opportunities for the beneficial utilization of part or all of the waste stream through the development of chemical and physical characteristics. Each of these aspects will be specifically discussed in the paper, including that status of the operations now under permit.

Jan 1, 1994

By Nobuo Kikumoto

Recently, the treatment of industrial waste materials has been a serious social problem here in Japan. Filling them in ponds is now strictly prohibited due to a limited land area and incineration method is also regulated as not to generate DXN. In these conditions, Onahama Smelter has begun to treat shredder dusts (SD) of car at reverberatory furnaces to recover various metals such as copper, gold, silver and palladium without generation of DXN. The total volume of these dusts is expected more than 1 million metric tonnes a year in Japan. Onahama Smelter is now planning to treat about 20% of them in the near future by using tonnage oxygen. In this paper, the heat balance, control method of DXN and treatment of these dusts in reverberatory furnaces are described. DXN : Dioxin (The generic term of PCDD and PCDF)

Jan 1, 2000

By Sabine Knoll

The thermodynamic properties of four liquid ternary zinc alloys, Au-Sn-Zn, Ag-Sn-Zn, AI-Sn Zn and Cu-In-Zn were measured with an electromotive force (emf) method at three or four cross-sections with an constant X:Sn or Cu-In ratio. At the Au-Sn-Zn and AI-Sn-Zn system calorimetric measurements were also carried out in order to compare the integral enthalpy of mixing from the direct measurements with the data of the emf measurements, which were derived by Gibbs-Duhem integration.

Jan 1, 2003

By S. W. White

Plasma arc technology is increasingly being used to process a number of waste materials. In present research, plasma technology is being investigated to treat waste magnesium baghouse dust, which is a waste material from the Magnetherm process. This dust contains mostly MgO, but also contains NazO, CaO, and KzO. Plasma energy is to be used along with a reducing agent to produce pure gaseous magnesium while keeping the other materials in a slag. The magnesium will then be collected by rapid quenching. A non-transferred arc plasma torch is ideal for this reaction because of its high enthalpy and improved energy efficiency over conventional methods. Another advantage of plasma is that it allows for the pre-heating or pre-reacting of fine particles before contact with the melt. Thermodynamic calculations using the Gibb energy minimization method were used to determine the most stable compositions of the materials at various temperatures. Energy balances have also been calculated. These results conclude that we can recover approximately 98% of the magnesium with a proper quenching technique. The calculated results are compared with the experimental data, and good agreement between them was observed.

Jan 1, 1999

By Ing. R. Geutskens

Zinc-bearing dust from blast furnace gas-scrubbing operation is a well known environmental health problem in the iron and steel industry. Hoogovens IJmuiden (The Netherlands) developed processes to solve this problem. 90% of the zinc is concentrated in 25% of the dust (the fine particle fraction) by means of slurry-hydrocyclonage. The resulting fine particle fraction is treated in a pressure leaching process. Hydrochloric waste pickle liquors have been used as a leaching liquor. By creating optimal leaching conditions more than 98% of the zinc is brought into an acid' solution, whereas nearly all the iron remains in the residue. The zinc can be separated selectively from the solution. The residue can be reused in the blast furnace (via the sintering plant). In the article information is given about the research work and -results of the pressure leaching process as well as the possibilities of the process for solving comparible problems.

Jan 1, 1990

By Joni M. Barnes

A strain of Pseudomonas stutzeri isohted from selenium contaminated surface waters, was found to be effective . in reducing selenate (Se04 2) stoichiometrically to selenite (Se03 2 '), which was further reduced to elementaJ selenium (Se0 ). These reactions were concurrent with the microbial oxidation of lactate. In order to assess quantitatively the amounts of seilenate and selenitein solution, improvements to existing analytical methods (ion exchange chromatography and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrophotometry technique) .were made.

Jan 1, 1991

A novel pressure leaching process for platinum group metal (PGM) feedstocks is described. The process is particularly well suited for treatment of ores or concentrates that are too low grade for economic processing by the conventional smelting/leaching process. Operating conditions have been identified under which gold, the PGM's and the base metals dissolve simultaneously in a pressure leaching autoclave. The product of this leaching process can then be treated by one of several flowsheets, of which the preferred will likely involve solid/liquid separation, followed by precipitation (or adsorption on activated carbon) of gold and the PGM's, followed by copper solvent extraction/electrowinning. Depending on the concentrations of nickel and cobalt, the copper raffinate would either be partially recycled to the autoclave to allow NilCo concentrations to build up, or it would proceed directly to a Ni/Co refinery. This paper deals with the pressure leaching process and the recovery of gold and the PGM's from the pressure leach product.

Jan 1, 2000