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By Bing Hu, Zhu-Cheng Huang, Guang-Bin Xia, Hu Peng, Hua Wang

"The temperature rising characteristics and reaction of the reduction of iron oxide pellets with anthracite fines were studied using a MW-L0316V microwave oven and Leica-DM-RXP polarizing microscope. The results show that iron oxide pellets and anthracite fines have good microwave absorbing properties, and high temperature and reducing atmosphere in a relatively short time for reduction of iron oxide pellets can be achieved. The reduction reaction, which follows the unreacted core model, is rapid and the metallization increases from 13.41% to 56.57% as the reduction end point temperature increases from 850oC to 950oC. The iron is formed, fine grain crystals of iron are transferred and the contraction of metal phase occurs firstly at the surface of pellets, which hinders the reduction reaction at the center of pellets. The rate of reduction reaction increases slowly as the reduction end point temperature increases from 950oC to 1050oC.IntroductionIron ore direct reduction can be divided into gas-based reduction and coal-based reduction. Owing to the effect of the resource and the related economic benefits [1, 2, 3, and 4], the development of gas-based direct reduction technology is restricted, but the development of coal-based direct reduction supported by the relevant industrial policy has very good prospects for application.As a source of clean energy, in China microwaves have been applied in many fields [5, 6, and 7]. Chen Jin studied the reduction of carbon pellets under microwaves, and has made some progress on reduction kinetics and reaction mechanisms. Other countries also have related research in this field [8 - 15], for example, Kotaro Ishizaki and Kazuhiro Nagata have done research on the reduction reaction of carbon magnetite heated by microwaves. The research shows that Fe3O4 is deoxidized to FeO at about 800oC, and FeO is deoxidized to Fe at 1000oC-1025oC. Due to the very good heat absorbing properties of iron oxide pellets and anthracite fines, the selective and rapid heating of microwaves can rapidly raise the temperature of pellets and anthracite, and the iron oxide pellets can be rapidly reduced. In order to provide enough theoretical basis for direct reduction by microwave heating, this paper studies the temperature rising characteristics, behavior of the reduction reaction and the changes of the iron oxide pellets and anthracite in the microwave field."

Jan 1, 2011

By T. T. Natarajan, Nagy EI-Kaddah

"Numerical simulation of electromagnetic confinement systems generally requires large CPU time due to the strong coupling between the electromagnetic and the free boundary problems. The present paper examines the accuracy and the computational efficiency of the most common numerical schemes used in modeling such systems. Levitation melting was taken as a test case. In this study, a comparison was made between the finite element and surface integral methods for electromagnetic field calculations. The computational efficiency of Lagrange and the modified Hestenes methods for solving the free boundary problem were investigated. The convergence of the Lagrange method was found to be much faster than the modified Hestenes method. It was also found that finite element method not only gives accurate solutions, but faster convergence to the final equilibrium shape than the surface integral method. The applications and the limitations of these techniques in modeling electromagnetic confinement systems will be discussed.IntroductionIn recent years there has been a growing interest in the use of electromagnetic forces for confinement of molten metals as a means to eliminate molten metal contamination during melting and to improve surface quality of cast products. Continuous casting of metal without contact of a mold is now a reality, and is being commercially applied for casting of aluminum slabs /1/, and copper rods /2/. New applications of electromagnetic confinement in melting and casting include containerless melting (Magnetic Suspension Melting) /3/, edge containment in twin roll casting, and meniscus shape control in continuous casting of steel /4/.Modeling of confinement systems involves the determination of the electromagnetic field and the equilibrium shape. These two problems are strongly coupled due to the dependence of the field on the shape of the melt. While significant advances have been made in computational electromagnetics /5/, the application of developed computational techniques to electromagnetic confinement problems is not a simple task. The principal difficulty in using these methods is that the solution domain is not known a priori. due to coupling between the electromagnetic field and the free boundary problems. These two problems have to be solved simultaneously, leading to an iterative solution procedure. As a result, numerical simulation of electromagnetic confinement systems are computationally intensive with computational time at least an order of magnitude larger than the fixed domain problems."

Jan 1, 1994

By Jorge Alberto Soares Tenório, Denise Crocce Romano Espinosa, Viviane Tavares Moraes

"The development of mobile phone technology has increased the replacement of outdated equipments for more modern models, transforming disposal of such devices into a serious environmental problem. Recycling appears as an attractive alternative to minimize the environmental impact of disposing such large quantities. Recycling can be accomplished by treating the printed circuit boards of used mobile phones by using the same techniques used in ore treatments with hammer mill; magnetic separation, electrostatic separation and grain size range. Before performing the recycling process a PCB characterization was performed to identify the fraction with the higher metals concentration/content. This study demonstrated that the electrostatic separation was not the best metals concentration of PCB aiming the recycling, while the non-magnetic residue had presented a more significant metal concentration. Furthermore, after the magnetic separation was possible to separate the following metals: iron and nickel.IntroductionPortable electronic devices have gained increasing acceptance over the last decades. Mobile phones sales in Brazil, for instance, have reached 104 million in 2007, and 128 million in 2008. It is estimated that, around the world, 100 million mobiles are thrown away every year, either because of loss of functionality or because newer models are launched in the market [1,2, 3]. Printed circuit boards in mobile phones are made of many materials, with approximately 83% in weight being metals and fiber-glass, and the balance being plastics pl. Several metals can be recovered from the electronics waste, such as copper, tin, iron, lead, nickel, titanium, aluminium as well as some precious metals such as gold, silver and palladium [4, 5, 6, 7, 8]. Concurrent with the increasing world demand for copper, there average metal content in ores has been decreasing. Economically interesting copper mines used to have 4% metal content, whereas presently, such content is around 1%, i.e., for every 1 ton of ore extracted, only 10 kg are copper [9, 10]. Approximately 33% of printed circuit boards (PCBs) composition is copper, that is, for every 1 ton of PCBs waste, 330 kg are copper [1]. Research in recycling PCB waste focuses on mechanical, electrometallurgy, pyrometallurgical and hydrometallurgical processes [3, 8]. Collecting and recycling obsoletes electro-electronic equipments is very important these days, in order to, not just preserve the non renewable natural resources but also to keep the environment and the population safe from the pollution caused by the toxic materials and heavy metals present in this kind of waste."

Jan 1, 2011

By P. D. Navarro

The behavior and operability of LIX 1104SM extraction was studied at laboratory scale on the Solvent Extraction at Sb3+, from high concentration sulfuric acid. In order to evaluate the reactant batch tests were made at laboratory scale as well for extraction as for re-extraction of Sb3+. Experiences achieved were: extraction kinetics, temperature effects, selectivity tests and re-extraction selectivity. A extraction kinetics was found, reaching equilibrium in 2 min, high selectivity of Sb3+ extraction in front of Cue , existing As5+ co-extraction and Fe3+ At the re-extraction stage, equilibrium was reached in 3 min, getting high Sb3+ re-extraction efficiency with HCl concentrations within 6 and 8 M. A high selectivity was achieved on Sb3+ re-extraction in front of As+5, existing Fe+5 re-extraction.

Jan 1, 1999

By Maria Kuttig, Christian Ruback, Gerhard Tober, Petra Maier

"It has been demonstrated that there is a strong relationship between work hardening with various post heat treatment and cyclic deformation behavior of structural steel S275. This study contributes to a project developing a process for the complex forming of steel, which combines rolling and bending. Due to the complex geometry of the final work piece, the deformation degree varies greatly. The forming temperature, as well as post heat treatruent, influences recrystallization processes in dependence of the local deformation degree, resulting in inhomogeneous microstructure of the work piece, which affects the quasi-static and dynamic properties. Cyclic creep and hardening or softening has been monitored during constant amplitude loading at stresses near fatigue strength in normalized condition. Work hardening, stress relief or recrystallization influence the cyclic deformation behavior and produces cyclic creep effects. Cyclic softening or hardening and creep were observed to occur in parallel. To what extent these properties are noted depends on the deformation degree.IntroductionThis work is part of a research project developing a new process for the three dimensional forming of steel. For the final product the fatigue strength influenced by the forming parameters is very important. Due to its complex geometry, the formed final plate has different deformation degrees. This leads to different recrystallization behavior and heat treatruent will have different effects on the microstructure. The peak deformation degree cp of the plate will be around -0.5 what leads to the analysis using rolling from 22 mm to 13 mm of thickness. The quasi-static material properties are very important for calculating the preliminary design. However, work pieces which are cyclic loaded need fatigue tests to describe the in-service material behavior. [l] For the prediction and to guarantee the wanted life-time of the part cyclic deformation tests are important. [2, p.23-32] When it is assumed that the work piece will only loaded in cyclic tension, fatigue testing will be done from zero to a maximum force value. In preliminary tests this value is the tensile fatigue strength from a Smith diagram. During processing, here forming, work hardening takes place resulting in strengthening. Therefore, in further tests maximum load can be increased to monitor cyclic deformation mechanism in more detail. However, to study cyclic creep and hardening and softening data should be evaluate over sufficient life time and should not fracture too soon."

Jan 1, 2013

By Chai Li-yuan

The anodic behavior of AZ31 magnesium alloy in NaOH alkaline solution was investigated in this paper. The effects of anodizing parameters, such as applied current density, concentration of NaOH and temperature of the solution on the formation, structure and surface morphology of the anodic films were also studied. The formation of the anodic film was analyzed by analyzing the anodic polarization curves, the potential-time curves and XRD, SEM graphs of samples obtained at different anodizing time. The results of corrosion resistance tests, XRD and SEM observation showed that the temperature greatly affected the formation and anti-corrosion property of the anodic film, but the concentration of NaOH not. The film with best anti-corrosion resistance was obtained at applied current density of 10mA/cm2, 353k in 1mol/l NaOH solution.

Jan 1, 2006

By Jong-Oh Jo1

Thermodynamics of Ti, N and O in liquid iron was studied in order to establish a data base for the prediction of TiN and TiOx formation in liquid stainless steels containing various alloying elements including Cr, Ni and Si as a function of temperature. The interaction parameters of these elements on Ti and N were determined using the metal-nitride-gas equilibration technique. The TiN stability diagram for a commercial stainless steel grade was constructed from the measured thermodynamic parameters, and its validity was confirmed experimentally. The interaction parameters between Ti and O, and the equilibrium constants for Ti deoxidation reactions for the formation of Ti2O3 and Ti3O5 were also determined by the equilibration of the melts with those oxides identified by the XRD and the EPMA analyses.

Jan 1, 2006

By Jens Kristen Laursen

In 1999, Molymex S.A. de C.V. (Molymex), Mexico. (a company wholly owned by Molibdenos y Metales S.A. (Molymet), Chile) decided to install the Haldor Topsrae Wet gas Sulphuric Aicd (WSA) process for cleaning of the 4-5% SO2 off-gas from their molybdenum sulphide master in Cumpas, Mexico to produce sulphuric acid. The decision to install a WSA plant was based on the successful operation of a WSA plant at Molymet's molybdenum sulphide roaster in Santiago, Chile since 1993. This paper describes the process layout of the Cumpas plant, the operating experience of the Santiago plant, and the, differences in. process design between the two plants. It will furthermore summarise the applications of the WSA process for other roasting plants and smelters within the non-ferrous. metals industry producing metals such as copper, lead, and molybdenum.

Jan 1, 2002

By Banqiu Wu, Ramana G. Reddy, Robin D. Rogers

Experimental studies on aluminum recycling via electrolysis in ionic liquids were carried out at the temperature of 105°C. Impure aluminum was dissolved at the anode and pure aluminum was deposited on a copper cathode. The products were characterized using an optical microscope, micro-image analyzer, X-ray diffraction, emission spectrometer, and atomic absorption analyzer. The electrorefining process with a current density of 310 - 730 AJm2, and current efficiency of about 99% was obtained. Impurities such as Si, Cu, Zn, Fe, Mg, Cr, Ni, Mn and Pb were removed as anode residue. Impure aluminum was purified from 79.8wt% to 99.9wt%. At a cell voltage of 1 volt, the energy consumption of about 3 kWh/kg-Al was obtained. The process has advantages of low energy consumption and low pollutant emissions, compared with the current industrial refining process.

Jan 1, 2000

By Jesús L. Valenzuela

The solvent extraction for gold from alkaline cyanide solutions has been investigated using LIX 79 guanidine-based extractant. Different variables that could affect the extraction system were evaluated: equilibrium time, aqueous pH and extractant and modifier concentrations. The extraction isotherms of the aurocyanide complex with respect to other cyanoanions were compared and the following order of selectivity Au>Ag>Cu>Zn>>Fe was observed. From the pH isotherms it was found that aurocyanide can be extracted in alkaline media and a better separation with respect to other cyanoaniones was obtained in the range of 10.5 < pH < 11.2. Better selectivity was observed when using LIX 79 and tridecanol at 10% and 5% vol, respectively. Stripping gold from loaded organic was carried out at pH>12, using NaOH and NaCN solutions.

Jan 1, 2003

By Takeshi Yoshikawa

For the sake of effective control of titanium-compound inclusions in the steel-making processes, especially for stainless steel production, the influences of alloying elements of chromium, nickel, manganese, molybdenum, copper and oxygen on the thermodynamic property of titanium in molten iron were investigated at 1873K. At a certain titanium potential controlled by the coexistence of Ti3O5 and Ti2O3 doubly saturation of steels, the interaction parameters between alloying elements and titanium in molten iron were determined as follows. [ ] From the investigations on the equilibrium of titanium deoxidation in molten iron, the activity coefficient of titanium and the first order interaction parameter between oxygen and titanium were determined as follows. [ ] Also, deoxidation equilibrium for titanium in molten 304 stainless steel was measured and compared with the calculated results using the determined interaction parameters.

Jan 1, 2006

By R. J. Chesher, J. C. Anzalone, T. F. Krusmark

The BHP Copper Refinery at San Manuel, AZ employs conventional electro-refining technology, plating at a current density of 335 A/m2 on six kilogram copper starter sheets. In 1995, a combination of variable anode chemistries and increasing current density in the tankhouse created periods of increased bismuth in cathode. Bismuth in electrolyte was minimized by bleeding electrolyte to the nearby BHP leaching facility. However, the expected drop in cathode bismuth was not achieved. Investigations indicated that starter sheets contained a significant concentration of bismuth. The bismuth was found to occur in combination with antimony on the surface of the sheet adjacent to the mother blank. Studies were conducted to determine the mechanism by which Group VB elements are incorporated into the starte sheets. Operational practices were introduced to minimize bismuth in starter sheets and improve cathode quality.

Jan 1, 1997

By Björn Hinzel, Joachim Rösler

"The most important characteristic of open-pored metals is porosity, since it enables all of their functional applications as filters or sound absorbers. Due to the notch effect of the pores, mechanical properties of porous metals are better than the ones of comparable structures made of polymers or ceramics. Consequently, only open-pored metals can be used in aircrafts to reduce flow noise or noise resulting from the core engine by acoustic absorption. Absorption properties depend highly on pore size and porosity of the material, which must be characterized as precisely as possible in order to analyze the correlation between morphology and noise reduction performance. Here, a line segmenting method is explained in order to characterize pore size and porosity of absorber materials using image processing based on two dimensional microscopy images, including sample preparation and specification of the set-up. Then, the influence of the pore structure on the measured absorption behavior is discussed. Finally, the correlation of acoustic behavior, pore morphology, and porosity is outlined.IntroductionSignificant noise loads affect everyone causing anxiety, depression, insomnia and other effects which impair health and productivity [1],[2]. Due to the rising number of flights and aircrafts, air traffic noise increases dramatically. To counter this development, various approaches have been developed to reduce the different noise sources resulting from airframe, jet or engine [3],[4],[5],[6]. One approach to reduce this noise is the application of noise reducing liners in the hot gas path [7]. This is especially important, since the engine is becoming the dominant noise source of modern airplanes during take-off [8]. Due to the elevated temperatures and high fatigue loading in this part of the aero-engine, conventional passive absorber materials cannot be used. Polymers would not be able to bear the heat and ceramic fibers would crack under the mechanical loading due to the notch effect. Consequently, this study focuses on metals with open pores, which can resist elevated temperatures and fatigue loading and additionally resemble geometrically conventional passive absorbers. Based on the production processes, e.g. sintering of metal fibers [7], powder processing using a foaming agent [9], coating of polymer foams [10], or using melt infiltration techniques [11], the characteristic dimension of the porosity is usually in the range of 0.01-10mm. In this work, sintered metals and metal sponges are analyzed after the theory of sound absorption is briefly outlined. Then, measurements of the acoustic absorption of metal sponges and sintered metals in an impedance tube are performed. To understand and predict the acoustic properties of metals with open porosity, it is necessary to characterize the materials as precisely as possible. This is explained in detail using a line segmenting technique, followed by a discussion of the connection of pore characteristics and acoustic absorption. Finally, a conclusion is given."

Jan 1, 2012

By John A. Mavrogenes

The Texaco gasification system developed at the Monte Bello pilot plant efficiently bums petroleum-coke thereby producing syn-gas and electricity. This system produces more electricity than conventional burners, yet the only by-products are pharmaceutical grade sulfur and V -rich slag. Vanadium is known to exist in multiple valence states in compounds which possess a wide range of melting points and physical properties. Consequently, it becomes important to carefully regulate oxygen fugacity throughout the system in order to control vanadium valence state. Vanadium phase equilibria is presently poorly understood, in large part because of the multiple oxidation states of vanadium (-I, 0, +2, +3, +4, and +5) and the difficulty of unequivocally identifying the valence state(s) in many compounds. The operation of these gasifiers at approximately 1400°C is well above the melting point of V20S but considerably below the melting temperature of V02 and V 203. If J02 can be regulated to keep the burner within the V 205 field, slag material would more likely remain molten and more easily flow out of the bottom of the burner. In pure V oxides. the oxidation state is readily determined by microprobe analysis. where V20S (V+5) is 56% V, V02 (V+4) is 61.4% V, and V203 (V+3) is 68% V. However, V valence in multi-element phases (especially phases containing other elements of variable valence) cannot be resolved by microprobe analysis alone. Petroleum-coke gasification slags collected from within the gasifier under different oxidation conditions were studied by electron microprobe analysis (EMPA). X-ray diffraction (XRD). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Raman spectroscopy. Raman spectrometry in conjunction with microprobe analysis was found to resolve the valence of vanadium in the phases of these slags. Raman spectra collected from homogeneous single phase V-oxide standards in vacuum at low temperatures (-150°C) yielded peaks characteristic to each valence state. Gasifier slag samples are, however, much more complicated. Oxidized samples contain: fine grained (Ca. Mg, Fe. V) oxide matrix of variable composition, (Fe. V, Ni) spinel. (Fe, AI, V, Ni, Mg) spinel, V205laths, AI-Si glass blebs and Ni sulfides. Reduced samples contain: crystalline Ca-siIicate matrix, subhedral to euhedral (V, Fe, Mg, AI) spinel, subhedral V02, Fe and Fe-Ni sulfides, Fe-Ni alloys, and complex Ca-oxide matrix. The different spinel assemblages, the characteristic V-oxides and the distinctly different character of the matrices makes the oxidized and reduced slags readily discernible.

Jan 1, 1995

By M. M. Sadawy

"The increased rate of exploitation of iron ores has resulted in a rapid depletion of high-grade iron ore deposits in Egypt. New iron reserves have to be discovered to secure the iron ore for steel production. This paper aims to study the characterization and magnetic separation of low grade Aswan iron ore. The results showed that Aswan iron ore is composed of oolitic hematite, goethite, quartz and kaolinite. The screen analysis indicated that Aswan iron ore had a uniform distribution of iron and silica in the different particle size fractions and there is no any particle size has high amount of iron or low content of silica. On the other hand the results of dry high intensity magnetic separation illustrated that this technique is not suitable for upgrading this ore.IntroductionIron is one of the common metals used in industry, as well as being the fundamental raw material used in iron-steel industry; products are wide spread even in daily uses. The total iron ore reserves of the world have been estimated as 3 70 billion tones; 160 billion tones is classified as economical, while 210 billion tones as potentially economical [1]. An estimated 98% of the iron ore exploited in the world is used in the manufacture of pig iron and steel, which are non-substitutable backbones of modem society. The rapid increase of world steel production over the last few years have required an equal increase in iron ore production, from 876.8 Mt in 2006 to 948.1 Mt in 2007 [2]. The increased rate of exploitation of iron ores has resulted in a rapid depletion of known high-grade iron ore deposits. This, in turn, has led to a dramatic increase of prices. In the absence of any major new discoveries of high-grade iron ore deposits, mining companies have turned to lower-grade materials to assess their beneficiation potential to expand their production base and beneficiation capacity, in order to satisfy future demand. Egypt is going to face shortage in iron production, consequently new iron reserves have to be discovered to secure the iron needed for the country [3]. Exploitation of low grade ores requires special equipments and techniques for recovery of minerals values. High gradient magnetic separators offer promise and great potential of application both technologically and economically in the processing of fine particles containing weakly or feebly paramagnetic components [4-6]. Within this existing framework, this research was initiated to assess the beneficiation potential of low-grade Aswan iron ore by high intensity magnetic separation."

Jan 1, 2013

By Blas Melissari, Stavros A. Argyropoulos

"In this paper a computational approach was employed to estimate the melting of solid spheres immersed in different liquid metals and under different convective conditions. The spheres are made from the same material as the liquid metal. The SIMPLER algorithm was implemented using a three-dimensional system in Cartesian co-ordinates. Experimental validation of the dimensionless correlation was carried out in two fluids with vastly different Prandtl numbers. The dimensionless heat transfer coefficient (Nusselt number) is obtained as a function. of the Reynolds and Prandtl number.IntroductionThere is a paucity of dimensionless convective heat transfer correlations applicable to fluids like liquid metals. The existing correlations cover single Prandtl number metals [l] or at most two different Prandtl number metals [2]. A knowledge of heat transfer rates from particles at high flux levels has become increasingly important to the design of energy transfer systems. Melting of solid particles has been studied extensively as it relates to many engineering and environmental applications, such as materials processing, space applications, water resource and energy conversion. When objects are immersed in a fluid with a temperature higher than their melting point, they melt and produce molten material that then mixes with the surrounding fluid. These objects experience not only size variation but also changes in their shape. This observation is more pronounced when the melting occurs in a forced convective flow.Yuge performed pioneering experimental work on the heat transfer from a sphere to air under mixed convection [3]. He suggested procedures for predicting the Nusselt number. Hieber et al [4] studied the spherical system analytically, but their study was limited to flow with small Reynolds numbers. Many researchers studied the melting dynamics of ice spheres in water at different convective regimes. Aziz et al [5] and Hao et al [6] performed measurements of the heat transfer coefficient in the water system by measuring the melting time of ice spheres in forced convection. Hao et al [7] performed visualization studies of ice spheres melting in water under mixed convection regime. All of this groundbreaking work, however, did not involve the use of liquid metals"

Jan 1, 2004

By Y. Iguchi, T. Narushima, T. Shiozawa, M. Maruyama, R. Arashi

"In situ observation system for thermal oxidation using Raman spectroscopy' was constructed, and oxide films formed on liquid pure Al and Al-Mg alloys (Mg contents = 1 and 4 mass%) were analyzed at room temperature to 1273 K in dry oxygen. In situ Raman spectra of the surface of a liquid Al-:-4mass%Mg indicated the formation of MgO • AlP3 (spinel) as oxidation products, while a -AlP3 and MgO • Alz03 (spinel) were observed on a liquid Al-1mass%Mg alloy. It was suggested that the formation of MgO film affected oxidation behavior of these alloys.IntroductionLiquid aluminum alloys are cast to ingots mainly by the continuous casting process. It is well-.known that surface cracks could be caused by oxide films formed on the surface of melt during continuous casting and defects due to the film. With regard to oxidation behavior of liquid aluminum alloys, many investigations l -s have been carried out from the view point of formation of ceramic metal composites(CMC) which are expected as cutting tools and structural materials 1.2. It is very important for reasonable continuous casting and CMC formation processes to elucidate oxidation behavior of melts.Oxidation behavior of materials generally depends on compositions and properties of oxide films formed on the surface. If in situ observations of oxide films are available during oxidation, evaluation of oxide films and interpretation of oxidation mechanism could be expected. Laser Raman spectroscopy is one of the most appropriate techniques for in situ observation of oxide films under various atmosphere at high temperatures. The authors have discussed the effects of atmospheres and sample compositions on oxide film formation mechanism on Fe-Si alloy6 and SiC-B4C composite7 on basis of an in situ observation by Raman spectroscopy. In spite of many previous studies, systematic and clear explanations have never been gotten on oxidation behavior of liquid aluminum alloys. And no in situ observation has been made except for transmission electron microscopy(TEM) and X-ray diffraction(XRD)."

Jan 1, 1996

By Qionghua Zhou, Wei Liu

"Nanocrystalline silver bulk material with average grain size of 20.3 nm was prepared by warmvacuum- compaction method. The as-prepared nanocrystalline silver was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calarmeutry analysis (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TG), and 6157 type Electrometer test, respectivily. The experimental results show that the average grain size and microstrain of the nanocrystalline silver are 20.3 nm and 0.088%. The melting point and melting enthalpy are 1228.7 Kand 82.34 Jig, which are lower than that of coarse-grained silver by 6 Kand 22.6 Jig, respectively. The electrical resistivity of nanocrystlline silver increases with higher temperature when the range of temperature is between 233K and 293K. The electrical resistivity at 293 K is 1.475xlO -7 Q·m, which is higher than that of coarsegrained silver by a factor of 9.IntroductionN anocrystaline ( nc) materials or nano structured ( ns) materials are three-dimensional (3 D) bulk materials with average grain size typically smaller than 100 nm. Ne materials have been of great interest for their unique properties, such as superior tensile strength [1-2], high microhardness [3- 4], superplasticity [5-6], magnetically quasi-isotropic [7-8] , and so on, making them one of the most promising nano-scale materials with wide applications. Ne materials with average grain size of 5-10 nm were firstly fabricated by Gleiter et al. [9] in 1980s, using inert gas condensation (IGC) method. Unfortunately, the large surface to volume ratio creates a high surface energy component in the total free energy of the system and results in a metastable state in the materials. Therefore, due to the signfica nt disordered grain boundary regions, nanomaterials are thermally unstable and are subjected to a strong driving force for grain growth. The grain growth even occurred at room temperature [10].The conflict or deviation of measured date, e.g. strength, microhardness, thermal stability, partly due to the grain boundary ratio or the distribution of grain size, and partly derived from imperfections such as voids and microcracks while earlier processing techniques are known to result in incomplete dens:fication [11-12]. Therefore, the higher quality samples produced in subsequently years still show such a general trend."

Jan 1, 2011

By Maria Margarida Lima, Maria Lucelinda Cunha, Dora Algarvio

"The main goal of the present work is the quality improvement of the recycled aggregates produced by a construction and demolition waste (C&DW) recycling facility located in Montemor-o-Novo, Portugal. The recycling process was developed on a pilot plant scale with 50 t/h of capacity. Process operations are the hammer mill comminution, magnetic separation and screening.In order to improve the knowledge on the C&DW, a characterization procedure was implemented by hand-sorting, magnetic and density separation on representative samples. On the other hand, to improve the quality of the produced aggregates, the bar screen size fractions were analysed, according to the Portuguese Standard (NP EN 933-1 2000).Wood was identified as the critical contaminant, representing 17% by weight of the total contaminants. Sieving results showed that about 97%, 76%, 56%, 98% and 57% were on the correct size range, which lower results are probably due to the type of screens and/or the material characteristics of the recycled aggregates.IntroductionThe construction and demolition waste problemConstruction and demolition waste (C&DW) is generated by the construction activity, resulting from both, buildings or other structures construction and old structures demolition. As a reference, it can be told that C&DW comprises about 40 to 50% of rubbish (concrete, asphalt, bricks, blocks and dirt), 20 to 30% of wood and related products and 20 to 30% of miscellaneous wastes [1]. In Portugal, C&DW is classified in the LER (Portuguese nick name for the European Waste List), Chapter 17, and includes a diversity of wastes, like concrete, bricks, ceramics, bricks, wood, glass, plaster, copper, zinc, lead, iron, steel, as well as insulation and roofing materials. C&DW stream has several characteristics which make it particularly difficult to deal with and are summarized in the following five items.(1) Lack of information on quantities generated: In Portugal, the C&DW sector has been neglected over the past years, which meant that there are not consistent information concerning the quantities and composition of these wastes yet. Several estimates, based in different assumptions, indicate different results, which may vary from 219 Mt to 10 931 Mt [2]."

Jan 1, 2008

By Kenji Monden

"In order to obtain basic data for the development of highly thermally conductive composite materials, the thermal conductivity of a resin composite material with an Aluminum Nitride filler was assessed. Several different measurement techniques such as the xenon flash and the temperature wave thermometric analysis method were employed to gather data on these composites. An excellent match between theoretical and experimental data was achieved by employing a predictive expression that takes into account the effect of percolation on thermal conductivity.IntroductionA thermal solution composite is made by incorporating dense inorganic fillers with high thermal conductivity into a resin. Because the composite materials have high thermal conductivities, they have been used in electrical products that generate excessive thermal energy during operation, such as inverters, amplifiers and motor drivers. They function as electrically insulating and thermally conducting parts of the electric modules. As the uses of thermal solutions are expanded, composites of higher thermal conductivities will be required. The aim of this work was to investigate, evaluate, and try to predict the influence of key parameters on thermal conductivity and diffusivity. This was achieved by analyzing the effect of both volume fraction and shape of Aluminum Nitride ceramic fillers and measuring the thermal conductivity. In addition, the influence of percolation on thermal conductivity is considered. The thermal conductivity of the composites is discussed by employing a predictive equation using literature data of thermal conductivities for both the filler and resin. As well as thermal conductivity measurements the effect of volume fraction of the filler was also explored.ExperimentalSpecimen PreparationThe composite samples were prepared from silicone resin and Aluminum Nitride (AlN) fillers. The AlN fillers with an average particle size of 20 µm are shown in Figure 1. The mean diameters of the AlN particles used are given in Table I. For comparison the AlN fillers with an average particle size of 5 µm are shown in Figure 2. A planetary centrifugal mixer was used for simultaneously dispersing the components uniformly and de-aerating the mixture. After mixing, these materials were placed in a silicone rubber case and cured at 150 °C for 1 hour."

Jan 1, 2013