New Directions in Mineral Processing, Extractive Metallurgy, Recycling and Waste Minimization: An EPD Symposium in Honor of Patrick R. Taylor: High Temperature Fundamentals
Sponsored by: Society for Mining Metallurgy and Exploration, TMS Extraction and Processing Division, TMS: Pyrometallurgy Committee, TMS: Hydrometallurgy and Electrometallurgy Committee, TMS: Materials Characterization Committee, TMS: Energy Committee, TMS: Recycling and Environmental Technologies Committee
Program Organizers: Ramana Reddy, University of Alabama; Corby Anderson, Colorado School of Mines; Erik Spiller, Colorado School of Mines; Edgar Vidal, NobelClad; Camille Fleuriault, Eramet Norway; Alexandra Anderson, Gopher Resource; Mingming Zhang, Baowu Ouyeel Co. Ltd; Christina Meskers, SINTEF
Tuesday 8:00 AM
March 21, 2023
Room: 33C
Location: SDCC
Session Chair: Alexandra Anderson, Gopher Resource; Camille Fleuriault, Eramet Norway
8:00 AM Invited
Simulation and Post Mortem Studies: The Holistic Approach for Optimized and Engineered Lining Concepts: Dean Gregurek1; Günter Unterreiter1; Clemens Lind1; Alfred Spanring1; Ulrich Marschall2; 1RHI Magnesita; 2RHI Magnesita GmbH
Copper smelting furnaces are typically lined with magnesia-chromite refractories. This paper evaluates the common refractory wear mechanisms of infiltration, spalling and chemical attack as observed in the copper anode furnace. All these wear parameters lead to severe degeneration of the brick microstructure and to a decreased lining life. Additionally, the influence of infiltration on the thermal conductivity and temperature field on a simplified furnace lining was investigated by means of numerical simulation. A steady state heat transfer finite element analysis was conducted using a theoretical model of a cross-section of the furnace. Two cases with different material properties were considered. The first case considered virgin lining and the second a lining with deep slag infiltrations. Accordingly, a detailed investigation and understanding of the wear mechanisms through “post mortem studies” in conjunction with numerical simulations is an important prerequisite for the refractory producer.
8:30 AM
Mixture Solidification Model for Simulation of Freeze Lining: Christian Rodrigues1; Menghuai Wu1; Andreas Ludwig1; 1University of Leoben
In pyrometallurgy, reactors are typically lined with a refractory lining. However, owing to the extreme thermal and chemical conditions to which they are subjected, refractories degrade over time and often need to shut down for lining replacement. In many cases, the solution lies in the deliberate formation of a solidified layer on the reactor wall, i.e. freeze lining. This provides protection against the corrosive nature of liquid slags. The need to understand and control slag freeze lining formation is more important than ever, considering the current trend of metal demand increase, which requires higher production rates and thus more aggressive bath dynamics and faster degradation. A three-dimensional mixture solidification model was developed to simulate fluid flow, heat flux, and slag solidification. The model was used to predict freeze lining evolution in electric smelting furnaces and fuming furnaces. The goal is to share the preliminary results with the community.
8:50 AM
A Kinetic Description of Physico-chemical Processes Taking Place in the Burden of HCFeMn Submerged Arc Furnaces: Ainur Nigmetova1; Haoxue Han1; Astrid Hecquet1; Bertil Farjaudon1; Gilles Nussbaum1; 1Eramet Ideas
The pre-reduction reactions of high Mn-oxides in Comilog and Nchwaning manganese ores, have long been investigated because of their potential to reduce both the specific energy and coke consumptions of FeMn alloys. However, the performances of most industrial furnaces do not beneficiate from fully completed pre-reduction reactions. In this context, a new incremental approach, using experimental and numerical tool, is developed to investigate the mechanisms involved from the micro-scale to the industrial scale using experimental tools from the laboratory set-ups to pilot equipment. The pre-reduction optimization study was started at the micro-scale. Results of the lab-scale trials on both ores at different temperatures, CO/CO2 ratios and the numerical model simulating the kinetics and heat transfer of the pre-reduction reactions will be presented. The main kinetic parameters have been identified from the lab-scale trials using the numerical model, compared to the literature, and interpreted to explain physico-chemical behavior of pre-reduction.
9:10 AM
Lanthanum-light Metal Alloys Production using Secondary Resources - Thermodynamic Analysis: Ahmad Rizky Rhamdani1; M. Akbar Rhamdhani1; Geoffrey Brooks1; Mark I. Pownceby2; Yudi Nugraha Thaha3; Trevor Abbott1; John Grandfield4; Chris Hartley5; 1Swinburne University of Technology; 2CSIRO; 3National Research and Innovation Agency; 4Grandfield Technology Pty Ltd; 5Platina Resources
Rare-earth-elements (REE) can be used as alloying agents to improve the properties of aluminum alloys. REE are often added in the metallic form to produce the alloys, but the high cost of REE metals make the alloys expensive thus limiting their application. An alternative way to make REE-Al alloys is by reacting REE oxides with light metals. For this route, secondary light-metal resources, such as aluminum dross, have the potential to be used to reduce the cost of alloy production and at the same time limit waste generation. In this study, a systematic thermodynamic evaluation of aluminum-lanthanum (Al-La) alloy production using lanthanum oxide (La2O3) and different light-metal secondary resources was carried out. Three different Al dross compositions were evaluated, each with different metal/metal oxide ratios. Based on the analysis, Al dross can successfully be used as the starting material for this process. The La2O3 (10 wt% of total charge) was completely reduced in all simulated compositions. Additional calculations were carried out to simulate a process in a Rotary Salt Furnace (RSF). From this analysis, the use of chloride salts is predicted to only slightly reduce the yield, but the use of fluoride salts should be avoided.
9:30 AM Break
9:50 AM
Selective Chlorination as an Innovative Extraction Method for Valuable Metals from Iron Containing Matrix: Stefan Steinlechner1; Kerrin Witt1; Lukas Höber1; 1Montanuniversität Leoben
In different nonferrous metal producing industry sectors the impurity element iron has to be removed from the process solution. Examples are the jarosite or goethite from nickel or zinc production but also the red mud from aluminum production. Regardless of environmental concerns the material is land filled in almost any case, although valuables such as indium, silver, gold, nickel, or zinc are present in considerable amounts. Within the presented research a low carbon dioxide emitting multi-metal recovery from such iron containing residues by means of a selective chlorination extraction has been fundamentally evaluated by experiments but also by comprehensive thermodynamic calculations. The paper summarizes the thermodynamic fundamental concept exploited to separate the dominating iron matrix from the valuable elements and shows verification experiments in a lab size of several grams.
10:10 AM
Decarbonizing Steelmaking: Nanoscale Mechanisms in H2-Based Reduction of Iron Oxides: Lauren Moghimi1; Xueli Zheng1; Subhechchha Paul1; Fan Zhang2; Leora Dresselhaus-Marais1; 1Stanford University; 2National Institute of Standards and Technology
Steel manufacturing today is responsible for 8% of global CO2 emissions and is an industry that is difficult to decarbonize. Of the 4 gigatonnes of CO2 generated in steelmaking, 64% originates from iron ore reduction. Hydrogen-based direct reduction (HyDR) is a carbon-neutral approach to reduce iron ores to produce steel, far below iron’s melting point. Many studies have modeled the kinetics of HyDR of iron oxides; however, significant variation demonstrates a highly sensitive system, arising from competition between chemical driving forces. To unify these kinetics over the full extent of reactor-relevant conditions requires detailed multiphysics kinetics models. We will present our work using in-situ X-ray measurements to quantify the mechanisms and associated kinetics in H2-based reduction of Fe3O4 and our application of that data to build new kinetics models. From our work, we can begin to describe the nanoscale reduction mechanisms that underlie the kinetics of reactor-scale HyDR.
10:30 AM
High Vacuum Solar Thermal Dissociation for Metal and Oxide Extraction: Matthew Shaw1; Geoffrey Brooks1; M. Akbar Rhamdhani1; Alan Duffy1; Mark Pownceby2; 1Swinburne University of Technology; 2CSIRO
The current increased interest in space-based mineral and metal extraction technology, and the increased likelihood of establishing research type facilities on the Lunar surface, allow for an ideal platform for high vacuum metallurgical research. The current work examines the viability of a thermal dissociation processes for metal and oxide extraction from both beneficiated and un-beneficiated feedstocks. The thermal dissociation of lunar regolith simulants and pure oxides is demonstrated using a bespoke vacuum reactor in the Swinburne solar simulator. Specific focus is given to sub-liquidus operation and thus the sublimation of oxides under these vacuum conditions. In this talk we will cover the thermodynamic and kinetic considerations, as well as the practical demonstration of such a process. This work demonstrates a potential novel extraction technique for space-based resource extraction as well as the exciting potential presented by the natural vacuum conditions on the Moon when considering future high vacuum metallurgical research.
10:50 AM
Development of Dynamic Model of Collision and Coalescence for Molten Matte Droplets in Copper Smelting Reaction Shaft Considering Interfacial Deformation: Yuko Goto1; Shungo Natsui2; Hiroshi Nogami2; 1Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd.; 2Tohoku University
In the flash furnace for copper smelting, copper loss in the slag is an economically important topic. It is known that the matte droplets size, one of the major factors of mechanically entrained copper loss, is complicatedly determined by the local number density, initial size and chemical composition of concentrate. Numerical simulation based on dynamic model can clarify the various factors’ effects instead of experimental approach restricted in industrial high temperature field. In this study, collision and coalescence behavior of the large number of droplets consisted of matte and slag with various size assumed in the flash smelting reaction shaft is specifically calculated by smoothed particle hydrodynamics method considering interfacial deformation. This numerical simulation visualizes interfacial deformation of droplet, coalescence of matte and interference of slag, and it showed that the interfacial energy has a great effect on the size growth of the matte.
11:10 AM
Kinetic Study of Reduction of ZnFe2O4: Xuefeng Bai1; Chengbo Wu1; Yang Wang1; Zhihui Guo1; 1Chongqing University
In actual production, the reduction of ZnFe2O4 is mostly carried out above 1000℃. Therefore, the kinetics of Zn and Fe reduction in the carbothermic reduction of ZnFe2O4 above 1000℃ were studied based on the "unreacted nucleus model" and diffusion theory. The effects of different reduction temperatures on the reduction rates of Zn and Fe at 1000℃, 1050℃, 1100℃ and 1150℃ were investigated in detail. The results show that internal diffusion is the limiting link in the reduction process of zinc oxide in the system, and the apparent activation energy is 218.832 kJ.mol-1; the interfacial chemical reaction is the limiting link of the reduction of iron oxide in the system, and the apparent activation energy is 218.832 kJ.mol-1. It is 111.133kJ.mol-1. According to the research results, the macroscopic kinetic equation of Zn, Fe reduction was established.