Recycling and Sustainability for Emerging Technologies and Strategic Materials: Recycling & Process Optimization II
Sponsored by: TMS Extraction and Processing Division, TMS Light Metals Division, TMS: Recycling and Environmental Technologies Committee
Program Organizers: John Howarter, Purdue University; Mingming Zhang, Baowu Ouyeel Co. Ltd; Elsa Olivetti, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Hong (Marco) Peng, University of Queensland
Wednesday 2:00 PM
March 17, 2021
Room: RM 24
Location: TMS2021 Virtual
Session Chair: Mingming Zhang, ArcelorMittal Global R&D
2:00 PM
Ecodesign and Strategic Design of Alloys by Combinatorial Optimisation: Franck Tancret1; Madeleine Bignon1; Edern Menou2; Gérard Ramstein1; Emmanuel Bertrand1; Pedro Rivera-Diaz-Del-Castillo3; 1University Of Nantes; 2Safran; 3Lancaster University
Within a “green metallurgy” approach, we propose to use “sustainable metallurgy” criteria as of the design stage of new alloys. They allow to maximise the fraction of recycled materials entering the formulation of alloys and their recyclability, minimise the environmental impact of used raw materials (embodied energy, carbon footprint, water consumption…), and minimise the geopolitical risk of supply of these metals as well as the volatility of their price on international markets. Within the frame of a genetic algorithm multi-objective optimisation, these new criteria are added to microstructural criteria obtained through physical models of phase formation or transformations, and/or to thermomechanical properties predicted by data mining / machine learning. Examples are given in the domain of nickel-based superalloys and titanium alloys, with the design of materials presenting the best possible trade-offs between, depending on cases, mechanical behaviour, microstructural characteristics, corrosion resistance, cost and volatility, supply risk and environmental impact.
2:20 PM
Hydrometallurgical Recycling of Bauxite Residue: Himanshu Tanvar1; Brajendra Mishra; 1Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Alumina production through Bayer’s process results in generation of tremendous amount of toxic waste called red mud or bauxite residue. Production of 1 to 3 ton of alumina requires 3.3 to 6 ton of bauxite ore, which results in production of 1.5 to 4 ton residue. The annual production of bauxite residue reaching 120 million ton raises concern regarding handling, storage, and recycling. Presence of toxic heavy metals, high soda content, and fine particle size makes it detrimental for plant and life forms. Bauxite residue is rich in valuable metallic oxides of aluminum (5 – 40 wt%), iron (10 – 60 wt%), titanium (1 – 15 wt%), and rare earth (10 – 150 ppm). However, the complex structure and interlocking of different elemental phases make the separation process difficult. The following research is focused on hydrometallurgical recovery of different products (high purity magnetite, alumina, rare earth oxides) from bauxite residue.
2:40 PM
Investigation of Ionic Liquids Isolated Iron for Ductile Iron Castings: Blake Stewart1; Haley Doude1; Morgan Abney2; Eric Fox2; Jennifer Edmunson2; Hongjoo Rhee1; 1Mississippi State University; 2National Aeronautics and Space Administration
As research continues for missions beyond low-Earth orbit, in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) methods are critical. For Lunar and Martian colonization, the ability to manufacture mechanical and structural components with local resources is essential. Ionic liquids (IL) are being studied at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) to harvest elemental metals from meteorites and regolith oxides. In this investigation, the viability of casting ductile iron using ionic liquids sourced iron and nickel was explored given ductile iron’s range of applications and performance as an as-cast alloy. Ingots were produced using commercial elements to simulate the use of IL iron with carbon sourced from the by-products of a life support system currently tested at MSFC. Samples were cast and compared to commercial ductile iron with phase transformation diagrams, microstructures, and hardness. Results showed ionic liquids sourced elements are a viable source of elemental alloying materials for a range of ductile iron alloys.
3:00 PM
Uncertainty Analysis and Reduction for Environmental Impact Modeling of Emerging Manufacturing Technologies: Jiankan Liao1; Daniel Cooper1; 1University of Michigan
Reliable environmental impact models of emerging manufacturing technology are needed in order to compare new and traditional processes and to identify research priorities. We use a data-driven approach to tailor generalized mechanistic process impact models to a specific machine with the model uncertainties quantified and then reduced using Bayesian inference and the principles of optimal experimental design. We demonstrate the approach by modeling the primary energy requirements in metal laser powder bed fusion. Forward error propagation is used to quantify the overall uncertainty in the results before a Sobol indices analysis is used to reduce the dimensionality of the problem. Bayesian inference is used to reduce the uncertainty in unobservable parameters (e.g., the adiabatic efficiency) using experimental build time data from a specific machine; thus, reducing the overall uncertainty. The updated model is used to guide future research priorities for reducing environmental impacts.