Non-ferrous Metal Production Research Articles

Oxidation mechanism of pyrite concentrates (PCs) under typical circulating fluidized bed (CFB) roasting conditions and design principles of PCs’ CFB roaster

The circulating fluidized bed (CFB) roasting process is a promising way to utilize pyrite concentrates (PCs) which are byproducts in nonferrous metal production processes. The oxidation mechanism of PCs was investigated under typical CFB roasting conditions with the temperature of 850 °C and oxygen concentration of 1–21% on a drop tube furnace. The oxidation reaction pathway and products of PCs are strongly coupled with particle morphology evolution, which affects the oxygen diffusion from the particle surface to the core. A reaction path model of PC oxidation coupled with particle morphology evolution under CFB roasting conditions was proposed. The initial relatively slow oxidation of the porous particle structure followed by the relatively fast oxidation for complete oxidation was demonstrated to be the ideal reaction path for the CFB roasting operation of PCs. The critical issue for PCs roasting in the CFB reactor is to inhibit the particle temperature rise in dense phase region to avoid the formation of compact solid spheres. The flow and reaction behaviors of PC particles in CFB reactor naturally follow the ideal reaction path and make the CFB roasting technology feasible. Finally, the design principles of PCs CFB roasting process were suggested.

Automation of design for dynamic loading at the designing stage of mining machinery

Meeting the growing needs of the state’s economy for the raw materials needed for the production of ferrous and non-ferrous metals accelerates the technical re-equipment of the mining industry through the introduction of new, more powerful equipment. This circumstance determines the urgency in the automation of calculations at the design stage of mining machines. The originality of the developed software product is in consideration of the actual loads acting in the working equipment of a career excavator. Actual dynamic loads significantly exceed their calculated values, which leads to an increased number of structural element failures. At the design stage, with the use of the developed program, it is possible to establish rational cross-sectional dimensions of the handle metalwork taking into account the actual loads arising during the rock mass excavation and stress concentrators.

Historical reconstruction of anthropogenic lead pollution in Lake Yangzong, Yunnan province, southwest China

Lake Yangzong, one of nine lakes in Yunnan Province, has experienced both steady and instantaneous inputs of heavy metals during the past several decades. During this study, the chronology of lead (Pb) pollution was analyzed by extracting a 60 cm long sediment core from the center of the lake, dating the sediments using 120Pb and 137Cs methods and analyzing the sediments for lead concentrations. The atmospheric deposition of Pb was predominately related to coal and ore consumption from a nearby aluminum manufacturer and thermal power plant and it may be considered non-point source pollutants. Combining the results of Pb isotopic compositions and Pb concentration and Igeo value, we deduced that the anthropogenic Pb was primarily be attributed to regional emissions from non-ferrous metal production industries.

Integrated purchasing and production planning for a non-Ferrous metal production network

Non-ferrous metal producers usually face a high number of planning alternatives due to the high complexity of the planning and production processes in global multi-plant networks. So far, no optimization-based planning approach exists that captures this complexity by considering purchasing and raw material shipments as well as the allocation of material flows in the network while securing a multitude of plant-specific process restrictions. In this paper, we develop a generalized integrated purchasing and production planning model that captures all these characteristics. We apply this model to an industrial case study for a copper production network of the Aurubis AG. Based on this case study, we highlight the economic benefits of integrated purchasing and production planning as well as the allocation of material flows in the multi-plant production network. Our results show a significant improvement of the total contribution margin and underline the benefits of the presented approach.

Source apportionment of airborne PCDD/F at industrial and urban sites in Busan, South Korea

Long-term atmospheric measurement of 17 total (gaseous and particulate) polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) has been made from 2007 to 2016 at five industrial and urban sites in Busan, South Korea, based on their persistence, bioaccumulation, and toxicity. In the present study, two pooled datasets covering a combination of 2 industry sites and 3 urban sites have been subjected to positive matrix factorization (PMF) to identify and quantify the major sources of PCDD/Fs. Additionally, PMF has been applied to the industrial urban dataset consisting of both polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and PCDD/Fs. The results show that the sum of PCDD/F mass (Σ17PCDD/Fs) at the industrial sites is determined by five major sources: non-ferrous metal production (33.7%), diesel vehicle emissions (30.2%), ferrous metal production (22.4%), other industrial emissions (11.1%), and traffic emissions (2.6%), while the PAH mass (Σ16PAHs) is predominantly associated with emissions from coal combustion, followed by traffic emissions. At the urban sites, the largest contribution to the Σ17PCDD/Fs was observed from transported emissions being emitted from metallurgical industry (75.5%), followed by diesel vehicle emissions (24.5%). The application of congener-specific toxicity to PCDD/F mass (Σ17fg I-TEQ Sm−3) indicates enhanced contributions from the ferrous metallurgical emission factor associated with penta- and hexa-chlorinated furans across the study sites.

Вязкость расплавов систем B2O3-CaO-NiO (FeO)

Structure of the B2O3 melt was analyzed as well as CaO modifier additives (25, 34, and 45 mass %) effect to it. As was proved, non-ring groups of associated rings proper to pure B2O3 are transformed into BO2O – metaborate triangles. The released oxide ions increase the coordination number of modifying ions, which occupy cationic vacancies place in the most disordered part of the melt greed. The B2O3–CaO–NiO and B2O3–CaO–FeO melts viscosity were measured by the method of vibration viscometry. Ratio of Boron to Calcium oxide mass fractions was taken as 3/1 and content of Nickel and Iron oxides in the range up to 5 and 20 % mass respectively. The experiments had been carried out using vibration viscometer operating in the mode of forced oscillations. The melt temperature was measured by Platinum –Platinum – Rhodium thermocouple. The measurements were carried out in cooling mode of the melt from 1800 K at 7-10 K/min speed. The viscosity temperature dependencies as well as its dependence on Nickel and Iron oxides were determined. Data processing was performed using the Table curve application software. Viscosity experimental data of the B2O3-CaO-NiO system melts for 1373, 1423, 1473, 1523, 1573 K temperatures have been described by the equation: η = a + b·exp(-cx), and for B2O3 – CaO – FeO melts by equation: η = a + b·x2 + c·exp (x) + d·exp(-x). Experimental data and calculations results show good convergence. The results are supposed to be used for describing the kinetics of metal reduction in bubbling processes, accompanied by the concentrations change of the oxides under reduction. The obtained information is useful for correction the slag melts properties in non-ferrous metal production.

Domestic pottery sherds used in non-ferrous metalworking: a study from early medieval Prague

Among archaeometallurgical remains from Prague of the tenth and eleventh centuries AD, attention has been focused on a single type of finds: fragments of common ceramic kitchenware secondarily utilised in assaying ores and in the production and refinement of non-ferrous metals. Fifteen samples from several sites were selected for EDS-SEM analyses of various parts of glassy, slaggy and metallic coatings, of metallic prills and of the primary and secondary mineral phases in these solidified melts. Variable intermediate products of silver and gold extraction were identified, as were examples of the successful cupellation and refinement of these metals. The secondary utilisation of silver scrap has been ruled out by the chemical composition of the coatings on the majority of sherds with a significant Ag content. In contrast, substantial concentrations of other metallic elements (e.g. Bi, Sn) and coatings of Cu- and Fe-sulphide mixtures in some samples correspond to the early stages of the metallurgical processing of non-ferrous metals (ore concentrates) or initial metallurgical intermediate products.

Technical and commercial communication methods used in semi-finished industrial goods market in South East European markets

South East European industrial markets are crossing a period of strong development. This progress is also strongly felt by industrial suppliers, including semi-finished non-ferrous metal products traders. Industrial marketing presents a lot of features which differs from the consumers marketing. Analyzing these markets one can observe an increased communication between sales teams and buying centers. This communication has two major line: technical and commercial. Buying teams, which include very often engineers, need special, detailed and customized technical information related to products, delivery and payment conditions etc. The clarity and efficiency of this communication is one of the key factors of commercial success on industrial markets. In our paper we intend to analyze the communication methods, channels preferred on the mentioned markets, focusing on the interaction of personal and digital communication and other issues which are specific for industrial marketing. Research methods include: on site observations of sales teams, back office analyses of industrial suppliers’ websites, professional in-depth interviews. Our goal is to deeply understand the trends and interactions of different communication methods and channels on this field and to propose new concepts in order to improve this communication.

Preliminary release inventories of unintentionally generated dl-PCB and HCB from sources in China: Base year 2015

This research presents release inventories of unintentionally generated dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (dl-PCB) and hexachlorobenzene (HCB), which so far have not been developed or assessed. For the inventory development, the amended Toolkit methodology as developed for reporting under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, has been applied. Based on the activity rate (AR) obtained from various statistical yearbooks, reports, or scientific literature, and the emission factors (EFs) suited to each technology level, we estimated the preliminary release inventories of unintentionally produced dl-PCB and HCB from 36 source categories in China for the reference year 2015. The result showed that in 2015, 656 g TEQ of unintentionally produced dl-PCB and 2,145,504 g (or 2146 kg) of unintentionally generated HCB were released in China from these 36 source categories. Most of dl-PCB and HCB was released to air, 71% or 60%, respectively. For comparison – and for the sources which could be estimated for all three unintentional POPs – the total releases of PCDD/PCDF were 5695 g TEQ per year. Of these, 78% were released to air. For dl-PCB and HCB, the vast majority of the releases from the source group 7 – Production and use of consumer goods - is found in the products and not in air. With respect to source attribution and releases to air, the source groups SG3 - Heat and power generation and SG2 - Ferrous and non-ferrous metal production dominate the air emission inventory. Due to the lack of EFs, the calculated releases to the water and land were not well covered, which overall results in an underestimation of the total releases for all unintentional POPs.For comparison, the release inventories from Japan and from several other countries that were developed using methodologies other than the UNEP Toolkit are presented as well.

Environmental Protection Improvement of Fabric-Filter Cleaning of Process and Ventilation Gases at the Kazzinc LLC Ust-Kamenogorsk Metallurgical Complex

The Ust-Kamenogorsk Metallurgical Complex (UKMC) is an independent division of Kazzinc LLC with a closed-loop manufacturing process. The company is primarily engaged in production of rare nonferrous metals and alloys. RFG and URFM bag filter models are the most commonly used at UKMC. Bag regeneration is by blowback and shaking; the filters have been in operation for over 50 years, and the residual dust content is 10–15 mg/m3 of gas. The company is actively working to upgrade these filters through introduction of a pulsed bag regeneration system to increase gas throughput by 50% and reduce the residual dust content to a maximum of 1 mg/m3 of gas. The authors’ proposed upgrade of the URFM-1 filter to FRKI-3800 filters will reduce fugitive intake of ambient air by 15% and lower atmospheric emissions of lead-containing dust by 4 metric tons/yr. The annual cost savings from the upgrade will exceed 40 million tenge (approximately 116,000 U.S. dollars), in the form of reduced emission fees and lower electric power consumption for handling process gases.

Potential sources of unintentionally produced PCB, HCB, and PeCBz in China: A preliminary overview

Under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), China is required not only to reduce polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/PCDF) but also unintentionally produced polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and pentachlorobenzene (PeCBz). A baseline of the sources in China that generate these unintentional POPs is needed for both research and regulation purposes. In this paper, we have compiled production data of potential sources in China and assessed them in five-year intervals from 2000 to 2015. Most of these activities experienced changes from rapid growth to slow growth. Measured data for PCB, HCB and PeCBz in samples collected from potential sources in China were reviewed. Most information was associated to thermal processes with high potential of emission, including waste incineration and ferrous and non-ferrous metal production. In addition, high levels of PCB, HCB and PeCBz were found as impurities in a few chlorinated products or as by-products in solvent production, which suggested organochlorine industry might be important sources. Finally, based on the studies reviewed, recommendations for future actions in research and policy as well as a few regulatory issues in China are discussed.

Analysis of recycling of non-ferrous metals as a part of recycling of sea-going ships

The object of research is the processes of recycling non-ferrous metals in the recycling of sea-going ships. Recycling is the main direction for development of non-ferrous metallurgy. As the world experience shows, the use of secondary raw materials is more economically effective and environmentally safer than the use of primary resources. One of the most problematic places is the lack of recycling and modern environmental recycling technologies in Ukraine. In the study, the analysis method was used to study the dynamics of copper production in the world and the method of classification when considering the properties, the use of non-ferrous metals in shipbuilding, and also when identifying potential consumers of non-ferrous metals . In paper the analysis of properties of non-ferrous metals used in ship-building is carried out, their application in a ship design is shown. The analysis of enterprises of Ukraine, which are the main potential consumers of non-ferrous metals, as recyclables, is carried out. The largest non-ferrous metal processing plant in Ukraine – OJSC «Non-Ferrous Metals Processing Plant» (Bakhmut) – uses only non-ferrous scrap as its raw material. The rationale for the role of secondary scrap in the development of the production of non-ferrous metals in Ukraine is obtained. The dynamics of copper production in the world is analyzed. It is emphasized that the methodology used in Ukraine for assessing the benefits of different recycling classes is obsolete and does not allow correctly calculating the revenue and expenditure parts and assessing the risks. Due to the changes in the integrated approach in assessing the economic efficiency of the use of new technologies in production, the adoption of the state program for the recycling of sea-going ships can provide an increase in annual profits, the period of recoupment of costs, profitability, and the percentage of non-ferrous metal recycling.

Atmospheric depositions of natural and anthropogenic trace elements on the Guliya ice cap (northwestern Tibetan Plateau) during the last 340 years

A continuous record of 29 trace elements (TEs) has been constructed between 1650 and 1991 CE (Common Era) from an ice core retrieved in 1992 from the Guliya ice cap, on the northwestern Tibetan Plateau. Enrichments of Pb, Cd, Zn and Sb were detected during the second half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century (∼1850–1950) while enrichments of Sn (1965–1991), Cd and Pb (1975–1991) were detected during the second half of the 20th century. The EFs increased significantly by 20% for Cd and Sb, and by 10% for Pb and Zn during 1850–1950 relative to the pre-1850s. Comparisons of the Guliya TEs data with other ice core-derived and production/consumption data suggest that Northern Hemisphere coal combustion (primarily in Western Europe) is the likely source of Pb, Cd, Zn, and Sb during the 1850–1950 period. Coal combustion in Europe declined as oil replaced coal as the primary energy source. The European shift from coal to oil may have contributed to the observed Sn enrichment in ∼1965 (60% EF increase in 1975–1991), although regional fossil fuel combustion (coal and leaded gasoline) from western China, Central Asia, and South Asia (India, Nepal), as well as Sn mining/smelting in Central Asia, may also be possible sources. The post-1975 Cd and Pb enrichments (40% and 20% EF increase respectively in 1975–1991) may reflect emissions from phosphate fertilizers, fossil fuel combustion, and/or non-ferrous metal production, from western China, Central Asia, and/or South Asia. Leaded gasoline is likely to have also contributed to the post-1975 Pb enrichment observed in this record. The results strongly suggest that the Guliya ice cap has recorded long-distance emissions from coal combustion since the 1850s with more recent contributions from regional agriculture, mining, and/or fossil fuel combustion. This new Guliya ice core record of TEs fills a geographical gap in the reconstruction of the pollution history of this region that extends well beyond modern instrumental records.

Use of peat for the manufacture of products based on humic acids

The results of studies on the development of the following peat preparations for different purposes are represented: concentrated liquid humic fertilizers with trace elements, humic dyes for wood, textiles, and leather, a rust solvent, a leaching reagent for the production of rare and nonferrous metals, and a peat preparation for phytoextraction in the cleaning of territories contaminated by heavy metals.

A Gas Purging System for Copper and Aluminum Furnaces

Purging technology is widely used in the metal-producing industries. Not only in iron and steel, where it has been in operation for decades but also within the last years intensively in non-ferrous metals production. Inert gases are used to introduce an agitation effect as well as for degassing the melt, and alternatively reactive gases can improve or even enable refining processes. In this paper, the improvement in the melt processing of two major metals is discussed using the examples of an anode furnace from a Chinese primary copper producer and a melting furnace of an aluminum slug plant in Austria.

High Medieval Silver Mining and Non-Ferrous Metallurgy in Northern Siegerland, Germany An Interim Report

In northern Siegerland, located in the ore-rich Mittelgebirge region of Germany, a mining landscape based on copper, lead and silver metallurgy developed in the High Middle Ages. Beginning at least in the 10th century AD, silver-rich fahlore was mined and smelted. The 13th century is interpreted by archaeologists as the height of mining in the region with multiple mines, smelting sites as well as an impressive mining settlement at Altenberg near Müsen (Hilchenbach). At the current state of research, the decline in this high medieval mining area began at the end of the 13th century. Since 2013, with cooperation partners from Altenberg & Stahlberg e.V. Müsen, the Deutsches Bergbau-Museum Bochum and the LWL Archaeologie für Westfalen, new interdisciplinary research has focused on the prospection and excavation of mines, mine tailings, charcoal pits and smelting sites as well as the re-investigation and re-evaluation of the mining settlement of Altenberg near Müsen. This research, which is still in the initial phase, has already begun to provide new information on aspects of the development and organization of medieval non-ferrous metal production in this region.

The valorization impact and methods for treatment of non ferrous secondary raw materials

Production of non ferrous metals from secondary raw materials is far less costly than its production from primary raw materials, due to lower energy consumption. Besides, by recycling of non ferrous metals from secondary raw materials, the natural resources are saved and the amount of waste materials is reduced, directly protecting the environment. The secondary raw materials can originate in metal production and treatment, accompanied by their incorporation into the final product and its elimination due to amortization. The different methods of preparation and metallurgical treatment are used depending on secondary raw materials type. Some of them are very easy to be recycled by remelting in metallurgical furnace, while others must pass through complicated preparation before metallurgical treatment.

Natural gas regeneration of carbonate melts following SO2 capture from non-ferrous smelter emissions

Sulfur emission in the form of SO2 in flue gases is the one of the most serious atmospheric pollutants associated with coal combustion and non-ferrous metal production.

A low-energy set-up for gamma-ray spectrometry of NORM tailored to the needs of a secondary smelting facility

A measurement station dedicated for quantitative radiological characterisation of naturally occurring radionuclides in a metallurgical company and based on gamma-ray spectrometry was developed. The station is intended for performing quality control of final non-ferrous metal products and for radiological checks of incoming materials. A low-background point-contact HPGe-detector was used and the signal was split in two branches to enable collecting simultaneously spectra with high amplification (for gamma-ray energies below 250keV) and low amplification.

Energy Use and Export Behavior in Indian Economy: An Input-Output Based Analysis

The developing countries, like India, face the twin challenges of sustainable growth and high import dependency due to direct energy imports. The presence of less energy intensive commodities in the export basket not only improves cost competitiveness along with environmental compliance but can also be effective in lowering the net energy liability of a country. The present paper analyses the changes in sector-wise energy intensity vis-a-vis the evolving export structure to assess the energy intensity of India’s exports by using a constant price hybrid Input-Output model. The analysis clearly highlights the importance of services as a less energy intensive sector with significant export presence. Within the manufactured products category, particularly important are other manufacturing (including textiles and wearing apparel), agriculture, processed food and mining, due to the export potential alongside improved energy intensity over time. At the same time, increasing intensity and export share of basic metals and non-ferrous metal products draws attention for efforts to improve energy efficiency. The findings reject the proposition that India’s export basket is dominated with energy intensive sectors.