Specialized metallurgical processes – compositions for use therei – Processes – Producing or treating free metal
Patent
1993-04-29
1995-03-28
Andrews, Melvyn J.
Specialized metallurgical processes, compositions for use therei
Processes
Producing or treating free metal
75672, 266204, C22B 902, C22B 2106
Patent
active
054012945
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention concerns a method for a disposing and/or recycling extraction, reclamation and/or separation of at least one metallic phase from at least one phase containing same and being different from it and occurring during thermal metal extraction, production, recycling processing and/or treatment, with an essentially inorganic nature as well as devices to carry out the method and their application.
Practically in all types of extraction and processing of metals or metal compounds, which include in many cases thermal processes, like, for example, smelting, remelting, melting down, liquation, reduction, precipitation and the like, slags, salt slags, dross and similar residues as well as metal waste materials will occur, which contain frequently considerable amounts of metal in an elementary form. There is, however, the disadvantage in the reclamation of these metal components that the metallic phase is distributed extremely thinly and often irregularly in the non-metallic phase which surrounds it or which has downright "intergrown" with it. For example, aluminum in metallic form can be present in aluminum dross up to 80% by mass.
In accordance with the continually stricter environmental regulations the metal content in the metal processing residues and the like cannot be disposed of in a conventional manner and the residues must be taken to special dumping places, resulting in considerable and rapidly increasing expenses. When using fluxing agents and the metal-containing salt slags occurring in these cases, in addition to the metal content there is the additional problem of large quantities of water soluble salts, containing environmentally damaging ions, in particular halides.
Thus the natural minimization of metal losses due to economical reasons in the above described partially metallurgical processes will diminish to an increasing degree in comparison with the ecological endeavor, namely to separate the metals to a great degree from the described residues to bring about a relief to the environment in this field and subsequently to avoid or at least to reduce to a great extent the exorbitantly increasing follow-up expenses arising from the special dumping. When using salt slags, according to a relevant de-metallization with increased effectiveness, a recycling in the smelting, remelting and smelt cleaning processes may be contemplated by a purposeful new type of process management. Thus, a considerable reduction of the amount of salt, finishing up at a dump, as well as substantial operating cost saving would be achieved.
A great number of metallurgical processes exist concerned with the described problem, in which, for example, phases enriched with valuable metal are separated from phases of lesser value or undesirable metal impurities, e.g. brittle phases.
All processes developed so far to reclaim metals finely distributed in other phases are based on achieving a coagulation of the fine droplets of the metal, which is present in molten condition, into larger aggregates, which then can flow out from the mixture through the pores, cracks or channels or which due to their no longer finely dispersed state separate out of the molten slag by gravitation based on the fact that their density is different from that of the slag.
At the same time it has also become known to reduce the wettability of the solid phase through the metal in case of dross and essentially solid residues and thus to promote the flow off of the molten phase or otherwise to increase the coalescence and metal yield by squeezing with presses having the most varying dies and screws.
It has also become known to produce the necessary agglomeration by means of stirring.
Furthermore, a prior U.S. patent, whose subject is a method to squeeze out the hot dross from molten aluminum, reports about unfinished experiments which have never gone outside the laboratory, using a mechanical process like centrifuging to separate aluminum from the dross and about the difficulties to transfer this process in industrial dimensions, while the problems are sh
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Kos Bernd
Marhold Harald
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