Effectiveness of sodium silicate as gangue depressants in iron ore slimes flotation

The recovery of iron from the screw classifier overflow slimes by direct flotation was studied. The relative effectiveness of sodium silicates with different silica-to-soda mole ratios as depressants for silica and silicate bearing minerals was investigated. Silica-to-soda mole ratio and silicate dosage were found to have significant effect on the separation efficiency. The results show that an increase of Fe content in the concentrate is observed with concomitant reduction in SiO₂ and Al₂O₃ levels when a particular type of sodium silicate at a proper dosage is used. The concentrate of 58.89wt% Fe, 4.68wt% SiO₂, and 5.28wt% Al₂O₃ with the weight recovery of 38.74% and the metal recovery of 41.13% can be obtained from the iron ore slimes with 54.44wt% Fe, 6.72wt% SiO₂, and 6.80wt% Al₂O₃, when Na₂SiO₃ with a silica-to-soda mole ratio of 2.19 is used as a depressant at a feed rate of 0.2 kg/t.     

中低品位铝土矿石灰拜耳法溶出的研究

对铝硅比为5.36的一水硬铝石型铝土矿进行了常规拜耳法和石灰拜耳法的溶出对比研究,主要分析了石灰添加量和预脱硅对铝土矿溶出赤泥成分的影响.结果表明,随着石灰添加量的增加,溶出赤泥的铝硅比呈明显的线性上升趋势,而钠硅比则呈下降趋势,且钙硅比小于2.0时,钠硅比呈近似直线迅速下降,当钙硅比大于2.0时,钠硅比变化逐渐变缓;石灰拜耳法溶出赤泥物相主要以水合铝硅酸钙为主,而常规拜耳法溶出赤泥主要以水合铝硅酸钠为主.预脱硅4 h可使溶出赤泥铝硅比从1.53降低到1.43,钙硅比可从0.28降低到0.24.     

Effect of slag composition on the cleanliness of 28MnCr5 gear steel in the refining processes

The equilibrium reaction between CaO—Al₂O₃—SiO₂—MgO slag and 28MnCr5 molten steel was calculated to obtain the suitable slag composition which is effective for decreasing the oxygen content in molten steel. The dissolved oxygen content [O] in molten steel under different top slag conditions was calculated using a thermodynamic model and was measured using an electromotive force method in slag–steel equilibrium experiments at 1873 K. The relations among [O], the total oxygen content (T.O), and the composition of the slag were investigated. The experimental results show that both [O] and T.O decrease with decreasing SiO₂ content of the slag and exhibit different trends with the changes in the CaO/Al₂O₃ mass ratio of the slag. Increasing the CaO/Al₂O₃ mass ratio results in a decrease in [O] and an increase in T.O. To ensure that T.O ≤ 20 ppm and [O] ≤ 10 ppm, the SiO₂ content should be controlled to <5wt%, and the CaO/Al₂O₃ mass ratio should be in the range from 1.2 to 1.6.     

Effect of SiO2/Na2O mole ratio on the properties of foam geopolymers fabricated from circulating fluidized bed fly ash

Geopolymers are three-dimensional aluminosilicates formed in a short time at low temperature by geopolymerization. In this pa-per, alkali-activated foam geopolymers were fabricated from circulating fluidized bed fly ash （CFA）, and the effect of SiO2/Na2O mole ratio （0.91-1.68） on their properties was studied. Geopolymerization products were characterized by mechanical testing, scanning electron mi-croscopy （SEM）, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy （EDX）, and X-ray diffraction （XRD）. The results show that SiO2/Na2O mole ratio plays an important role in the mechanical and morphological characteristics of geopolymers. Foam samples prepared in 28 d with a SiO2/Na2O mole ratio of 1.42 exhibit the greatest compressive strength of 2.52 MPa. Morphological analysis reveals that these foam geo-polymers appear the relatively optimized pore structure and distribution, which are beneficial to the structure stability. Moreover, a combina-tion of the Si/Al atomic ratio ranging between 1.47 and 1.94 with the Na/Al atomic ratio of about 1 produces the samples with high strength.     

Pre-desilication and digestion of gibbsitic bauxite with lime in sodium aluminate liquor

The effect of lime on the pre-desilication and digestion of gibbsitic bauxite in synthetic sodium aluminate liquor at different temperatures was investigated. The bauxite is comprised of gibbsite, aluminogoethite, hematite, kaolin, quartz, and minor boehmite. Lime increases the desilication efficiency of the bauxite during the pre-desilication process by promoting the conversion of sodalite and cancrinite to hydrogarnet. Desilication reactions during the digestion process promoted by lime result in the loss of Al₂O₃ entering the red mud, but the amount of aluminogoethite-to-hematite conversion promoted by lime leads to the increase of aluminogoethitic Al₂O₃ entering the digested liquor. The alumina digestion rate at 245℃ is higher than that at 145℃ due to the more pronounced conversion of aluminogoethite to hematite. The soda consumption during the digestion process decreases due to lime addition, especially at higher temperatures.     

Thermodynamic analysis of the carbothermic reduction of a high-phosphorus oolitic iron ore by FactSage

A thermodynamic analysis of the carbothermic reduction of high-phosphorus oolitic iron ore (HPOIO) was conducted by the FactSage thermochemical software. The effects of temperature, C/O ratio, additive types, and dosages both on the reduction of fluorapatite and the formation of liquid slag were studied. The results show that the minimum thermodynamic reduction temperature of fluorapatite by carbon decreases to about 850°C, which is mainly ascribed to the presence of SiO₂, Al₂O₃, and Fe. The reduction rate of fluorapatite increases and the amount of liquid slag decreases with the rise of C/O ratio. The reduction of fluorapatite is hindered by the addition of CaO and Na₂CO₃, thereby allowing the selective reduction of iron oxides upon controlled C/O ratio. The thermodynamic results obtain in the present work are in good agreement with the experimental results available in the literatures.     

Upgrading and dephosphorization of Western Australian iron ore using reduction roasting by adding sodium carbonate

The technology of direct reduction by adding sodium carbonate (Na₂CO₃) and magnetic separation was developed to treat Western Australian high phosphorus iron ore. The iron ore and reduced product were investigated by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. It is found that phosphorus exists within limonite in the form of solid solution, which cannot be removed through traditional ways. During reduction roasting, Na₂CO₃ reacts with gangue minerals (SiO₂ and Al₂O₃), forming aluminum silicate-containing phosphorus and damaging the ore structure, which promotes the separation between iron and phosphorus during magnetic separation. Meanwhile, Na₂CO₃ also improves the growth of iron grains, increasing the iron grade and iron recovery. The iron concentrate, assaying 94.12wt% Fe and 0.07wt% P at the iron recovery of 96.83% and the dephosphorization rate of 74.08%, is obtained under the optimum conditions. The final product (metal iron powder) after briquetting can be used as the burden for steelmaking by an electric arc furnace to replace scrap steel.     

Mineralogical and sink-float studies of Jajarm low-grade bauxite

Jajarm’s bauxite deposits are mainly diasporic, and they have a low mass ratio of Al₂O₃/SiO₂. It is necessary to increase the run-of-mine mass ratio before feeding the material to the Bayer process. Chemical analysis indicated that the low-grade bauxite sample from Jajarm contained 43.9wt% Al₂O₃ and 13.35wt% SiO₂, resulting in a mass ratio of 3.29. According to mineralogical studies, the presence of aluminosilicate minerals such as kaolinite, illite, and quartz was the main reason for the decrease of the mass ratio. Microscopic observations revealed that, with the size reduction from -1000+710 to -38 μm, the liberation degree of diaspore increased from 10% to 60%, and that of aluminosilicates increased from 20% to 85%. Heavy liquids with the densities of 2.8, 3.0, 3.2, and 3.4 g/cm3 were used to evaluate the heavy media separation in three sizes, i.e., -3350+710, -710+212, and -212+125 μm. Laboratory studies confirm that the density of 3.2 g/cm3 can produce the concentrates (in sunk fractions) with recoveries of 89.09%, 91.24%, and 84.68% with the Al₂O₃/SiO₂ mass ratios of 5.03, 5.16, and 5.15 for the -3350+710, -710+212, and -212+125 μm sizes, respectively.     

Thermodynamics and phase transformations in the recovery of zinc from willemite

Willemite is a common component of zinc and lead metallurgical slags that, in the absence of effective utilization methods, cause serious environmental problems. To solve this problem and increase zinc recovery, we proposed a novel extraction method of zinc from willemite by calcified roasting followed by leaching in NH₄Cl-NH₃·H₂O solution. The thermodynamics and phase conversion of Zn₂SiO₄ to zinc oxide (ZnO) during calcified roasting with CaO were investigated. The mechanism of mineralogical phase conversion and the effects of the CaO-to-Zn₂SiO₄ mole ratio (n(CaO)/n(Zn₂SiO₄)), roasting temperature, and the roasting time on zinc-bearing phase conversion were experimentally investigated. The results show that Zn₂SiO₄ was first converted to Ca₂ZnSi₂O₇ and then to ZnO. The critical step in extracting zinc from willemite is the conversion of Zn₂SiO₄ to ZnO. The zinc percent leached in the ammonia leaching system rapidly increased because of the gradual complete phase conversion from willemite to ZnO via the calcified roasting process.     

Extraction of vanadium from high calcium vanadium slag using direct roasting and soda leaching

The extraction of vanadium from high calcium vanadium slag was attempted by direct roasting and soda leaching. The oxidation process of the vanadium slag at different temperatures was investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The effects of roasting temperature, roasting time, Na₂CO₃ concentration, leaching temperature, leaching time, and liquid to solid ratio on the extraction of vanadium were studied. The results showed that olivine phases and spinel phases in the vanadium slag were completely decomposed at 500 and 800℃, respectively. Vanadium-rich phases were formed at above 850℃. The leaching rate of vanadium reached above 90% under the optimum conditions:roasting temperature of 850℃, roasting time of 60 min, Na₂CO₃ concentration of 160 g/L, leaching temperature of 95℃, leaching time of 150 min, and liquid to solid ratio of 10:1 mL/g. The main impurities were Si and P in the leach liquor.     

Kaolin-based geopolymers with various NaOH concentrations

Kaolin geopolymers were produced by the alkali-activation of kaolin with an activator solution (a mixture of NaOH and sodium silicate solutions). The NaOH solution was prepared at a concentration of 6–14 mol/L and was mixed with the sodium silicate solution at a Na₂SiO₃/NaOH mass ratio of 0.24 to prepare an activator solution. The kaolin-to-activator solution mass ratio used was 0.80. This paper aimed to analyze the effect of NaOH concentration on the compressive strength of kaolin geopolymers at 80℃ for 1, 2, and 3 d. Kaolin geopolymers were stable in water, and strength results showed that the kaolin binder had adequate compressive strength with 12 mol/L of NaOH concentration. When the NaOH concentration increased, the SiO₂/Na₂O decreased. The increased Na₂O content enhanced the dissolution of kaolin as shown in X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analyses. However, excess in this content was not beneficial for the strength development of kaolin geopolymers. In addition, there was the formation of more geopolymeric gel in 12 mol/L samples. The XRD pattern of the samples showed a higher amorphous content and a more geopolymer bonding existed as proved by FTIR analysis.     

Phase analysis and thermal conductivity of in situ O′-sialon/β-Si3N4 composites

Typical O??-sialon-based ceramics, with a formula of Si_2?x Al _x O_1+x N_2?x , where x was set as 0.25, were fabricated by in-situ synthesis. Si₃N₄, Al₂O₃, and SiO₂ powders were used as raw materials, and MgO and Y₂O₃ were added as sintering additives. All the samples were sintered at different temperatures under a nitrogen pressure of 0.25?C0.30 MPa, and their microstructure, phase content, and thermal conductivity were evaluated. The effects of O??-sialon and ??-Si₃N₄ on the thermal conductivity were analyzed by numerical calculation in detail. In the case of the similar porosity, the thermal conductivity of O??-sialon-based ceramics decreased with the ratio of O??-sialon/??-Si₃N₄ increasing. When the ratio was 12, the thermal conductivity of O??-sialon ceramics sintered at 1360°C was 1.197 W·m^?1·K^?1.     

Na_2CO_3促进复杂难选铁矿石深度还原的机理分析

以羚羊铁矿石为原料,在1 200℃下深度还原40 min,通过外配Na2CO3的方法研究了Na2CO3对羚羊铁矿石深度还原的影响,并从热力学角度探讨了Na2CO3促进深度还原的机理.结果表明,铁橄榄石(2FeO.SiO2)、铁尖晶石(FeO.Al2O3)等复杂化合物的生成是影响还原物料金属化率和铁粉品位的一个重要因素.配入的Na2CO3分解产生的Na2O可以置换铁复杂化合物中的FeO;同时和矿石中的SiO2和Al2O3反应,进而有效减少了与FeO反应的SiO2和Al2O3的量,从而提高了还原物料的金属化率及铁粉品位.     

Effect of aluminum oxide on the compressive strength of pellets

Analytical-reagent-grade Al₂O₃ was added to magnetite ore during the process of pelletizing, and the methods of mercury intrusion, scanning electron microscopy, and image processing were used to investigate the effect of Al₂O₃ on the compressive strength of the pellets. The results showed that, as the Al₂O₃ content increased, the compressive strength of the pellets increased slightly and then decreased gradually. When a small amount of Al₂O₃ was added to the pellets, the Al₂O₃ combined with fayalite (2FeO·SiO₂) and the aluminosilicate (2FeO·2Al₂O₃·5SiO₂) was generated, which releases some iron oxide and reduces the inhibition of fayalite to the solid phase of consolidation. When Al₂O₃ increased sequentially, high melting point of Al₂O₃ particles hinder the oxidation of Fe₃O₄ and the recrystallization of Fe2O3, making the internal porosity of the pellets increase, which leads to the decrease in compressive strength of the pellets.     

Mineral-phase evolution and sintering behavior of MO-SiO2-Al2O3-B2O3 (M=Ca,Ba) glass-ceramics by low-temperature liquid-phase sintering

In this work, network former SiO₂ and network intermediate Al₂O₃ were introduced into typical low-melting binary compositions CaO·B₂O₃, CaO·2B₂O₃, and BaO·B₂O₃ via an aqueous solid-state suspension milling route. Accordingly, multiple-phase aluminosilicate glass-ceramics were directly obtained via liquid-phase sintering at temperatures below 950℃. On the basis of liquid-phase sintering theory, mineral-phase evolutions and glass-phase formations were systematically investigated in a wide MO-SiO₂-Al₂O₃-B₂O₃ (M=Ca, Ba) composition range. The results indicate that major mineral phases of the aluminosilicate glass-ceramics are Al₂₀B₄O₃₆, CaAl₂Si₂O₈, and BaAl₂Si₂O₈ and that the glass-ceramic materials are characterized by dense microstructures and excellent dielectric properties.     

Acting mechanism of F,K, and Na in the solid phase sintering reaction of the Baiyunebo iron ore

The effect of F, K, and Na on the solid phase reaction of the Baiyunebo iron ore was investigated by differential thermal analysis (DTA) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). It has been identified that alkaline elements K and Na in the Baiyunebo ore instigate the formation of low melting point compounds Na₂SiO₃ and Na₂O·Fe₂O₃ and the generation of molten state in the solid phase sintering. Element F in the Baiyunebo ore facilitates the formation of cuspidine compound 3CaO·2SiO₂·CaF₂ in the solid phase reaction. The cuspidine compound is kept in solid as one of the final products through the entire sintering process due to its high melting point. In the sintering process, CaF₂ and SiO₂ react with CaO first and form 3CaO·2SiO₂·CaF₂ and 3CaO·2SiO₂, so the formation of ferrites, Na₂O·Fe₂O₃, and 2CaO·Fe₂O₃ is inhibited.     

物料配比对铝酸钙炉渣浸出和自粉性能的影响

将CaO,SiO2和Al2O3按不同配比混合,在1 500℃煅烧1 h、降温速度为5℃/min下合成了铝酸钙炉渣,主要物相为-γ2CaO.SiO2和12CaO.7Al2O3;并通过XRD和马尔文激光粒度仪研究了铝酸钙炉渣的C/A(除去和SiO2结合成2CaO.SiO2之外的n(CaO)/n(Al2O3))和A/S(w(Al2O3)/w(SiO2))对其物相组成和自粉性能的影响.结果表明:炉渣的C/A<1.5时有难浸物质钙铝黄长石2CaO.Al2O3.SiO2生成,降低了炉渣的浸出率和自粉性能,提高C/A可以消除其生成,C/A=1.6~1.9时,炉渣的浸出和自粉性能良好.炉渣的A/S对物相组成影...     

Thermodynamics and kinetics of alumina extraction from fly ash using an ammonium hydrogen sulfate roasting method

A novel method was developed for extracting alumina (Al₂O₃) from fly ash using an ammonium hydrogen sulfate (NH₄HSO₄) roasting process, and the thermodynamics and kinetics of this method were investigated. The thermodynamic results were verified experimentally. Thermodynamic calculations show that mullite present in the fly ash can react with NH₄HSO₄ in the 298–723 K range. Process optimization reveals that the extraction rate can reach up to 90.95% when the fly ash reacts with NH₄HSO₄ at a 1:8 mole ratio of Al₂O₃/NH₄HSO₄ at 673 K for 60 min. Kinetic analysis indicates that the NH₄HSO₄ roasting process follows the shrinking unreacted core model, and inner diffusion through the product layer is the rate-controlling step. The activation energy is calculated to be 16.627 kJ/mol; and the kinetic equation can be expressed as 1 ? (2/3)α ? (1 ? α)2/3 = 0.0374t exp[?16627/(RT)], where α is the extraction rate and t is the roasting temperature.     

Rapid reactive synthesis of TiAl3 intermetallics by thermal explosion and its oxidation resistance at high temperature

Porous TiAl₃ intermetallics were synthesized from Ti-75 at.% Al elemental powder mixtures using an energy-saving and rapid reactive method of thermal explosion (TE). The results demonstrated that the actual temperature of the compact climbed rapidly from 673 °C to 1036 °C within 24 s, indicating that an obvious TE reaction occurred during sintering process. The video graphs suggested that the TE in Ti–Al system behaved instant occurrence and overall heating whether from axial or radial direction. The silver wires and NaCl particles that pressed on the surface of the sample disappeared due to the heavy heat released during TE reaction. Only pure TiAl₃ phases were synthesized in TE products and the open porosity of 55.4% was easy to obtain. After high-temperature treatment at 1000 °C, large amounts of sintering-neck formed and then improved the compressive strength of porous TiAl₃ materials. Moreover, the mass gain curve of porous TiAl₃ intermetallics oxidized at 650 °C for 120 h exhibited the parabolic oxidation rate law. XPS analysis confirmed that the strong O 1s peak was 531.4 eV which was the typical binding energy of Al₂O₃. Therefore, the excellent oxidation resistance of porous TiAl₃ foams would be considered as good candidate materials for prolonging the service life at high temperatures.     

Dissolution of Al<Subscript>2</Subscript>TiO<Subscript>5</Subscript> inclusions in CaO-SiO<Subscript>2</Subscript>-Al<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> slags at 1823 K

Al-Ti-O inclusions always clog submerged nozzles in Ti-bearing Al-killed steel. A typical synthesized Al₂TiO₅ inclusion was immersed in a CaO-SiO₂-Al₂O₃ molten slag for different durations at 1823 K. The Al₂TiO₅ dissolution paths and mechanism were revealed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). Decreased amounts of Ti and Al and increased amounts of Si and Ca at the dissolution boundary prove that inclusion dissolution and slag penetration simultaneously occur. SiO₂ diffuses or penetrates the inclusion more quickly than CaO, as indicated by the w(CaO)/w(SiO₂) value in the reaction region. A liquid product (containing 0.7–1.2 w(CaO)/w(SiO₂), 15wt%–20wt% Al₂O₃, and 5wt%–15wt% TiO₂) forms on the inclusion surface when Al₂TiO₅ is dissolved in the slag. Al₂TiO₅ initially dissolves faster than the diffusion rate of the liquid product toward the bulk slag. With increasing reaction time, the boundary reaches its largest distance, the Al₂TiO₅ dissolution rate equals the liquid product diffusion rate, and the dissolution process remains stable until the inclusion is completely dissolved.