Abstract: The invention relates to a rotary gas dispersion device for the treatment of a bath of liquid metal such as aluminum and its alloys, comprising a cylindrical rotor equipped with blades immersed in the bath, connected to a hollow control shaft for the supply of gas, and is characterized in that the rotor is pierced by oblique ducts coupled to radial ducts in which the metal and the gas circulate respectively before being mixed at the point where these ducts join up, emerging in the bath so as to form a fine dispersion which is then distributed in the said bath by means of blades.

Abstract: A runner for conveying molten pig iron and slag from a blast furnace of a steel manufacturing facility, is of wholly metallic construction and is hollowly formed to provide a cooling jacket through which water is circulated. Each runner so formed is an individual section in a string of other, similarly formed runners each of which has its own inlet connected to a source of water under pressure, and its own outlet to a suitable drain or reservoir where water temperature may be measured and observed. Water entering each section through the inlet courses through a tube that extends within the jacket substantially from one end to the other end, adjacent the slag channel of the runner, then extends transversely of the channel to the other side of the runner, thereafter extending longitudinally of said other side. The water flows out of the tube, within the jacket, after having extended along both sides of the channel in heat exchange relation to the slag flowing through the channel.

Abstract: In an arrangement for the production of steel from solid and/or liquid charging materials, such as pig iron, heavy scrap and light scrap, a liftable and lowerable heating-refining arrangement and, if desired an arrangement for supplying further additions are positioned in a refactorily lined refining vessel. In order to be able to use as high a scrap portion of the materials charged as possible without substantially increasing the time required until the end of the refining operation per charge, the heating-refining arrangement consists of a plasma burner, a jacket surrounding the plasma burner for supplying oxygen, and a cooling jacket surrounding that jacket, a counter-electrode being arranged in the bottom of the refining vessel.

Abstract: A hydrocarbon fuel is reacted with molecular oxygen in a burner to produce a gaseous mixture which is chemically reducing, the reactants being surrounded in the burner by a co-axial mantle of cooling gases produced by mixing a hydrocarbon with a gas containing carbon dioxide and/or water vapor. Reactants and cooling gas may subsequently be mixed to form the product gas which may be used in an iron ore reduction plant.

Abstract: An improved process for refining lead bullion containing antimony, in which the bullion is initially heated in a refining vessel to about 25.degree. F. (14.degree. C.) above the bullion melting point, and is thereafter kept molten primarily by exothermic process reactions. The process includes the steps of melting the lead-antimony bullion, agitating the bullion, adding caustic soda and metallic sodium to form an antimony-rich skimmable refining dross comprising a sodium-antimony intermetallic and separating the dross from the refined bullion. Along with antimony, other elements, such as arsenic, cadmium, copper, nickel, silver, sulfur, selenium, tellurium and zinc, if present in the bullion, are also removed in the dross by the sodium. The antimony-rich dross is accumulated for subsequent use. The process further comprises a cleansing operation wherein sodium present in solution in the refined bullion is removed using cleansing agents. This refining process is performed at a temperature between 600.degree.

Abstract: A burner for smelting metal-bearing sulfide ores or concentrates by means of an oxygen-rich gas is disclosed. The oxygen-rich gas is introduced into a chamber so as to aspirate or eject the metal-bearing sulfide ore or concentrate. The oxygen-rich gas and sulfide concentrate are intimately admixed in a cylindrical mixing chamber and then jetted into the heated atmosphere of a smelting furnace.

Abstract: The invention is a process for decontaminating particulate nickel contaminated with actinide-metal fluorides. In one aspect, the invention comprises contacting nickel-fluoride-coated nickel with gaseous ammonia at a temperature effecting nickel-catalyzed dissociation thereof and effecting hydrogen-reduction of the nickel fluoride. The resulting nickel is heated to form a melt and a slag and to effect transfer of actinide metals from the melt into the slag. The melt and slag are then separated. In another aspect, nickel containing nickel oxide and actinide metals is contacted with ammonia at a temperature effecting nickel-catalyzed dissociation to effect conversion of the nickel oxide to the metal. The resulting nickel is then melted and separated as described. In another aspect nickel-fluoride-coated nickel containing actinide-metal fluorides is contacted with both steam and ammonia. The resulting nickel then is melted and separated as described.

Abstract: The present invention contemplates providing a finely divided copper calcine and thereafter subjecting the calcine to reduction flash smelting. Indeed, significant processing advantages are achieved by dead roasting a finely divided copper concentrate, especially in a fluid bed reduction zone, and thereafter subjecting the resulting calcine to reduction flash smelting. Gases from the dead roaster and the flash smelter are combined for SO.sub.2 recovery in an acid plant.

Abstract: The invention provides a novel process for concurrently carrying out production of reduced iron and thermal cracking of heavy oils in which the reaction of thermal cracking is performed in a fluidized state with the fine iron ore as the fluidized medium and the particles of the iron ore become coated with deposits of the carbonaceous by-product material. The fine iron ore with the carbon deposited thereon is introduced in a fluidized-bed reducing furnace and there reduced into reduced iron by contacting with a reducing gas which is produced in a gas reformer from the cracked gas or the residual oil separated from the products of the thermal cracking. In an improvement of the above process, the gas reformer is operated as a fluidized-bed reactor with the reduced iron as the fluidized medium and acting as the reforming catalyst.

Abstract: In a continuous melting, refining and casting process which comprises, substantially in series, a step of melting and carburizing steel scrap, iron scrap and/or reduced iron as a raw material in a combustion-type melting furnace, a refining step by blowing of oxygen, a refining and holding step and a continuous casting step, the improvement wherein an intermediate holding step in a holding furnace is provided between the melting and carburizing step and the refining step so that the molten metal tapped from the melting furnace is held in the intermediate holding furnace for a certain period of time and continuously fed to the refining step at a predetermined flow rate, and wherein the refining conditions in the refining step are controlled according to one or more characteristics of the molten metal in the intermediate holding step.

Abstract: A reclaiming method and apparatus for reclaiming aluminum from the skim recovered from an aluminum furnace by a highly mechanized method and apparatus.

Abstract: A method for extracting aluminum of substantial purity from furnace products resulting from carbothermic reduction of alumina-bearing ores and contaminated with up to about 30 weight percent of aluminum carbide is disclosed. The method involves contacting the furnace product with a high alumina-containing molten slag in the substantial absence of reactive carbon, so as to cause the alumina-containing slag to react with the aluminum carbide, thereby diminishing the aluminum carbide content of the furnace product to the level of 4-10% aluminum carbide by weight. It further involves heating the partially purified furnace product in the absence of both reactive carbon and slag, thereby reacting the self-contained alumina with the aluminum carbide contaminant to produce a purified aluminum.

Abstract: The invention concerns a process for eliminating metallic impurities from magnesium, in particular iron, silicon and manganese.For that purpose, a halogenated derivative of boron such as BCl.sub.3 is injected into the molten magnesium, in a proportion of from 0.05 to 5 kg of pure boron per tonne of magnesium. The magnesium may first be subjected to a refining operation using TiCl.sub.4 or a mixture comprising TiCl.sub.4 +FeCl.sub.3.The magnesium produced contains less than 1 ppm of residual boron, less than 20 ppm of Fe and Si and less than 30 ppm of Mn.

Abstract: Method of preparing solid refining agents for the refinement of molten aluminum as well as alloys thereof, and the product of such method. The method comprises a perfect homogenization of components of the agent comprising hexachlorobenzene and a mixture of inorganic salts which latter are dried so as to have a moisture content of 1% by weight of water at most. An amount of from 0.05 to 10 kilograms of discrete bodies of such homogenized mixture is exposed then to a preferably isotactic pressure of from 5 to 150 MPa to form bodies possessing sufficient mechanical strength so as to facilitate the manipulation of the agent and the application thereof into the molten metal. The resulting refining agent is in the form allowing a rational utilization thereof with a high refinement efficiency which is produced by the progressive decomposition of the agent accompanied by the development of chlorine acting as the actual refining agent as well as of other agent constituents to modify its refining effect.

Abstract: A process for extracting metals having lead affinity from mineral ores. The process is in steps including, pulverizing the ore material, drying the ore, melting elemental lead in a melting chamber and maintaining the molten lead within a preselected temperature range, introducing the ore into the lower portion of the melting chamber, agitating the molten mixture, transferring the molten mixture to a cooling vessel, removing the slag and refining the remaining metallic mixture to separate the metallic components. Also, a device for extracting metals from ores including a melting chamber, heating means, an ore tube and an auger for inserting ore into the melting chamber and an agitation rod. The process and device are utilized for either small scale assaying of ore samples or commercial extraction of metals from mineral ores.

Abstract: Copper sulfide ores are processed by a unique series of steps to produce blister copper, while attaining long sought advantages. An initial smelting step is carried out in any desired manner, e.g. according to conventional practice, to produce a molten, copper sulfide matte or white metal. This matte or white metal is then solidified and subjected to a size-reduction step to produce solid particles capable of being injected into a converting vessel in a stream of oxygen, either pure oxygen or air significantly enriched with oxygen. With the matte or white metal injected in this manner, the converting reaction may be carried out on an autogenous basis, with continuous evolution of substantially undiluted SO.sub.2 gas capable of being liquified for use in the production of elemental sulfur or sulfuric acid or for disposal so as to avoid atmospheric contamination.

Abstract: In removing slag by vacuum suction, an upward force is always applied which is greater than the force with which a suction head is attracted downward under the influence of its own weight and that of connected parts. During normal operation, a drive force is applied through a separate drive system to balance the upward force, thus keeping the suction head in the desired position. When the drive force fails, the upward force holds the suction head in the hazard-free raised position.

Abstract: The process for beneficiating iron ore, particularly high phosphorous iron ore, by controlled selective solid-state reduction in which the resultant sponge iron is produced in a malleable condition followed by ultrafine preferential grinding to form flake powder of the sponge iron and produce finely divided oxide gangue, including the phosphate bearing materials, and separation of said flake powder and finely divided gangue by conventional concentration techniques to obtain a high iron flake powder concentrate.

Abstract: Process to produce a reversible two-way shape memory effect in Cu-Al-Ni and Cu-Al memory alloys by heat treating said alloy while applying an external lead (G) after the martensite formation accomplished by the conventional steps: solution treatment, quench (1,2) and deformation (3). Additional improvements by optional Martensite Stabilization (10) and Two-way Effect Zero-point Stabilization (12) in the form of further heat treatments.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for converting metal-containing waste material having substantial quantities of organic constituents, such as plastics, rubber, paper and greases, to a product from which metal can readily be recovered. The waste material is introduced into a reactor vessel arranged for rotation about its longitudinal axis, the vessel being provided with a bottom and a common charge and discharge opening, whereafter the reactor vessel is rotated with its axis inclined to the horizontal plane at an angle of less than 90.degree.. The reactor vessel is maintained during this rotation at a temperature which is sufficiently high to expel organic constituents in the form of a combustible gas for as long as such a gas continues to be generated. The combustible gas is combusted continuously at a location external of the reactor vessel, and the residual content of the reactor vessel is taken out in a molten and/or non-molten state.