Abstract: An apparatus for filtering molten material, such as a molten metal-ceramic particle mixture, includes a porous cloth filter located so that the mixture must pass through the cloth filter, and a mechanical filter shaker that prevents the accumulation of filtered solids on the porous cloth filter. Where a further degree of filtration is required, there is a second filter located so that material leaving the porous cloth filter passes through the second filter after it passes through the porous cloth filter, and a mechanism that prevents an accumulation of filtered solids on the second filter. The second filter is desirably a porous media filter.

Abstract: Alumina hydrate particles have a high surface area and low dispersity and may have a low soluble soda content. They may be made by milling a liquid suspension of alumina hydrate, subjecting the milled suspension to classification into coarse and fine fractions, recycling the coarse fraction to the mill and recycling the fine fraction to the classification stage. A narrow particle size distribution is obtained.

Abstract: The present invention relates to drives for an automatic lance-changing devices. In accordance with the present invention, the drive effects the coupling of lances used for supplying media by pressing them against a coupling head which, in turn, is accomplished by draw rods which are operated with the aid of lifting spindle movement transmitting screw thread systems. Each draw rod has associated with it its own reduction gear unit which has an integrated lifting spindle system and on which a load cell is mounted. The primary shafts, in alignment with one another, of the two gear units are connected together by a coupling which compensates for axial, radial and angular displacements.

Abstract: An improved premix-type burner for a gas-fired metal processing furnace includes a burner insert externally adjustable over a stepless continuum. The burner insert includes a helical thread disposed on its outer diameter which cooperatively engages with a helical thread disposed on an inner diameter of the burner body bore. Rotation of an adjustment tube, which extends into the burner body and is affixed to the burner insert concentrically disposed therein, causes axial translation of the burner insert, thereby regulating fuel flow to the combustion chamber and controlling the combustion process.

Abstract: Particulate material such as iron ore is agglomerated into pellets or other agglomerates by being homogeneously mixed in the presence of moisture with a binder followed by agglomeration of the moist mixture, and the binder comprises a water soluble anionic polymer having intrinsic viscosity of from about 2 to about 7 dl/g and containing 5 to about 20% by weight carboxylic monomer groups (measured as sodium salt). The preferred polymer of is the copolymer of acrylamide and 5 to 20%, preferably 5 to 15%, sodium acrylate. The binder may also comprise bentonite.

Abstract: In the representative embodiment described in the specification, an electron beam furnace has an evacuation system which maintains the interior of the furnace at a pressure in the range from about 50 microns Hg to 300 microns Hg. The relatively high pressure reduces degassing time from a cold start, suppresses volatilization of constituents of metal being refined, and causes volatilized metal to condense in powder form on a condensing screen. A vibrator assists in removing the powder from the condensing screen. The electron beam gun has a series of compartments which are individually evacuated to maintain the pressure in the compartment containing the cathode at a level less than about 1 micron Hg.

Abstract: A zirconium sponge contaminated with unreacted magnesium and by-product magnesium which is produced as a regulus in a Kroll reduction process is purified by:distilling the magnesium and magnesium chloride from the regulus at a temperature of above about 800.degree. C. and at a pressure less than about 10 mmHg;condensing the magnesium and the magnesium chloride;backfilling the sysem with a gas; andrecirculating the gas between a vessel containing the purified zirconium sponge and a condenser containing the magnesium and magnesium chloride.In preferred practice, the recirculating gas is an inert gas such as argon or helium and the system is backfilled during the distillation step.The zirconium sponge is purified in shorter times and adsorbs less impurities from the air in subsequent handling.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to an improvement in a process for the recovery of gold from refractory sulfidic auriferous ores which comprises oxidizing a slurry of ore with oxygen gas under pressure in the presence of sulfuric acid, neutralizing the oxidized slurry, cyanidizing the neutralized slurry to leach gold therefrom, and recovering gold from the resultant leachate. In accordance with the improved process, the oxidation of the ore slurry is carried out in a manner whereby, after a startup phase during which oxidation is initiated, the amount of sulfuric acid added to the ore slurry is sufficient to insure the oxidation of that portion of the sulfide sulfur in the ore which will allow recovery, by cyanide leaching, of at least about 80% of the gold in the ore. The oxidized slurry can be neutralized without a washing operation.

Abstract: A method for smelting reduction of Ni ore comprises charging Ni ore and carbonaceous material into a converter type smelting reduction furnace having bottom-blow tuyeres and a top-blow lance, the smelting reduction furnace holding a molten metal, blowing oxygen gas from the top-blow lance and a stirring gas from the bottom-blow tuyeres into the furnace, and discharging slag so that a relation represented with a formulaVo>0.4 Ws+1.0can be satisfied, Vo (m.sup.3 per ton of molten metal) being a specific volume of the smelting reduction furnace per ton of molten metal and Ws (ton per ton of molten metal) being 2 specific weight of slag per ton of molten metal.

Abstract: Annealing and quenching method and apparatus for the implementation of the method. An annealing and quenching method for materials or parts referred to as a charge that is finish-annealed in a vacuum annealing plant and that then proceeds into a sluice chamber fashioned a full-pipe. An intermediate deposit of the charge occurs in this sluice chamber. After the intermediate deposit, a first sluice valve that is located between the chamber for the annealing furnace and the sluice chamber is closed. A second sluice valve that is located between the sluice chamber and a quenching container is subsequently opened. Movable brackets for the intermediate deposit of the charge are retracted, so that the charge falls through the second sluice valve into a quenching medium in the quenching container.

Abstract: A metallurgical flux composition comprising calcium oxide, alumina, magnesium oxide and silica contains 22-35% by weight magnesium oxide and has a weight ratio of calcium oxide to magnesium oxide of from 0.6:1 to 2.5:1. The preferred composition contains 28-42% by weight calcium oxide, 13-21% by weight alumina, 22-35% by weight magnesium oxide and 3-8% by weight silica, preferably has a calcium oxide to magnesium oxide weight ratio of from 0.8:1 to 1.9:1 and preferably has a calcium oxide to silica weight ratio of from 6.0:1 to 7.5:1. The flux composition is particularly useful as a tundish cover in the continuous casting of steel.

Abstract: A process is described for the recovery of rare earth elements from a sulphurous acid solution containing them. The rare earth elements can be successfully separated and recovered by solvent extraction from the sulphurous acid solution, being an organo-phosphorus compound as extraction agent. Di-2-ethylhexyl phosphoric acid or 2-ethylhexyl phosphonic acid mono-ethylhexyl ester is preferred as extraction agent.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of melting aluminum scrap and removing skim therefrom having reduced amounts of aluminum contained therein. Melted scrap and salt is added to a body of molten aluminum in a skim removal bay and a layer containing salt and skim is collected on the surface of the body, the layer containing high levels of molten aluminum in lower regions of said layer. The layer is treated so that upper regions thereof contain reduced amounts of aluminum, the treating aiding molten aluminum in the layer to return to the body. A portion of the treated layer is removed from upper regions thereof, the portion comprised of salt, skim and aluminum.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process for the preparation of a grain oriented silicon steel about sheet having a high flux density, which comprises hot-rolling a slab comprising 1.5 to 4.8% by weight of Si, 0.012 to 0.050% by weight of Al, 0.0010 to 0.0120% by weight of N, 0.0020 to 0.0150% by weight of Ti, up to 0.45% by weight of Mn and up to 0.012% by weight of at least one member selected S and Se, which satisfies the requirement 0.06 to 0.6 of Ti/N (at % ratio) and Mn/(S+Se).gtoreq.4.0 (weight ratio) with the balance comprising Fe and unavoidable impurities, to cold-rolling, performing decarburization annealing, coating an annealing separator on the steel sheet surface, then performing finish annealing, and performing a nitriding treatment of the steel sheet during the period of from the point of termination of final cold rolling to the point of initiation of secondary recrystallization at the finish annealing step.

Abstract: Apparatus for heat treating a continuously moving metal wire (19) has at least two drum-like rotational body systems (5a, 5b) which are arranged in the heat-treatment area and around which the wire winds with several turns, and which, to avoid the relative movement between the wire and the surface of the rotational bodies as a result of a length change in the wire during the heat treatment, are each constructed of several disc-shaped rotational bodies (5) which are arranged in sequence, are termed below in short as "discs" and have at their periphery self-contained wire-guiding grooves (6), with all discs of one disc row (5a) being faced by allocated discs of another disc row (5b) with axially offset wire-guide grooves (6).

Abstract: A device for liquid pumping, including a main chamber and a pump chamber for receiving a subportion of the liquid to be pumped from the main chamber and which is provided with means for cyclic variation of the pressure in the pump chamber between a pressure greater than a pressure less than the pressure in the main chamber. The pump chamber is connected to the main chamber by at least one input opening and at least one output opening. The input opening has a substantially lower flow resistance in the direction into the pump chamber than in the opposite direction and the output opening has a substantially lower flow resistance in the direction out of the pump chamber than in the opposite direction.

Abstract: Vanadium is recovered from vanadium-containing phosphoric acid solutions by adjusting the pH so as to convert the dissolved vanadium to a simple vanadate compound which is insoluble in the phosphoric acid solution at the adjusted pH and separating the resulting insoluble simple vanadate compound from the phosphoric acid solution. The vanadium dissolved in the phosphoric acid solution can be converted to insoluble simple vanadates by reaction with oxidants and/or cations which form phosphoric acid-insoluble simple vanadates. These methods can be employed to selectively recover vanadium from phosphoric acid solutions containing other metals. They also can be employed to recover vanadium compounds from ores, scrap metal, and other vanadium sources by dissolving the vanadium from the vanadium source in phosphoric acid and recovering the vanadium as an insoluble simple vanadate from the phosphoric acid as described.

Abstract: Noble metal alloys are used to produce attachments that can be cast-on, particularly in dental technology, having a melting range above 1500.degree. C. The alloys comprise about 40-70% platinum, about 10-40% palladium, about 5-20% iridium, about 0.5-10% gold, about 0-13 3% silver and about 0-1% each of ruthenium and rhodium.

Abstract: A soft magnetic stainless steel consisting essentially of, by weight, up to 0.03% of C, 2.0 to 3.0% of Si, up to 0.40% of Mn, 0.015 to 0.050% of S, 10 to 13% of Cr, 0.05 to 0.20% of Ti, up to 0.03% of N, up to 0.010% of Al, and the balance of Fe and inevitable impurities, with a proviso that the C+N content is not more than 0.05%. The steel has a maximum permeability of not less than 4400 and a magnetic flux density of not less than 12,000 G as magnetic properties, together with a fatigue strength after welding of not lower than 120 kgf cm.sup.2, retains the magnetic properties even after annealing at a high temperature of 920.degree. C., and is excellent in electrical resistance, corrosion resistance, mechanical properties and machinability.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for the pyrometallurgical treatment of fine grained solids such as non-ferrous metal ore concentrates with an oxygen-containing gas wherein the solids are mixed with the gas to form a suspension which is blown through a nozzle into a reaction chamber such as a vertical melting cyclone. In the reaction chamber, the solids are brought to reaction and melted. The invention is concerned with injecting a particle stream through the reaction zone as a focused open jet having mass flow velocity of greater than 50 kg/m.sup.2 .multidot.sec and having a linear speed of more than 35 m/sec. The particle stream is ignited by the hot combustion gases thereof or by a pilot flame. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the particle stream is directed along a horizontal secant of the chamber to the opposite wall.