Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for producing rods having a desired tensile strength from a rod manufacturing process set to an optimal operating condition. Initially, the rod manufacturing process is set in an optimal condition to produce rods at a maximum rate, while optimizing the mechanical properties therein. Raw materials are melted and a "heat of steel" representing one lot is poured into a ladle which is sampled to determine its chemical composition. The percentage content of each element is utilized within an empirical model modeling the rod manufacturing process to predict the tensile strength of rods. The empirical model is again utilized to determine the amount by which a control element must be varied to adjust the predicted tensile strength to the desired tensile strength. The control element represents an element, such as, carbon which significantly impacts the tensile strength of the rod.

Abstract: A Process for combusting sulfur vapor released from a sulfur bearing material, comprising:(a) introducing a sulfur bearing material into a furnace having a combustion zone;(b) ejecting at least one fuel stream with or without a substoichiometric amount of at least one primary oxidant stream and combusting said at least one fuel stream with the substoichiometric amount of the primary oxidant stream or ambient gas in the combustion zone to produce heat sufficient to release some sulfur vapor from the sulfur bearing material and to form combustion products containing unburned fuel;(c) ejecting at least one secondary oxidant stream angled away or spaced from the fuel stream and primary oxidant stream;(d) causing a recirculating flow within the combustion zone to dilute at least a portion of the combustion products, secondary oxidant, sulfur vapor, unburned fuel and ambient gas in the furnace; and(e) combusting the sulfur vapor and the unburned fuel with said secondary oxidant.

Abstract: Aluminum is recovered from organic waste paper and packaging material containing aluminum foil by heating the waste material in a kiln or other such device to decompose the organic constituents in the waste material, preferably by pyrolysis, producing hot gaseous by-products with a carbonaceous ash residue containing aluminum. The ash residue is contacted with an aqueous solution of sulfuric acid under conditions which cause the aluminum to react with the sulfuric acid to produce aluminum sulfate. Preferably, the ash/acid contacting is carried out with a relatively dilute sulfuric acid solution and at an elevated temperature in the range of from about 80.degree. C. to about 100.degree. C. to produce Al.sub.2 (SO.sub.4).sub.3.18H.sub.2 O as the reaction product.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for making steel alloys directly in a tundish. Base steel enters the tundish from a ladle. An alloying chamber having a plurality of inlets is positioned above a tundish drain. An alloying material (for example, a wire including one or more alloying ingredients) is fed into the alloying chamber through a feed pipe originating above the liquid level in the tundish. Molten base steel enters the alloying chamber through the inlets and is mixed with the alloying material to make a steel alloy, which exits through the drain. The method and apparatus are especially suitable for making small order quantities of alloy steel of less than one ladle volume.

Abstract: A process for recovering nickel that is in soluble form and in relatively low concentrations, typically up to 2% by weight in a liquor, comprises: (a) precipitating nickel from solution (preferably as a hydroxide or sulphide); (b) adding an inert particulate carrier and a flocculent to the liquor to form flocs comprising nickel precipitate, inert particulate carrier, and flocculent; (c) separating the flocs from the liquor (preferably by gravitational settling or magnetic separation); and (d) separating the nickel precipitate from the flocs (preferably by agitating the flocs). The nickel precipitate and flocs are preferably then passed through a filter to remove the nickel as filter cake. The inert carrier is preferably sand, alumina, magnetite, hematite, ilmenite or calcite. The flocculent is preferably a cationic, non-ionic or anionic flocculent.

Abstract: A converter for the production of steel from solid and/or liquid charging substances, such as pig iron and/or scrap and/or sponge iron, includes a refractorily lined refining vessel, a refining device for feeding oxygen or an oxygen-containing gas, and a heating device. In order to obtain the maximum output possible at high scrap charging as well as a high purity of the steel, the heating device includes at least one self-consuming graphite electrode and the refining device, independent of the heating device, either is formed by an oxygen-blowing lance or includes oxygen-containing bottom and/or lateral tuyeres located below the melt bath level.

Abstract: In a method for the production of steel in an environmentally benign fashion, energy sources other than conventional fossil fuels are used to produce reductant fuels. These reductant fuels are used for the reduction of iron ore and its conversion to steel. Furthermore, these reductant fuels may be stored in order to smooth fluctuations in the primary energy supply. Electrical energy may be stored to smooth out short term fluctuations in the primary energy source. Energy for the reduction and conversion process may be supplied in part directly from the primary energy source, avoiding inefficiencies in the production and storage of the reductant fuel. Possible primary energy sources include solar power, wind power, off-peak power supplied as part of load leveling plants, as well as conventional constant power output from an ordinary power plant.

Abstract: A method of refining a molten metal or a molten alloy through degassing, wherein a gas is blown into a molten metal or a molten alloy contained within a refining container, while stirring by utilizing an electromagnetic force, to superimpose the blown gas onto a molten metal or a molten alloy, and the stirring by an electromagnetic force, to thereby refine the blown gas, and at the same time, increase the residence time of the blown gas in the molten metal or molten alloy bath and homogeneously disperse the blown gas in the molten metal or molten alloy bath.

Abstract: A method for the recovery of metals including zinc, zinc oxide, iron-carbon feedstocks, lead and cadmium from industrial waste streams which entails treating the waste streams with carbon and an ammonium chloride solution, separating any undissolved components from the solution, displacing metal ions including lead and cadmium from the solution using zinc metal, further treating the solution to remove zinc compounds therefrom, further treating the zinc compounds and the undissolved components with a dissolving solution, and further treating the displaced metal ions to recover lead, cadmium and zinc therein using various methods including electrolysis.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for removing tin, arsenic and antimony from molten lead by means of oxygen or oxygen-containing gas mixtures, which is or are blown into the molten lead by means of at least one gas nozzle (2). To avoid damage to the gas nozzle, at least the oxygen outlet region (13) thereof, located in the molten lead (6), is enveloped by an inert gas.

Abstract: Fire-refined blister copper is produced from copper concentrate by a process comprising:A. melting and oxidizing the copper concentrate in a smelting furnace to produce molten matte and slag, and to separate one from the other;B. removing the molten matte from the smelting furnace;C. solidifying the molten matte;D. injecting the solidified matte into a converting furnace in which the matte is converted to blister copper and slag; andE. transferring the blister copper from the converting furnace to an anode furnace to produce fire-refined blister copper.After the fire-refined blister copper is produced in the anode furnace, it is typically transferred to an anode casting wheel on which it is converted to copper anodes suitable for subsequent electrolytic refining to cathode copper.

Abstract: A biohydrometallurgical apparatus and method for extracting precious metals, including gold and silver, from oxidized ore by means of leaching with a neutral bisulfide solution instead of cyanide, thiourea, thiosulfate, or other conventional lixiviants is disclosed. In a preferred embodiment, a first process step of conventional bio-oxidation of ore particles is accomplished to free precious metals dispersed or occluded within the ore. A portion of the acidic, base-metal sulfate leach solution produced by bio-oxidation is introduced to an anaerobic reactor. In a heap leach embodiment of the process, the anaerobic reactor is a side-stream reactor. In an alternative slurry (e.g.,vat) leaching embodiment, the anaerobic process may occur on-line. A preferably non-toxic electron donor, such as acetate or methanol (which does not bind effectively to activated carbon), is added to the anaerobic reactor to enrich within it a mixed culture of sulfate-reducing bacteria.

Abstract: A flux formulation for use in the assembly of electronic circuit boards having components to be joined by soldering. The formulation comprises a medium which acts as a carrier and solvent for the fluxing agent, which includes in a preferred embodiment supercritical carbon dioxide. The formulation also includes a fluxing agent, being at least partially soluble in the supercritical carbon dioxide which serves to transport the fluxing agent before deposition thereof upon a soldering site. The supercritical fluid is delivered through a nozzle to the circuit board, the supercritical condition being maintained until the supercritical fluid is discharged from the nozzle. The fluxing agent at least partially loses its solubility in the fluid thereupon and is transported to the board by a stream of carbon dioxide gas. Also disclosed is a method for delivering a flux formulation to the electronic circuit board.

Abstract: The invention provides a hydrometallurgical process for the recovery of metals. In particular, an aqueous feed solution originating from acid leaching is provided. The aqueous feed solution contains nickel and/or cobalt ions. The pH of the solution is maintained at a level between about 2 and 6. The aqueous feed solution is contacted with a water-immiscible organic phase containing an extractant to load the nickel and/or cobalt metal ions to form a metal-bearing organic phase. The extractant has at least one organic soluble dithiophosphinic acid, alkali, alkaline earth metal or ammonium salt thereof. The aqueous feed solution has sufficiently low levels of chromium (VI) ions, iron (III) ions and copper ions to allow repeated use of the extractant. The metal-bearing organic phase is then separated from the metal-containing aqueous feed solution.

Abstract: A quench chute for use in heat treating objects extends from one end of a furnace into a tank filled with quenching fluid. The chute has a passage therein through which heat treated objects fall from the furnace into the tank. Laminar sheets of quenching fluid are introduced into the chute above the quenching fluid level in the tank and a portion of the chute is constructed from a screen which allows quenching fluid to exit the chute and return to the quench tank. A portion of the chute below the quenching fluid level is curved and has a plurality of fluid manifolds disposed therealong for introducing high pressure jets of fluid into the chute. As the objects fall from the furnace into the chute, they first pass through the laminar sheets of quenching fluid. The objects then fall through the quenching fluid and glance off of the curved portion of the chute. The objects are decelerated by the glancing contact with the chute and by the jets of quenching fluid introduced into the chute by the manifold.

Abstract: A method of reducing material containing metal oxide in a circulating fluidized bed, in which coal in excess and air is introduced into the fluidization chamber so as to maintain a temperature of >850.degree. C. in the chamber. Bed material which has been separated from the flue gases is conveyed through a carbidization chamber in a recirculation system at a temperature of <850.degree. C. to the lower part of the fluidization chamber. Conditions favorable for formation of carbide are maintained in the carbidization chamber.

Abstract: A no-VOC or low-VOC no-clean flux formulation for use in the assembly of electronic circuit boards having a conformal coating. The formulation comprises a solvent, a water-soluble weak organic acid, a halide-free, non-ionic surfactant, and a biocidal co-solvent. The formulation is compatible with the conformal coating, permits no or low VOC emissions into the environment, and eliminates post-soldering cleaning steps.

Abstract: Impurity streams generated during the pyrometallurgy of copper are hydrometallurgically processed at ambient pressure for recovery of primary values in an energy-efficient manner and with the capture and conversion of metallic impurities to states that are acceptable for disposal into the environment. Hallmark features of the various embodiments of this invention include the water leach of flue dust, the extraction of water-soluble copper as a separate product, a controlled acid leach stage in which bismuth is solubilized, the return of copper to the smelting process as a sulfide, the ability to operate the various process stages at essentially ambient pressure, and the gradual reduction in temperature over the course of the process without the use of indirect heating or cooling operations.

Abstract: Fine tantalum powder of high surface area, high capacitance, low leakage and high breakdown voltage is produced by sodium reduction of highly dilute fluotantalate salt charges at high reaction temperatures and stepwise additions of the sodium reducing agent in a time-series of substantially even weight slugs added over the whole course of the reduction reaction to a melt of the charge and using the small exotherm of reduction provided by each slug as a temperature control factor.

Abstract: A braze filler metal alloy paste containing braze metal alloy powders, such as a nickel- or cobalt-based braze filler metal, homogeneously dispersed throughout an aqueous gel solution comprising a binder such as a cellulose material, for example, sodium carboxymethyl-cellulose and a dispersants such as mineral oil and glycerine.