Abstract: Rare earth alloy compositions, such as the neodymium iron boron (NdFeB) alloy are made by a Reduction-Melting process. The Reduction-Melting process comprises preparing a primary electrode containing at least one compound or metal to be reduced to form a refined metal or metal alloy ingot; placing the electrode in an electroslag refining furnace; passing a current through the electrode into a molten flux or slag to melt the electrode; reducing the metal or compound in the slag while forming an oxide by-product; collecting melted metal or metal alloy droplets falling through the slag; forming an ingot of the metal or metal alloy from the melted droplets; and collecting the solid oxide byproducts in the slag.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an improved process for the preparation of high grade synthetic rutile from ilmenite with pig iron as a by-product. The process comprises subjecting ilmenite to reduction with coal, cooling and removing unreacted coal to obtain a product having 80-95% metallization, smelting the metallized ilmenite mixed with less than 10% carbon (w/w) in a transferred arc plasma using arc current, under flow of inert gas for a fixed time. The metal is then separated as pig iron and TiO2 as slag, the slag ground followed by oxidation at high temperature in the presence of an oxidizing gas, the oxidized product being leached with dilute HCl followed by filtration, washing and drying to obtain synthetic rutile.

Abstract: A process to optimize the reduction process with a given quality of ore. The reduction gas 7 is analyzed by means of gas sensor 1 and is separated into two partial flows. The throughput of the partial flow which is oxidized is regulated by a regulation valve 3 and is then sent to the burner 4 where it is oxidized. The other partial flow of the reduction gas is regulated by a regulation valve 2 according to the required amount of gas in the shaft and is thereafter brought to the required temperature in the heat exchanger 11 and mixed with the oxidized partial flow of the reduction gas. The gas components are determined by a gas sensor 13 and, when necessary, a gas delivery 14 is adjusted according to mathematical formulations. This makes it possible to run the reduction process in the direction of its stoichiomeric optimum using a given quality of ore.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a process of making fired mineral pellets by mixing particulate mineral material with moisture and binder comprising substantially water soluble organic polymer to form a moist pelletizable mix, pelletizing the moist mix by a tumbling process to form green pellets and firing the green pellets, characterized in that the binder comprises alkali metal silicate in a dry weight amount which is either (a) above 0.13% based on moist mix or (b) above 0.08% based on moist mix and at least three times the dry weight of substantially water soluble organic polymer.

Abstract: A method for preparing ultra-pure silver from a crude silver mixture containing metallic and/or non-metallic impurities, said method comprising; dissolving the crude silver mixture in nitric acid to form a crude silver nitrate solution; adding a first selective reducing agent to the crude silver nitrate solution to precipitate a silver/contaminant matrix and form a partially purified silver nitrate solution; separating the partially purified silver nitrate solution from the precipitated silver/contaminant matrix; adding a second selective reducing agent to the partially purified silver nitrate solution to precipitate silver powder; and isolating the silver powder.

Abstract: Two methods of producing a ceramic reinforced Al-alloy metal-matrix composite are described. The first one comprises the steps of dispersing a ceramic phase (of titanium diboride) in a liquid aluminum or aluminum alloy, mixing the ceramic phase with a cryolite or other fluoride flux powder and melting the mixture together with the aluminum or aluminum alloy phase at a temperature of between 700° and 1000° C. In the second method, the fluoride flux is reduced in situ by either molten aluminum or its alloying elements (Mg, Ca) to yield TiB2 crystallites of different size and size distribution that can be predetermined by fixing the flux and alloy composition and the processing temperature.

Abstract: A molten metal vessel includes a first chamber for containing molten metal such as molten aluminum therein, a filtration chamber in which impurities contained in the molten metal are removed, and a second chamber for reserving clean molten metal to be supplied to a casting die. The molten metal flows from the first chamber to the second chamber through the filtration chamber. A pair of filters, preferably a pair of cylindrical filters, are disposed in the filtration chamber, so that the impurities contained in the molten metal can be filtered twice. The filters are attached to the bottom of the filtration chamber where molten metal oxides hardly develop, so that the filters are easily replaced with new ones for the maintenance purpose. A rod-shaped heater may be disposed in the cylindrical filters to keep the molten metal temperature in a strictly controlled range. Thus, the impurities are effectively removed from the molten metal through the filters which are easily replaceable.

Abstract: A method for preparing ultra-pure silver from a crude silver halide matrix containing metallic and/or non-metallic impurities, said method comprising; roasting the crude silver halide matrix to substantially remove carbonaceous material; treating the roasted crude silver halide matrix with ammonium hydroxide to dissolve the silver halides and form an ammonium hydroxide reaction mixture; adding an initial reducing agent to the ammonium hydroxide reaction mixture to precipitate a crude silver powder mixture; separating the crude silver powder mixture from the ammonium hydroxide reaction mixture dissolving the crude silver powder mixture in nitric acid to form a crude silver nitrate solution; adding a first selective reducing agent to the crude silver nitrate solution to precipitate a silver/contaminant matrix and form a partially purified silver nitrate solution; separating the partially purified silver nitrate solution from the precipitated silver/contaminant matrix; adding a second selective reducing

Abstract: Molten iron is prepared by (1) providing iron oxide and a carbonaceous reducing agent, (2) preparing a shaped product from the carbonaceous reducing agent and the iron oxide, (3) preparing solid reduced iron from the shaped product, wherein the solid reduced iron has a metallization of at least 60%, a specific gravity of at least 1.7, and a carbon content of at least 50% of the theoretical amount required for reducing the iron oxide remaining in the solid reduced iron, and, (4) before substantial cooling occurs, heating the solid reduced iron in an arc heating-type melting furnace at a high temperature. The molten iron can be prepared efficiently from iron ores of relatively low iron content without causing erosion of refractories, at high energy and high reduction efficiencies, and by a simple operation in a simple facility.

Abstract: The invention intends to provide a converter refining method capable of blowing molten steel having a low degree of superoxidation with high productivity and high yield. A first aspect resides in a pressurized converter steelmaking method for use in a top-and-bottom blowing converter, wherein a converter internal pressure P is set to a higher level than the atmospheric pressure, and a top-blown oxygen flow rate F and a bottom-blown gas flow rate Q are adjusted depending on changes of the converter internal pressure P. A second aspect resides in a pressurized converter steelmaking method for use in a top-and-bottom blowing converter, wherein a converter internal pressure P is set to a higher level than the atmospheric pressure during the whole or a part of a blowing period, and a top-blown oxygen flow rate F, a bottom-blown gas flow rate Q and the converter internal pressure P are changed depending on a steel bath carbon concentration C.

Abstract: A process for recovering a base metal from a material, the base metal being selected from cobalt, copper, nickel and zinc, the process comprising the steps of reacting the host material with a ferric ion species in a leach solution, at conditions sufficient to cause at least a portion of the base metal to be oxidized by the ferric ion species, thereby causing the ferric ion species to be converted to a ferrous ion species, and oxidizing the ferrous ion species with an oxidation mixture of SO2 and oxygen to form the ferric ion species for subsequent reaction with the material.

Abstract: A method for the direct preparation of metal from metal containing ore by applying microwaves, alone or in combination with other heating means, to extract metal from masses made by forming a powder of ore and an optional reducing agent. The method minimizes the expenditure of energy used to refine the metal, the level of contamination introduced into the metal, and the production of environmental pollutants.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for manufacturing molten pig iron by using a fine iron ore are disclosed. Coal is used to produce a reducing gas, and a fine iron ore is used to produce a molten iron and a reduced iron in a simple and efficient manner. The apparatus for manufacturing a molten iron by directly using coal as the fuel is as follows. A high temperature reducing gas is sent from a melter-gasifier to a fluidized bed lime stone calcining furnace to calcine the lime stone. The reducing gas is supplied to a second fluidized bed reducing furnace so as to manufacture a reduced iron directly. An off-gas from the second fluidized bed reducing furnace is supplied to a first fluidized bed reducing furnace (disposed above the second fluidized bed reducing furnace) to pre-heat and pre-reduce the fine iron ore. The calcined lime stone and the finally reduced iron are supplied to a melter-gasifier to manufacture a molten pig iron.

Abstract: A continuous process is provided for rapid melting of a variety of virgin and recycled ferrous and non-ferrous metals. This is accomplished by distributing the introduction of the unmelted charge materials and hence the melting heat requirements along an elongate gas-solid-liquid reaction zone within a rotary furnace, according to the distribution of heat available to effect melting. In the case of fine-sized metal charge materials, fluxes and additive reagents, this charge distribution is implemented by traversing of the nozzle jet, as directed to penetrate into the metal and slag bath from a solids injection lance, successively backwards and forwards and, in the case of coarse-sized materials, by traversing of the discharge from an oscillating conveyor.

Abstract: A method of producing metals and metal alloys from metal oxides is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of: (a) passing a gas at an elevated temperature through a bed of composite agglomerates that are formed from metal oxides and solid carbonaceous material and thereby reducing metal oxides in the agglomerates to metal and melting the metal; and (b) collecting the molten metal from the agglomerates.

Abstract: The invention refers to amorphous and nanocrystalline magnetic glass-covered wires. The wires consist of a metallic amorphous or nanocrystalline core with diameters by the order of 10−6 m, having compositions based on transition metal-metalloids and other additional metals and a glass cover, having a thickness of the wall by the same order of magnitude. The wires present high or medium saturation inducation, positive, negative or nearly zero magnetostriction and values of the coercive field and of the magnetic permeability in function of the requested applications in a field of electronics and electrotechnics to achieve sensors, transducers, inductive coils, trnasformers, magnetic shields, devices working on the basis of the correlation between the magnetic properties of the metallic core and the optical properties of the glass cover.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for producing metals and metal alloys from metal oxides in a metallurgical vessel containing a molten bath having a metal layer and a slag layer is disclosed. The method is characterized by injecting a carrier gas and a solid carbonaceous material and/or metal oxides into the molten bath from a side of the vessel that is in contact with the molten bath or from above the molten bath so that the solids penetrate the molten bath and cause molten metal to be projected into the gas space above the molten bath to form a transition zone. The method is also characterized by injecting an oxygen-containing gas into the gas space to post-combust reaction gases released from the molten bath into the transition zone.

Abstract: An aluminum alloy containing the following elements in the stated amounts: 0.6≦Mg≦0.9; 0.25≦Si≦0.6; 0.25≦Cu≦0.9; Fe<0.4; Mn<0.4; the total of the amounts of Cu, Si and Mg being, in atomic weight percent, more than 1.2% and less than 1.8%. These alloys may be subjected to homogenization at about 470 to 560° C. for more than four hours, hot rolling at a temperature in the range of 400 to 580° C., cold rolling, solutionizing at a temperature in the range of 470 to 580° C., and natural aging at ambient temperature. The alloys may then be used as structural components for all aluminum vehicles and may be recycled with other aluminum alloys used in such vehicles.

Abstract: A slag composition containing steelmaking slag and from about 0.5 to about 10 weight percent of reducing agent. The steelmaking slag contains from about 25 to about 55 weight percent of calcium oxide, from about 10 to about 50 weight percent of ferrous oxide, from about 5 to about 20 weight percent of magnesium oxide, from about 5 to about 20 weight percent of silicon oxide, and from about 0.5 to about 8 weight percent of manganese oxide. The reducing agent contains both calcium carbide and elemental aluminum. From about 5 to about 80 weight percent of the reducing agent is comprised of calcium carbide, and from about 10 to about 50 weight percent of such reducing agent is comprised of elemental aluminum.

Abstract: To be able to produce metal melts using any metal carriers incurring in metallurgical practice as the charging materials, namely in the most diverse quantitative compositions, a plant for producing metal melts is provided with the following characteristic features: an electric arc furnace vessel (1) provided with one charging opening (11, 21) for a metal melt and/or scrap and/or direct reduced metal, in particular direct reduced iron, and/or ore and at least one electrode (16) and one slag tapping means (22), an oxygen-blowing converter vessel (3) provided with one melt tapping means (41), wherein the oxygen-blowing converter vessel (3) and the electric arc furnace vessel (1) form a unit which is connected via an overflow weir (34) and which is rigidly mounted on the foundation and, wherein the bath surface related specifically to the bath volume is smaller in the oxygen-blowing converter vessel (3) than in the electric arc furnace vessel (1) and the oxygen-blowing converter vessel (3) shares a common re