Alloys flotation

In view of the poor magnesium recoveries (and the associated pyrotechnics) and the present availability of desulfurized base iron, efforts have been made to establish the rare earths as the primary nodulizers (13). After all, Morrogh originally produced nodular iron by the use of mischmetal. The rare earths are more dense than the liquid base irons (p=6.6 gm/cm for cerium (14), whereas p 6.2 gm/cm for gray irons above the liquidus (15)). They also are liquid at iron founding temperatures. As a result, there is not a problem with pyrotechnics and alloy flotation can be minimized. Recoveries of the rare earths in the iron have been found to be high. 

The abundance of indium in the earth s cmst is probably about 0.1 ppm, similat to that of silver. It is found in trace amounts in many minerals, particulady in the sulfide ores of zinc and to a lesser extent in association with sulfides of copper, tin, and lead. Indium follows zinc through flotation concentration, and commercial recovery of the metal is achieved by treating residues, flue dusts, slags, and metallic intermediates in zinc smelting and associated lead (qv) and copper (qv) smelting (see Metallurgy, EXTRACTIVE Zinc and zinc alloys). 

The matte can be treated in different ways, depending on the copper content and on the desired product. In some cases, the copper content of the Bessemer matte is low enough to allow the material to be cast directly into sulfide anodes for electrolytic refining. Usually it is necessary first to separate the nickel and copper sulfides. The copper—nickel matte is cooled slowly for ca 4 d to faciUtate grain growth of mineral crystals of copper sulfide, nickel—sulfide, and a nickel—copper alloy. This matte is pulverized, the nickel and copper sulfides isolated by flotation, and the alloy extracted magnetically and refined electrolyticaHy. The nickel sulfide is cast into anodes for electrolysis or, more commonly, is roasted to nickel oxide and further reduced to metal for refining by electrolysis or by the carbonyl method. Alternatively, the nickel sulfide may be roasted to provide a nickel oxide sinter that is suitable for direct use by the steel industry. 

Ladle metallurgy, the treatment of Hquid steel in the ladle, is a field in which several new processes, or new combinations of old processes, continue to be developed (19,20). The objectives often include one or more of the following on a given heat more efficient methods for alloy additions and control of final chemistry improved temperature and composition homogenisation inclusion flotation desulfurization and dephosphorization sulfide and oxide shape control and vacuum degassing, especially for hydrogen and carbon monoxide to make interstitial-free (IF) steels. Electric arcs are normally used to raise the temperature of the Hquid metal (ladle arc furnace). 

Both sodium sulfide and the bisulfide are used in the flotation process for copper minerals and as a depilatory for animal liides (see Copper Copper ALLOYS Leather). Also, sodium polysulfide can be produced from Na2S, and elemental sulfur can be produced if H2S is generated as an intemiediate. 

Cadmium occurs primarily as sulfide minerals ia ziac, lead—ziac, and copper—lead—ziac ores. Beneftciation of these minerals, usually by flotation (qv) or heavy-media separation, yields concentrates which are then processed for the recovery of the contained metal values. Cadmium follows the ziac with which it is so closely associated (see Zinc and zinc alloys see also Copper Lead). 

Native gold and its alloys, which are free from surface contaminants, are readily floatable with xanthate collectors. Very often however, gold surfaces are contaminated or covered with varieties of impurities [4], The impurities present on gold surfaces may be argentite, iron oxides, galena, arsenopyrite or copper oxides. The thickness of the layer may be of the order of 1-5 pm. Because of this, the flotation properties of native gold and its alloys vary widely. Gold covered with iron oxides or oxide copper is very difficult to float and requires special treatment to remove the contaminants. 

The major carriers of PGM are a variety of minerals and alloys, where the flotation properties of the PGM minerals and alloys are not well defined. These ores have very little to no sulphides present that are PGM carriers. 

The PGM carriers in this ore include a variety of PGM minerals (sperrilite) and its alloys. The main problems identified associated with processing this ore type were (a) poor concentrate grade, (b) low rate of PGM flotation, (c) excessive chromium reporting to the PGM concentrate and (d) high collector consumption. 

Copper-nickel matte obtained in this stage is allowed to cool slowly over a few days to separate mineral crystals of copper sulfide, nickel sulfide and nickel-copper alloy. The cool matte is pulverized to isolate sulfides of nickel and copper by froth flotation. Nickel-copper alloy is extracted by magnetic separation. Nickel metal is obtained from the nickel sulfide by electrolysis using crude nickel sulfide cast into anodes and nickel-plated stainless steel cathodes. 

The bulk of the concentrate separated from molybdenite ore by flotation is further processed to produce molybdenum. A typical extraction and purification procedure is outlined in Figure 2.1. The concentrate is roasted to convert the moiybdenum disulphide to molybdic oxide. The product is called roasted concentrate, and about 30% is marketed as Technical Oxide, mainly for alloy manufacture. A typical range of compositions is shown in Table 2.6. 

Lead ores, poor in silver, are first concentrated by flotation. Lead is then produced by roasting and reduction. The content of silver in the lead metal is low. A metallurgical concentration occurs by the so-called Pattinson process (pattinsonizing). The method relies on the fact that silver-lead alloys have a eutectic composition with a silver content of 2.7%, see Figure 6.4. A melt of an alloy with a silver content lower than 2.7% is allowed to solidify slowly. The solid lead formed is gradually removed mechanically and the silver content of the melt increases. In theory a residual alloy with 2.7% Ag can be obtained. In practice it is possible to obtain at least 2% silver. Lead and silver can be separated from this residual alloy by the cupeUation process. 

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