Enhanced compressive strength of preheated limonite pellets with biomass-derived binders

Sodium lignosulfonate (SL) is a powder-like by-product of the pulp and paper industry derived from lignocellulosic biomass. SL can potentially be a low-cost and highly efficient binder for the pelletization of iron ore powder in the ironmaking industry because it is a natural polymer compound containing multiple functional groups, such as hydroxyl, carboxyl, and sulfonic acid. In this paper, the strong organic binder, namely SL, was used to enhance the compressive strength of the limonite pellet, which is required to reduce VOC emission during the iron-making process. The limonite pellets' pellet size variation and compressive strength prepared with SL-based binders were studied at a temperature range from 900 °C −1100 °C. Experimental results showed that the compressive strength of the preheated pellets was the highest at a preheating temperature of 1100 °C, reaching 342.55 N/P which is qualified for the subsequent iron-making process. These experimental results provide essential references for optimizing the preparation of limonite pellets with SL-based binders. Furthermore, this study employed artificial neural networks to process experimental data and generate predicted values for corresponding experimental conditions. The predicted results closely matched the observed values, further assisting enterprises in accelerating their digitization and automation processes.     

Study on dual binders for fabricating SiC particulate preforms using selective laser sintering

The SiC preforms were successfully produced by selective laser sintering and thermal treatment for fabricating the near-net-shape composites with high SiC volume fraction. The effects of dual binders on the forming accuracy, microstructure and mechanical properties of SiC preforms were investigated. Results show that the SiC preforms with forming accuracy of 98.89% were fabricated by using the dual binders of nylon 6 + NH₄H₂PO₄, which fits the requirement of subsequent near-net-shape manufacturing compared with using single binder of nylon 6 after thermal treatment, the tensile and bend strength were significantly improved by using the dual binders of nylon 6 + NH₄H₂PO₄, which are strong enough to support the external load during infiltration. The bonding among SiC particulates primarily depends on nylon 6 after laser sintering, but after the decomposing of nylon 6, the reaction product of SiP₂O₇ phases can provide effective bonding for maintaining the forming accuracy and supporting mechanical properties of SiC preforms.     

Microstructural evolution and magnetic properties of pressureless-sintered nanosized iron prepared by a facile combustion-based route

High-activity iron nanopowders were prepared through a facile combustion-based route, combining solution combustion synthesis and hydrogen reduction. The as-synthesized iron nanopowders were densified by pressureless sintering. The densification behavior, microstructure, mechanical properties and magnetic properties of the iron bulk sintered at different temperatures were studied in detail. At a low sintering temperature of 700 °C, the relative density of the sintered iron reaches 97.3%, because the iron nanopowders exhibit a low sintering activation energy of 123 KJ/mol. The iron bulk sintered at 700 °C exhibits relatively regular equiaxed grains with an average grain size of 0.45 μm, and has a maximum tensile strength of 510.1 MPa, a high microhardness of 201.9 HV, and a saturation induction of 1.75 T. As the sintering temperature increases, the grain size and magnetic properties of the sintered iron enhance, while the mechanical strength decreases. For the sintered iron prepared at 1300 °C with the average grain size ~ 80.9 μm, the saturation induction value reaches 1.78 T and the tensile strength is 334.9 MPa.     

The effect of additives on the properties of lightweight aggregates produced from clay

In an attempt to improve the properties, lightweight aggregates were produced from clay with the addition of Na₂CO₃, SiO₂, Fe₂O₃, and Fe in quantities between 2 and 10 wt% and examined with respect to strength, density and expansion behavior. The additives were mixed into dry clay powder, water was added and pellets were formed by hand and fired at 1120 °C in a chamber furnace. Particle densities of the products ranged from 0.31 to 0.57 g/cm³, porosities from 78% to 89% and the solid strength from 0.54 to 1.58 MPa. The addition of Na₂CO₃ proved to decrease the viscosity of the glass phase at the surface of the pellets but resulted in a reduced expansion, irregular shape and pellets sticking together. SiO₂ addition did not give any major change in properties. The addition of Fe₂O₃ increased the pore size in the center of the pellets, however with insignificant change in strength and density. Adding 5 wt% metallic iron powder led to LWA pellets with increased porosity, reduced density, larger pores and low mechanical strength and could be a useful additive in applications where low density is more important than strength.     

Some physical properties and Vickers hardness measurements of Fe diffusion-doped Bi<Subscript>1.8</Subscript>Pb<Subscript>0.35</Subscript>Sr<Subscript>1.9</Subscript>Ca<Subscript>2.1</Subscript>Cu<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>y</Subscript> superconductors

In this study we have investigated the influence of iron diffusion and diffusion-annealing time on the mechanical and the superconducting properties of bulk Bi_1.8Pb_0.35Sr_1.9Ca_2.1Cu₃O_y superconductors by performing X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Vickers hardness, dc resistivity (ρ-T) and critical current density (J_c) measurements. The samples are prepared by the conventional solid-state reaction method. Doping of Bi-2223 was carried out by means of iron diffusion during sintering from an evaporated iron film on pellets. Then, the Fe layered superconducting samples were annealed at 830 °C for 10, 30 and 60 h. The mechanical properties of the compounds have been investigated by measuring the Vickers hardness (H_v). The mechanical properties of the samples were found to be load dependent. The load independent Vickers hardness (H₀), Young’s modulus (E), yield strength (Y), and fracture toughness (K_IC) values of the samples are calculated. These all measurements showed that the values of the Vickers hardness, critical current density, and critical transition temperature and lattice parameter c increased with increasing Fe doping and diffusion-annealing time.     

Dense nanostructured solid electrolyte with high Li-ion conductivity by spark plasma sintering technique

Spark plasma sintering (SPS) technique has been attempted to prepare dense lithium ion conductors composed of nanostructured Li_1.4Al_0.4Ti_1.6(PO₄)₃ with the NASICON-type structure. Typical 100% of theoretical density in the pellets was achieved for the sample by SPS at 650 °C, a much lower temperature compared to the solid-state sintering process. The ionic conductivity of 1.12 × 10^?3 S/cm, the highest one for inorganic Li⁺-ion conductors as reported up to date was obtained at 25 °C with an activation energy (E_a) of 0.25 eV. The enhancement in ionic conductivity of the SPS pellets was supposed mainly due to the decrease in the particle size as well as the extremely high density of the samples.     

Joining of AlN and graphite disks using interlayer tapes by spark plasma sintering

AlN and graphite disks were successfully joined using a polymer plasticized ceramic tape as the interlayer by spark plasma sintering (SPS). The tape contains either composite powders of AlN and graphite or AlN powders without graphite. Both tapes contained 5 mass% Y₂O₃ as the sintering aid of AlN. The joining was carried out at 1700–1900 °C and 30 MPa for 5 min. No other reaction phase except for Al₂Y₄O₉ was identified in the joints. The maximum tensile strength of the joints was obtained when the AlN–graphite composite interlayer tape was used. The joining mechanism is attributed not to the chemical bonding, but to the physical bonding of the Al₂Y₄O₉ phase, which is solidified from the molten Al–Y–O squeezing into the porous graphite under pressure during SPS.     

High velocity compaction of 0.9Al2O3/Cu composite powder

The 0.9Al₂O₃/Cu composite powder was compacted by high velocity compaction (HVC) technique and the effects of sintering temperature on density and mechanical properties such as tensile strength and hardness were studied. The results showed that with an increase in impact velocity the green density of the compacts significantly increased. At impact velocity of 9.40 m s⁻¹, the maximum green density of the compacts reached up to 8.460 g/cm³ (RD 96.8%). The green compacts were then sintered at different temperatures and it was found that with the increase in sintering temperature the sintered density and the mechanical properties also increased. At sintering temperature of 1080 °C, the compacts obtained the maximum relative sintered density of 98%, a tensile strength of 346 MPa and hardness of 71.1 HRB. Additionally with the increase in sintering temperature, the shrinkage along both axial and radial direction increased. The electrical conductivity of the samples was measured as 71% IACS.     

Sintering of 17-4PH stainless steel feedstock for metal injection molding

The sintering behavior of 17-4PH stainless steel feedstock for metal injection molding was investigated in the temperature range of 650-1050 °C. Effects of sintering conditions, such as sintering temperature and sintering atmosphere, were examined. Results showed that when sintered in the hydrogen/nitrogen atmosphere, the 17-4PH feedstock was oxidized over the temperature range of investigation. The degree of oxidization increased with the sintering temperature. The main oxidization product was Cr₂O₃ as revealed by X-ray diffraction and composition analysis. The oxidation can be avoided by sintering in vacuum or argon atmosphere.     

Pelletization of hematite and synthesized magnetite concentrate from a banded hematite quartzite ore: A comparison study

A compressive pelletization study, for the utilization of an Indian Banded Hematite Quartzite ore, is presented in this communication. Iron ore concentrates have been generated utilizing the conventional beneficiation process and also by the approach of reduction roasting-magnetic separation. The Fe contents of the hematite and the synthesized magnetite concentrate were found to be 64.22 and 63.80%, respectively. The influence of different factors on the respective physical, chemical, and metallurgical properties of the fired pellets, generated through both the routes, have been compared. The pellets prepared from the synthesized magnetite attain the threshold Cold Crushing Strength (CCS) of 50 kg/pellet at a lower temperature of 1050 °C in comparison to hematite pellets (1100 °C). Also, the threshold CCS of 250 kg/pellet is attained by synthesized magnetite pellets at a lower temperature of 1250 °C compared to hematite pellets (1360 °C). The fired synthesized magnetite pellets also achieve the desired metallurgical properties i.e., Reduction Degradation Index (RDI), Reducibility Index (RI), and Swelling Index (SI) at par with the hematite pellets. Moreover, unlike the hematite pellets, the synthesized magnetite pellets do not need the addition of external carbon during the pellet making.     

Dielectric Ba(Ti1?xSnx)O3 (x?=?0.13) ceramics, sintered by spark plasma and conventional methods

A two-step sintering approach composed of spark-plasma-sintering (SPS) technique at 1000 °C for 1 min and under a uniaxial pressure of 63 MPa followed by conventional sintering at 1400 °C for 3 h is proposed for synthesis of dense Ba(Ti_0.87Sn_0.13)O₃ ceramics. Starting powders had grain size of about 90 nm and were obtained by co-precipitation. The SPS pellets consist of submicron (300–500 nm) grains. X-ray diffraction analysis of as-prepared Ba(Ti_0.87Sn_0.13)O₃ ceramic shows the occurrence of cubic and tetragonal phase coexistence for the pellets obtained after SPS processing and the presence of only tetragonal phase in the samples after the second (conventional) sintering. Grain uniformity in the final product is high, with average size of ~2 μm. The apparent densities of the sintered pellets at temperature of 1400 °C were ~92% of the theoretical value of Ba(Ti_0.87Sn_0.13)O₃. The ceramics exhibit a high relative dielectric constant of 6,550 and a dielectric loss (tan δ) = 0.078 at Curie temperature of 63 °C and 10 Hz.     

钠离子电池Na3Zr2Si2PO12陶瓷电解质的喷雾干燥法制备及性能优化

目前钠离子电池采用的有机电解液存在易燃易爆等安全隐患,迫切需要开发高性能的固体电解质材料.其中NASICON型Na3Zr2Si2PO12电解质具有宽电化学窗口、高机械强度、对空气稳定、高离子电导率等优点,应用前景广阔.但已有研究的陶瓷生坯由于黏结剂包覆不均匀导致生坯内部气孔较多,难以烧成高致密、高离子电导的陶瓷电解质....     

Mechanical strength and rewetting stability of nickel laterite pellets

The stability of agglomerated/pelletized ores is one of the key properties for successful heap leaching of complex, low-grade nickel laterite minerals. In this paper, single pellets of saprolitic and goethitic nickel laterite with controlled binder type (tap water and 44 wt.% H₂SO₄), binder content and pre-set porosity were made by a pellet press and subjected to mechanical strength and rewetting stability tests. The effect of fine/coarse particles ratio on the mechanical strength was also investigated using siliceous goethitic ore. The failure strength of the pellets under different drying conditions was measured and the time taken for the pellets to disintegrate under saturated (soaking) and leaching conditions was recorded. The results showed that, with the same type of nickel laterite, the time taken to disintegration during leaching test is proportional to the pellets tensile strength. Pellets with water as binder are more stable under soak conditions. Furthermore, failure strength for oven dried pellets is greater than that of air dried. With saprolitic nickel laterite (SAP) pellets, their mechanical strength and re-wetting stability can be enhanced by drying the wet pellets or by increasing the binder content in the pellets. The pellets mechanical strength was found to be a good indication of their stability under leaching conditions as well. However, no relationship between the two was observed for goethitic nickel laterite pellets.     

An efficient and clean utilization technique for red mud based on fluidized bed carbon monoxide reduction

In order to simulate the pre-reduction behavior of ore powder by coal gas produced by smelting reduction of coal-based electric furnace, an efficient and clean utilization technique for red mud based on fluidized bed carbon monoxide reduction was developed in the present study. Experimental results indicated that a metallization rate of 68.08 % and reduction degree of 78.72 was obtained under the optimal conditions of reduction temperature of 800 °C, CO concentration of 85 %, and reduction time of 30 min. Pre-reduced materials can be used as raw materials for electric furnace melting reduction. The order in which iron oxides were reduced is only related to temperature, and at 800 °C, iron oxides were reduced in the order of Fe₂O₃ to Fe₃O₄ to FeO to Fe. During different stages of prereduction, the surface structure of ore particles changes, which is related to the metallization rate of iron oxides in red mud.     

Sintered porous cermets based on TiB2 and TiB2–TiC–Mo2C

TiB₂ powder, with different binders (Ni and Ni/Mn), after milling were cold compacted (300 MPa) and sintered in H₂ at 1300 and 1350°C for 1 h. To improve the sintering behaviour, TiC/Mo₂C alloy carbide was added and the milled charge along with the same binders (Ni and Ni/Mn) was cold compacted and sintered under similar conditions. Sintered density, porosity, transverse rupture strength (TRS), grain size and lattice parameter of binder and hard phases were measured. Better densification was observed with Ni/Mn binder as compared to Ni binder for either hard phase based systems. Maximum value of TRS was noted for TiB₂–TiC–Mo₂C–40 wt.% Ni/Mn cermet. Melt exudation was observed for either hard phase based systems with Ni binder.     

Mechanical and in vitro performance of apatite–wollastonite glass ceramic reinforced hydroxyapatite composite fabricated by 3D-printing

In situ hydroxyapatite/apatite–wollastonite glass ceramic composite was fabricated by a three dimensional printing (3DP) technique and characterized. It was found that the as-fabricated mean green strength of the composite was 1.27 MPa which was sufficient for general handling. After varying sintering temperatures (1050–1300°C) and times (1–10 h), it was found that sintering at 1300°C for 3 h gave the greatest flexural modulus and strength, 34.10 GPa and 76.82 MPa respectively. This was associated with a decrease in porosity and increase in densification ability of the composite resulting from liquid phase sintering. Bioactivity tested by soaking in simulated body fluid (SBF) and In Vitro toxicity studies showed that 3DP hydroxyapatite/A–W glass ceramic composite was non-toxic and bioactive. A new calcium phosphate layer was observed on the surface of the composite after soaking in SBF for only 1 day while osteoblast cells were able to attach and attain normal morphology on the surface of the composite.     

Effect of binder properties on the strength,porosity and leaching behaviour of single nickel laterite pellet

Nickel laterite pellets with controlled mass, porosity and binder were made by using a pellet press. Both water and sulphuric acid solution were used as binders. The wet pellets were then dried at different conditions and their mechanical strength was measured. Leaching tests were also conducted on single pellet with irrigation of sulphuric acid solution from the top of the pellet. The leached out solutions were collected and nickel recoveries were analysed. The time taken for the pellets to disintegrate during leaching test was also recorded. It was found that the mechanical strength of the pellets was directly related to their dryness, with completely dried pellets having much higher strength. The dry pellet strength was found to increase with increasing binder content and decreasing pellet porosity. The time taken for the pellets to disintegrate during leaching test increased with increasing pellet strength. In comparison to sulphuric acid solution-bound pellets at the same condition, water-bound pellets exhibited higher mechanical strength. Although the nickel leaching rate for water-bound pellets was low at the beginning of the leaching test, the pellets lasted for more than 200 h without disintegration, with 70% of nickel recovered.     

Magnet–PNIPA hydrogels for bioengineering applications

Temperature-sensitive Poly (N-isopropylacrylamide), PNIPA gels were synthesized with micron-sized iron and iron oxide (Fe₃O₄) particles to investigate their viability for hyperthermia applications. Induction heating of the magnetic hydrogels with varying concentration of magnetic powder was conducted at a frequency of 375  kHz for magnetic field strength varying from 1.7 kA/m (21 Oe) to 2.5 kA/m (31.4 Oe). It was observed that the maximum temperature induced in the magnetic hydrogels increased with the concentration of magnetic particles and magnetic field strength. The PNIPA gel underwent a collapse transition at 34 °C. It was found that a 2.5 wt.% Fe₃O₄ in PNIPA composite took 260 s to be heated to 45 °C under a magnetic field strength of 1.7 kA/m, the specific absorption rate (SAR) was found to be 1.83. SAR of iron oxide was found to be higher than the SAR of iron.     

Comparative performance of alkali activated slag/metakaolin cement pastes exposed to high temperatures

This paper presents a study on the effect of temperature exposure of binders of blast furnace slag (BFS) and metakaolin (MK) in BFS-MK weight ratios of 100-0, 50-50, and 0-100 activated with sodium silicate of modulus Ms = SiO₂/Na₂O = 1 and 5, 10 and 15% Na₂O. A blended ordinary CPC-30R Portland cement reference was used. Pastes were subjected to exposure up to 1200 °C and the performance was evaluated in terms of compressive strength, residual strength, volumetric shrinkage, physical appearance and microstructural changes at different temperatures. All the binders retained more than 30 MPa after exposure to 800 °C for 4 h; specimens of MK and CPC-30R experienced the highest strength losses of 42 and 56% respectively, while those of 100-0 and 50-50 showed minor losses of ∼20%. After heating at 1200 °C the samples showed microstructural damage and more than 65% of strength losses. XRD indicated that the 100-0 and 50/50 binders are prone to form crystalline phases as akermanite, nepheline and nosean at temperatures greater than 1000 °C, while 0-100 geopolymeric binders preserved mostly an amorphous structure even at 1200 °C with some traces of mullite. The dehydration of C-A-S-H and N-A-S-H altogether with the crystallization of the binder gel induced the formation of highly porous microstructures.     

Minerals phase transformation by hydrogen reduction technology: A new approach to recycle iron from refractory limonite for reducing carbon emissions

Limonite is a potentially vital iron ore resource, but it is hard to be effectively utilized by conventional mineral processing methods due to the high aluminum, silicon and water content. This paper proposed the phase transformation by hydrogen reduction technology to treat refractory limonite ore. The optimal conditions were determined as a roasting temperature of 500 °C, the reducing gas concentration of 20 % (H₂:CO = 3:1), roasting time of 25 min, grinding fineness of 85 % passing 0.038 mm, the magnetic field strength of 187.5 kA/m. Under the above conditions, the concentrate with an iron grade of 59.85 % and recovery of 98.47 % was obtained. X-ray diffraction, iron chemical phase analysis and Vibrating Sample Magnetometer showed that the phase transformation of iron oxide was goethite/hematite → magnetite. Thus, the magnetism was significantly enhanced, which was conducive to magnetic separation. Electron Probe Micro Analysis indicated that it was difficult to further improve the quality of iron concentrate due to the existence of aluminum in the form of extremely fine minerals and the isomorphic replacement between aluminum and iron.