MITI projects on recycling

MITI has actively done R&D on industrial technology for waste and reclamation and so there are many research items from small scale to large scale. However, Ecofactory and researches on recycling of metallic materials are introduced here. Ecofactory was proposed by the Mechanical Engineering Laboratory and is now at the stage of the Leading Research, a new research scheme in AISt. Researches on recycling of metallic materials are being done with subsidy. Those researches should contribute to both the preservatin of the global environment and effective recycling of waste materials.Abbreviations AIST Agency of Industrial Science and Technology - MITI Ministry of International Trade and Industry - NEDO New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization     

High-temperature,high-pressure thermophysical measurements on liquid zinc

Wire-shaped zinc samples were resistively volume heated as part of a fast-capacitor discharge circuit. Time-resolved measurements with submicrosecond resolution of the current through the specimen, the voltage drop across it, and the thermal expansion of the specimen as a function of time allow determination of the enthalpy, electrical resistivity, and density at different temperatures up to superheated liquid states of zinc far above the normal boiling point. High static pressures, up to 3800 bar of the ambient medium water, were used. An estimate of the critical pressure for zinc is given by investigations of the stability of the sample with a framing CCD camera, taking pictures of different samples varying the ambient static pressure. The critical volume and the critical temperature are obtained by means of an extrapolation of measured data at different pressures.Paper presented at the Fourth International Workshop on Subsecond Thermophysics, June 27–29, 1995, Köln, Germany.     

Relaxation phenomena caused by equilibration of point defects

Relaxation phenomena due to equilibration of point defects in metals are reviewed. The relaxation effect in specific heat observed in tungsten and platinum confirms that in both cases the nonlinear increase in the high-temperature specific heat has to be attributed to point-defect formation. Relaxation phenomena observed by measurements of electrical resistivity and positron annihilation are also considered. The comparison of the data seems to be favorable for the conclusion that all the phenomena are of one origin.     

Natural zeolite utilisation in pollution control: A review of applications to metals' effluents

This paper assesses the potential of natural zeolite utilization as a low-cost ion-exchange and sorbent material in pollution control and recovery of metals. The improvement of the purity of natural zeolites coupled with their chemical modification capabilities in order to provide specific properties may provide a cost-effective alternative for the treatment of heavy metal contaminated soil and water. The application of natural zeolites in industrial pollution control is becoming important and the level of technical effort is increasingly expanding. The extent of application is unlikely to be related solely to their low cost, but also to improved properties and performance characteristics, which will advance the practical implementation of natural zeolites' technology.     

含氮化合物废气选择性催化氧化技术研究进展

通过对当前含氮化合物废气治理技术的对比分析,总结选择性催化氧化的相关技术优势。根据对含氮化合物的种类及来源分析,介绍氨气、腈类、胺类及其他含氮化合物的催化净化技术。重点总结催化剂的种类、研发进展和在实际使用中可能遇到的问题,同时展望含氮化合物废气选择性催化氧化技术的研发方向。     

Butyltin Species and Inorganic Tin in Water and Sediment of the Detroit and St. Clair Rivers

Water and sediment samples from 29 locations in the Detroit and St. Clair rivers were analyzed for the highly toxic tri-n-butyltin (Bu₃Sn⁺) species and for the less toxic di-n-butyltin (Bu₂Sn²⁺) and n-butyltin (BuSn³⁺) species and inorganic tin. In general, locations sampled in the St. Clair River were less contaminated with butyltin species than those in the Detroit River. Inorganic tin and BuSn³⁺ were detected in over 90% of all subsurface water samples, while Bu₂Sn²⁺ and Bu₃Sn⁺ were detected in 45 and 28% of the same samples, respectively. The highest concentration ofBu₃Sn⁺ in subsurface water, 5.9 × 10^?10 mol Sn/L, was at the mouth of the Ecorse River, a tributary of the Detroit River. The three butyltin species and inorganic tin were also detected in 23–46% of all sediment samples. The highest concentrations of Bu₃Sn⁺ in sediment were found close to the mouths of the River Rouge, another tributary of the Detroit River, and the Ecorse River, and were 6.2 × I0^–7 and 1.7 × I0^–7 mol Sn/kg dry weight, respectively, for the top 2 cm of sediment.     

Forecasting Capillary Characteristics for Aluminum Nitride Ceramic ― Liquid Metal Systems

A test has been devised that allows one to determine the work of adhesion and wettability in a system composed of aluminum nitride ceramics with a liquid metal without the need for experimental examination. A correlation is examined between the work of adhesion on the one hand and that criteria or others on the other that have been proposed by various researchers. Forecasts are made for the work of adhesion and wetting angle for a series of metals that have not been examined previously. An experimental check has been made on the forecast adhesion activity for some elements.     

Oscillating Cup Viscosity Measurements of Aluminum Alloys: A201, A319 and A356

An oscillating cup viscometer was developed to measure the absolute viscosities of molten metals. Previous experiments established the capability of the apparatus to characterize the viscosities of molten nickel-based superalloys. However, modifications to the instrument and its theoretical analysis were required for reliable measurements on molten aluminum alloys, presumably due to their lower densities and lower viscosities. The theoretical literature for the fluid flow inside an oscillating cup is reviewed, and a working equation without any correction factor is developed for the improved viscometer. Some design parameters of the viscometer that directly affect the accuracy of viscosity estimation by using the working equation are discussed. A special vertical furnace was adopted to uniformly heat a longer cylindrical sample (10 mm inner diameter and 120 mm length) with a temperature difference of less than 2°C over the sample length. The measuring procedure was also improved to get more accurate motion parameters. It is estimated that the working equation and improved instrument provide an uncertainty of less than 4%. In addition, applications and experimental data are presented for pure aluminum and three aluminum alloys: A201, A319, and A356.     

Preliminary Assessment of Contaminants in Soft Sediments of the Detroit River

Soft sediments from the Detroit River were analyzed for the USEPA priority pollutants to generally characterize contaminant distribution. Forty-three were detected. Highest heavy metal concentrations were found in the Trenton Channel and immediately downstream of Grosse Ile. They ranged from an area mean (N = 2) of 0.19 mg/kg mercury to 338.7 mg/kg zinc (dry weight). Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons ranged from 0.1 mg/kg to 38.8 mg/kg (mean, N = 2) with the highest levels near Grosse Ile. PCBs ranged from 0.015 mg/kg to 1.7 mg/kg (mean, N = 2). Organochlorine pesticides were not detected except for a trace of heptachlor in one sample. Sediment contamination in the Detroit River is widespread with higher concentrations on the U.S. side downstream of the Rouge River and in the Trenton Channel. The significance of these in-place pollutants to biota and as a source to Lake Erie is still unknown.