Abstract:
The invention concerns a process for the separation of cobalt from lithium present in a charge comprising lithium-ion batteries or related products, comprising the steps of: smelting the charge using a bath furnace equipped with a submerged air-fed plasma torch for injecting plasma gas into the melt; defining and maintaining a bath redox potential where cobalt is reduced to the metallic state and reporting to an alloy phase, and whereby lithium is oxidized as Li 2 O and reporting to the slag phase; decanting and separating the phases. It is characterized in that the reduction and oxidizing steps are performed simultaneously. A suitably low cobalt concentration is obtained in the slag.
Abstract:
The present invention relates to a method of recycling aluminum clad materials. In particular, the method relates to recycling clad materials such as brazing sheet comprised of two or more aluminum alloys, by selective melting of one of the alloys. The feedstock is agitated during heating (5) to allow separation of the molten alloy from the unmelted core (7), and the molten alloy is removed, such as by draining off during the process.
Abstract:
A dross compression apparatus (1) and method includes one or more air nozzles (22) for directing cooling air across the top of a compression head (2) for cooling the compression head. The air may be vented through air vents (18) in a wall (19) of the apparatus after passing across the top of the compression head. Also a plurality of ribs (10) may extend across the top of the compression head in the direction of the air vents in the wall of the apparatus for directing the air across the top of the compression head and out the air vents.
Abstract:
The invention provides a novel method of treating a mineral sample comprising the steps of: introducing a comminuted mineral sample together with a flux into a reaction vessel, the flux including a collector agent adapted during fusion to collect a constituent of the mineral sample; causing the flux and mineral sample to fuse to form a molten slag and molten collector agent; preheating a separation vessel; introducing the molten slag and molten collector agent into the preheated separation vessel; and separating the molten slag from the molten collector agent.
Abstract:
The present invention refers to a method and respective apparatus for the recovery of the free metal present in hot dross which is produced when non-ferrous metals are processed at temperatures above their melting point. The method consists of charging the hot dross collected from the liquid bath surface of holding or melting furnaces, directly into an equipment provided with thermal insulation and means for control of its internal atmosphere. This operation is followed by the transportation of such an equipment to a processing unit located not far from the site were the dross has been generated. The processing unit being provided with transfer devices and one or more sealed rotary furnaces provided with controlled atmosphere, which work in the accumulation and agitation of the dross, and the subsequent separation of the free metal contained therein. The equipment used in the recovery of non-ferrous metals present in dross, object of the present invention, consists of a recipient provided with thermally insulated walls, and a cover also thermally insulated that is well adjusted to the body of the recipient, and is provided with an inert gas injection port, a lifting and transfer device for removing the dross from the recipient into a feeding device well adjusted to the door of a sealed furnace that acts both as a dross accumulator and in the free metal separation from dross.
Abstract:
A method of melting tinned iron scrap, in which loosely packed, tinned iron scrap is used as part of iron scrap to be melted while the amount of a combustion assisting gas supplied through a secondary tuyere is adjusted to control a secondary burning rate of the gas, and a method of melting a tinned iron scrap, in which tinned iron scrap is charged before iron scrap other than tinned so that the former may be interposed between the latter and a coke-filled layer. According to the method of melting, a single furnace enables recovering high-energy exhaust gas while manufacturing hot metal, which has a low Sn content and can be used for manufacture of high grade steel, without the aditional steps of detinning and pouring of two ladles and without the use of expensive electric power. In addition, an exhaust gas dust containing a concentrated SnO2 can be effectively used as a Sn source. Accordingly, this method can be applied to a field, in which city scrap such as surface-treated steel or the like is melted.
Abstract:
A dross press is enclosed within a cabinet which is normally maintained at a negative pressure relative to ambient air pressure. The cabinet is provided with locked doors to prevent egress of explosive gases or pieces of metal is equipped with safety vents at a high level to prevent destruction of the cabinet by internal explosions.
Abstract:
A method of recovering an aluminum-containing metal (16) from a scrap material (14, 14') containing the metal and an organic contaminant, such as paper, plastics, lacquer, paint or oil. The method involves creating a fluidized bed (10) of solid particles, maintaining a zone of the bed at a temperature in the range of the melting point of the metal to 1000 DEG C, introducing the scrap material into the fluidized zone to cause decoating of the metal within a time in the range of 1 to 40 seconds, at least partially melting the metal, and removing the metal material from the fluidized bed. In this way, decoating and at least partial melting is achieved essentially at the same time for improved efficiency. Metals of different melting point may also be separated from each other by providing a series of temperature zones in the fluidized bed (or in a series of fluidized beds) of progressively increasing temperature. If a limited amount of oxygen is introduced into the bed, a combustible gas is produced that can be burned to extract its energy or can be stored for later use.