2013 Vol. 20, No. 5

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Recovery of iron from high phosphorus oolitic iron ore using coal-based reduction followed by magnetic separation
Yong-sheng Sun, Yue-xin Han, Peng Gao, Ze-hong Wang, and  Duo-zhen Ren
2013, vol. 20, no. 5, pp. 411-419. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12613-013-0744-1
Abstract:
Oolitic iron ore is one of the most important iron resources. This paper reports the recovery of iron from high phosphorus oolitic iron ore using coal-based reduction and magnetic separation. The influences of reduction temperature, reduction time, C/O mole ratio, and CaO content on the metallization degree and iron recovery were investigated in detail. Experimental results show that reduced products with the metallization degree of 95.82% could be produced under the optimal conditions (i.e., reduction temperature, 1250℃; reduction time, 50 min; C/O mole ratio, 2.0; and CaO content, 10wt%). The magnetic concentrate containing 89.63wt% Fe with the iron recovery of 96.21% was obtained. According to the mineralogical and morphologic analysis, the iron minerals had been reduced and iron was mainly enriched into the metallic iron phase embedded in the slag matrix in the form of spherical particles. Apatite was also reduced to phosphorus, which partially migrated into the metallic iron phase.
Zn release from fluid inclusions in a natural sphalerite
Shu-ming Wen, Jian Liu, Bo Li, Run-sheng Han, Yi Zhang, and  Jiu-shuai Deng
2013, vol. 20, no. 5, pp. 420-426. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12613-013-0745-0
Abstract:
The type, size, and compositions of fluid inclusions in a natural sphalerite were investigated and the total concentration of Zn released from the fluid inclusions was measured. To compare the total concentration of Zn released from the fluid inclusions with that dissolved from the sphalerite itself, dissolution experiments and theoretical calculations for the dissolution equilibrium of the sphalerite were also performed. The results indicate that large numbers of fluid inclusions with various sizes exist in the sphalerite, which can be divided into four types, i.e., pure gaseous inclusions, pure liquid inclusions, gas-liquid inclusions, and gas-liquid inclusions containing solid minerals. These inclusions were broken open during the grinding process, and their compositions were released to the solution. The total concentration of Zn released from these inclusions reaches 18.35×10−6 mol/L, which is much higher than that of Zn dissolved from the sphalerite itself (1.93×10−6 mol/L) and the theoretical calculation value (2.73×10−8 mol/L).
Kinetics of bainite-to-austenite transformation during continuous reheating in low carbon microalloyed steel
Ming Chang and  Hao Yu
2013, vol. 20, no. 5, pp. 427-432. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12613-013-0746-z
Abstract:
A dilatometer was used to study the kinetics of bainite-to-austenite transformation in low carbon microalloyed steel with the initial microstructure of bainite during the continuous reheating process. The bainite-to-austenite transformation was observed to take place in two steps at low heating rate. The first step is the dissolution of bainite, and the second one is the remaining bainite-to-austenite transformation controlled by a dissolution process. The calculation result of the kinetics of austenite formation shows that the two steps occur by diffusion at low heating rate. However, at high heating rate the bainite-to-austenite transformation occurs in a single step, and the process is mainly dominated by shear. The growth rate of austenite reaches the maximum at about 835℃ at different heating rates and the growth rate of austenite as a function of temperature increases with the increase in heating rate.
Microstructure and texture evolution of TRC A8006 alloy by homogenization
Zhong-wei Chen, Jing Zhao, and  Xiao-lei Hao
2013, vol. 20, no. 5, pp. 433-439. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12613-013-0747-y
Abstract:
The microstructure and texture evolution of twin-roll cast A8006 alloy by homogenization were characterized using scanning and transmission electron microscopy, and the microhardness was tested as well. According to the relationship between dendritic arm spacing and cooling rate the cooling rate of the as-cast twin-roll cast A8006 sheet of 6 mm in thickness was estimated as 1.48×103 K·s−1. It is found that the grains and the nanostructural precipitates of the twin-roll cast sheet become coarser after homogenization at 580℃ for 4 h in comparison with those after homogenization at 500℃ for 8 h. The textures formed after cold rolling and became weaker during homogenization. The increase in hardness of the as-cast twin-roll cast sheets is related to the supersaturated α-Al solid solution and fine microstructure, but the decrease in hardness after homogenization can be attributed to the coarsening of grains and Al6Fe(Mn) precipitates.
Effect of cooling rate on the magnetic properties of Fe53Nd37Al10 alloy
Qin Bai, Yan-fei Hao, Jiao Wang, Hua Man, Yong-jun Tang, Hui Xu, and  Shuang Xia
2013, vol. 20, no. 5, pp. 440-444. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12613-013-0748-x
Abstract:

The effect of cooling rate on the magnetic properties of the Fe53Nd37Al10 alloy prepared by different methods, i.e., suction casting and melt spinning at different rates, was investigated. The Fe53Nd37Al10 ribbon at the wheel speed of 5 m·s−1 exhibits the highest coercivity in the samples. Two hard magnetic phases are detected from the hysteresis loops of the 5 m·s−1 ribbon at all temperatures below room temperature. Their appearance is associated with different exchange coupling interactions, which are between the two kinds of hard magnetic phases or between the hard magnetic phase and the soft magnetic phase.

Correlation between the glass-forming ability and activation energy of crystallization for Zr75−xNi25Alx metallic glasses
Yan-hui Li, Wei Zhang, Chuang Dong, Jian-bing Qiang, and  Akihiro Makino
2013, vol. 20, no. 5, pp. 445-449. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12613-013-0749-9
Abstract:
The thermal stability and the kinetics of glass transition and crystallization for Zr75−xNi25Alx (x = 8–15) metallic glasses were investigated using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) under continuous heating conditions. The apparent activation energy of glass transition rises monotonously with the Al content increasing; the activation energy of crystallization increases with Al changing from 8at% to 15at%, and then decreases with Al further up to 24at%, which exhibits a good correlation to the thermal stability and the glass-forming ability (GFA). The Zr60Ni25Al15 metallic glass with the largest supercooled liquid region and GFA possesses the highest activation energy of crystallization. The relation between the thermal stability, GFA and activation energy of crystallization was discussed in terms of the primary precipitated phases.
Effect of Y2O3 on the crystallization kinetics of TiO2 nucleated LAS glass for the production of nanocrystalline transparent glass ceramics
Mohammad Sadegh Shakeri
2013, vol. 20, no. 5, pp. 450-455. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12613-013-0750-3
Abstract:
Crystallization kinetics of metastable β-quartz solid solution as a desirable phase for the production of transparent lithium aluminosilicate (LAS) glass ceramics was investigated in the presence of Y2O3. Accordingly, differential thermal analysis scans were performed thoroughly to study the mechanism of crystallization kinetics. The aim of this investigation is to discover the complicated mechanism of crystallization process in the presence of co-additives and accordingly find a way for increasing the transparency of glass ceramics. It is shown that the bulk (3D) growth is intensively increased by the enhancement of Y2O3. Then again, reducing nucleation and increasing growth mechanisms were recognized for the LAS system in the presence of Y2O3. Results of the investigation illustrate that when co-additives are added to glasses, it is necessary to nucleate the optical component separately before the growth process.
Coating thickness control in continuously fabricating metallic glass-coated composite wires
Bao-yu Zhang, Xiao-hua Chen, Zhao-ping Lu, and  Xi-dong Hui
2013, vol. 20, no. 5, pp. 456-461. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12613-013-0751-2
Abstract:
A continuous production process was developed for coating bulk metallic glasses on the metallic wire surface. The effects of processing parameters, including the drawing velocity and coating temperature, on the coating thickness were investigated. It is found that the coating thickness increases with the increase in drawing velocity but decreases with the increase in coating temperature. A fluid mechanical model was developed to quantify the coating thickness under various processing conditions. By using this theoretical model, the coating thickness was calculated, and the calculated values are in good agreement with the experimental data.
Cellular lightweight concrete containing high-calcium fly ash and natural zeolite
Khamphee Jitchaiyaphum, Theerawat Sinsiri, Chai Jaturapitakkul, and  Prinya Chindaprasirt
2013, vol. 20, no. 5, pp. 462-471. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12613-013-0752-1
Abstract:
Cellular lightweight concrete (CLC) with the controlled density of approximately 800 kg/m3 was made from a preformed foam, Type-I Portland cement (OPC), fly ash (FA), or natural zeolite (NZ), and its compressive strength, setting time, water absorption, and microstructure of were tested. High-calcium FA and NZ with the median particle sizes of 14.52 and 7.72 μm, respectively, were used to partially replace OPC at 0, 10wt%, 20wt%, and 30wt% of the binder (OPC and pozzolan admixture). A water-to-binder mass ratio (W/B) of 0.5 was used for all mixes. The testing results indicated that CLC containing 10wt% NZ had the highest compressive strength. The replacement of OPC with NZ decreased the total porosity and air void size but increased the capillary porosity of the CLC. The incorporation of a suitable amount of NZ decreased the setting time, total porosity, and pore size of the paste compared with the findings with the same amount of FA. The total porosity and cumulative pore volume decreased, whereas the gel and capillary pores increased as a result of adding both pozzolans at all replacement levels. The water absorption increased as the capillary porosity increased; this effect depended on the volume of air entrained and the type or amount of pozzolan.
Additive effects on tin electrodepositing in acid sulfate electrolytes
Fa-xin Xiao, Xiao-ni Shen, Feng-zhang Ren, and  Alex A. Volinsky
2013, vol. 20, no. 5, pp. 472-478. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12613-013-0753-0
Abstract:
The effects of additives on the stannous reduction of an acid sulfate bath were investigated using cyclic and linear sweep voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and microstructure analysis. In the absence of additives, tin coatings are rough, and the tin electrodepositing is a single-step reduction process accompanied by hydrogen gas evolution. The addition of tartaric acid produces a slight reduction in the peak current of stannous reduction and has an appreciably positive effect on the stability of the acidic tin bath. Both benzylidene acetone and polyoxyethylene octylphenol ether hinder the stannous reduction and greatly suppress the hydrogen gas evolution. Formaldehyde slightly decreases the peak current density of stannous reduction and serves as an auxiliary brightener in the acid sulfate bath. The presence of mixed additives greatly suppresses the stannous reduction and hydrogen gas evolution and consequently produces a significantly smoother and denser tin coating. The (112) crystal face is found to be the dominant and preferred orientation of tin deposits.
Characterization and optimization of pulse electrodeposition of Ni/nano-Al2O3 composite coatings
A. Jegan and  R. Venkatesan
2013, vol. 20, no. 5, pp. 479-485. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12613-013-0754-z
Abstract:
Nickel/nano-Al2O3 composite coatings produced by the pulse electrodeposition method and the influence of pulse parameters, i.e., pulse frequency, duty cycle, and current density on the microstructure, hardness, and corrosion resistance, were critically investigated on an AISI 1018 mild steel specimen electroplated in a Watt’s type bath. The experiments were carried out with different combinations of pulse parameters using Taguchi’s L27 orthogonal array, and 27 trials were conducted to study the effect of pulse parameters in view to maximize the hardness of the specimen. The assessment results clearly reveal that the specimen exhibits the maximum hardness at the pulse frequency of 20 Hz, duty cycle of 30%, and peak current density of 0.4 A/cm2, which are designated as the optimal parameters herein. Furthermore, the influences of those optimized pulse parameters over the microstructure and corrosion resistance were investigated, and some conclusions were drawn. Also, from the ANOVA examination, it is clear that duty cycle is predominant in affecting the hardness, while current density has relatively low impact.
Shape control technology during electrochemical synthesis of gold nanoparticles
Xiu-yu Liu, Cong-ying Cui, Ying-wen Cheng, Hou-yi Ma, and  Duo Liu
2013, vol. 20, no. 5, pp. 486-492. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12613-013-0755-y
Abstract:
Gold nanoparticles with different shapes and sizes were prepared by adding gold precursor (HAuCl4) to an electrolyzed aqueous solution of poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) and KNO3, which indicates the good reducing capacity of the PVP-containing solution after being treated by electrolysis. Using a catholyte and an anolyte as the reducing agents for HAuCl4, respectively, most gold nanoparticles were spherical particles in the former case but plate-like particles in the latter case. The change in the pH value of electrolytes caused by the electrolysis of water would be the origin of the differences in shape and morphology of gold nanoparticles. A hypothesis of the H+ or OH catalyzed PVP degradation mechanism was proposed to interpret why the pH value played a key role in determining the shape or morphology of gold nanoparticles. These experiments open up a new method for effectively controlling the shape and morphology of metal nanoparticles by using electrochemical methods.
Kinetic study on the direct nitridation of silicon powders diluted with α-Si3N4 at normal pressure
Shao-wu Yin, Li Wang, Li-ge Tong, Fu-ming Yang, and  Yan-hui Li
2013, vol. 20, no. 5, pp. 493-498. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12613-013-0756-x
Abstract:
Silicon nitride (Si3N4) powders were prepared by the direct nitridation of silicon powders diluted with α-Si3N4 at normal pressure. Silicon powders of 2.2 μm in average diameter were used as the raw materials. The nitriding temperature was from 1623 to 1823 K, and the reaction time ranged from 0 to 20 min. The phase compositions and morphologies of the products were analyzed by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. The effects of nitriding temperature and reaction time on the conversion rate of silicon were determined. Based on the shrinking core model as well as the relationship between the conversion rate of silicon and the reaction time at different temperatures, a simple model was derived to describe the reaction between silicon and nitrogen. The model revealed an asymptotic exponential trend of the silicon conversion rate with time. Three kinetic parameters of silicon nitridation at atmospheric pressure were calculated, including the pre-exponential factor (2.27 cm·s−1) in the Arrhenius equation, activation energy (114 kJ·mol−1), and effective diffusion coefficient (6.2×10−8 cm2·s−1). A formula was also derived to calculate the reaction rate constant.
Densification of the packing structure under vibrations
Xi-zhong An
2013, vol. 20, no. 5, pp. 499-503. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12613-013-0757-9
Abstract:
Two packing structures with the maximum packing densities of 0.64 and 0.74 for the amorphous state and crystalline state, respectively, were numerically reproduced in the packing densification of equal spheres subjected to onedimensional and three-dimensional vibrations using the discrete element method (DEM), and the results were physically validated. These two packing structures were analyzed in terms of coordination number (CN), radial distribution function (RDF), angular distribution function (ADF), and pore size distribution (Voronoi/Delaunay tessellation). It is shown that CN distributions have the peak values of 7 and 12 for the amorphous state and crystalline state, respectively. RDF and ADF distributions show isolated peaks and orientation preferences for the crystalline state, indicating the long range and angle correlation among particles commonly observed in the crystalline state. Voronoi/Delaunay tessellation also shows smaller and narrower pore size distribution for the crystalline state.