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Minerals
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Advances in Pyrometallurgy of Minerals and Ores
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Advances in Pyrometallurgy of Minerals and Ores

A special issue of Minerals (ISSN 2075-163X). This special issue belongs to the section "Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 29 November 2024 | Viewed by 2600

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Lei Gao

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Guest Editor
Faculty of Metallurgical and Energy Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650093, China
Interests: pyrometallurgical technology; numerical modeling; titanium; external field metallurgy; metallurgical process strengthening
Prof. Dr. Guo Chen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Kunming Key Laboratory of Energy Materials Chemistry, Yunnan Minzu University, Kunming 650093, China
Interests: microwave heating; comprehensive utilization of metal resources; manganese ore; titanium slag; biomass reduction
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Bangfu Huang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Metallurgical and Energy Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650093, China
Interests: iron and steel making; off-gas treatment
Dr. Fan Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Kunming Key Laboratory of Energy Materials Chemistry, Yunnan Minzu University, Kunming 650500, China
Interests: waste recycling; metallurgy of Lead and Zinc

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Pyrometallurgical technology, leveraging substances such as carbon, hydrogen, and coke as thermal reductants, enables the extraction of metals or alloys from ores. This method, deeply rooted in a historical context that spans thousands of years, is an integral part of modern metallurgical processes, characterized by its robust and stable technology and ability to process vast quantities of minerals and ores. Despite these benefits, it is essential to underscore that pyrometallurgy is a high-energy consumption sector, with fossil fuel combustion leading to the emission of greenhouse gases and other harmful substances, contributing to environmental pollution. Furthermore, the safe and comprehensive utilization of waste and tailings following pyrometallurgical processing is a pivotal consideration for the future development of pyrometallurgical technology. This Special Issue, “Advances in Pyrometallurgy of Minerals and Ores”, attuned to the evolving needs of pyrometallurgical advancements, including energy saving, emission reduction, waste management, hydrogen metallurgy, and so on, provides insights into the latest technological breakthroughs in the field and encompasses a range of relevant reviews and original research articles.

Prof. Dr. Lei Gao
Prof. Dr. Guo Chen
Dr. Bangfu Huang
Dr. Fan Zhang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Minerals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • pyrometallurgy
  • energy saving
  • emission reduction
  • waste management
  • hydrogen metallurgy

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

23 pages, 9658 KiB  
Article
Reduction of an Ilmenite Concentrate by Using a Novel CO2/CH4 Thermal Plasma Torch
by Mohammed El Khalloufi, Gervais Soucy, Jonathan Lapointe and Mathieu Paquet
Minerals 2024, 14(5), 502; https://doi.org/10.3390/min14050502 - 10 May 2024
Viewed by 288
Abstract
Plasma technology has emerged as a very helpful tool in a variety of sectors, notably metallurgy. Innovators and scientists are focused on the problem of finding a more ecologically friendly way of extracting titanium and iron metal from natural ilmenite concentrate for industrial [...] Read more.
Plasma technology has emerged as a very helpful tool in a variety of sectors, notably metallurgy. Innovators and scientists are focused on the problem of finding a more ecologically friendly way of extracting titanium and iron metal from natural ilmenite concentrate for industrial applications. A direct current (DC) plasma torch operating at atmospheric pressure is used in this study to describe a decarbonization process for reducing an ilmenite concentrate. The plasma gases employed in this torch are CO2 and CH4. The molar ratio of the gases may be crucial for achieving a satisfactory reduction of the ilmenite concentrate. As a result, two molar ratios for CO2/CH4 have been chosen: 1:1 and 2:1. During torch operation, a thin layer of graphite is formed on the cathode to establish a protective barrier, prolonging the cathode’s life. The material was analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS). The output gases were analyzed using mass spectrometry (MS). In addition, a thermodynamic analysis was performed to predict the development of thermodynamically stable phases. An economic assessment (including capital expenditures (CAPEX) and operating expenditures (OPEX)) and a carbon balance were developed with the feasibility of the piloting in mind. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Pyrometallurgy of Minerals and Ores)
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14 pages, 7359 KiB  
Article
Phase Transformation of Arsenic, Antimony and Lead in High-Grade Copper Matte Converting
by Wenkai Qu, Yingbao Yang, Shiwei Zhou, Yonggang Wei and Bo Li
Minerals 2024, 14(5), 499; https://doi.org/10.3390/min14050499 - 9 May 2024
Viewed by 254
Abstract
The duration of the high-grade matte converting process is short, the amount of slag is small, and it is difficult for the original impurity removal operation in the low-grade matte converting process to meet the current production demand. Because the removal method for [...] Read more.
The duration of the high-grade matte converting process is short, the amount of slag is small, and it is difficult for the original impurity removal operation in the low-grade matte converting process to meet the current production demand. Because the removal method for impurity elements during high-grade matte converting is unclear, the phase transformation of impurity elements during this process is investigated in this study. The results show that arsenic exists mainly in the form of FeAsO4 and As2O5, antimony in the form of Sb and Sb2O5, and lead in the form of PbS and PbO in high-grade matte. During the converting process, arsenic and antimony mainly exist in the melt in the form of oxides and gradually aggregate into large particles with increasing copper content in the melt. Lead exists in matte in the form of PbS until the end of the converting process, and PbS is not completely oxidized until the matte converted to blister copper phase. The phase transformation characteristics of copper, iron, sulfur and impurity elements in the process of high-grade matte converting were revealed. This study provides a theoretical reference for the formulation of an efficient impurity removal scheme for the converting process. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Pyrometallurgy of Minerals and Ores)
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20 pages, 12869 KiB  
Article
Grinding of Australian and Brazilian Iron Ore Fines for Low-Carbon Production of High-Quality Oxidised Pellets
by Wuju Zhang, Qi Zhou, Jian Pan, Deqing Zhu and Congcong Yang
Minerals 2024, 14(3), 236; https://doi.org/10.3390/min14030236 - 26 Feb 2024
Viewed by 785
Abstract
Oxidised pellets have become an indispensable high-quality charge for blast furnaces. Nevertheless, high-quality pellet feeds are becoming scarcer and scarcer. To broaden the range of sources of pellet feeds and reduce the production cost of pellets, more steel mills are predicted to use [...] Read more.
Oxidised pellets have become an indispensable high-quality charge for blast furnaces. Nevertheless, high-quality pellet feeds are becoming scarcer and scarcer. To broaden the range of sources of pellet feeds and reduce the production cost of pellets, more steel mills are predicted to use coarse iron ore fines with a relatively low iron grade and low impurities for the preparation of desirable pellet feeds through a typical wet grinding–settling–filtering process. In this work, the grinding, settling and filtering behaviour of Brazilian and Australian iron ore fines are studied and compared, with the aim of discovering the internal relationship between the mineralogical characteristics of different iron ore types and their grinding–settling–filtering performance. Additionally, the effects of ore blending on pellet preparation were investigated. The results show that, usually, the higher the hardness of the iron ore, the more grinding energy is required. Australian and Brazilian ore fines exhibit good grindability, with a Bond work index of about 10–15 kW·h/t. Furthermore, ore blending can reduce grinding energy consumption and improve settling and filtration rates, and the addition of finely ground Australian ores improves the balling performance of pellet mixtures. At the same bentonite content, the ball drop strength of the three blends with added Australian ore is significantly higher than that of the base blend, and the fired pellets obtained from Blend 1, Blend 2 and Blend 3 blends exhibit good metallurgical properties. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Pyrometallurgy of Minerals and Ores)
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16 pages, 14402 KiB  
Article
A Study on the Influence of Drying and Preheating Parameters on the Roasting Properties of Limonite Pellets
by Peng Chen and Xiaolei Zhou
Minerals 2024, 14(2), 166; https://doi.org/10.3390/min14020166 - 4 Feb 2024
Viewed by 710
Abstract
In this experiment, a pellet preparation method was investigated to study the drying, preheating, and roasting properties of limonitic iron ore from a plant in Yunnan. The aim was to improve the subsequent iron-making process of limonitic iron ore and make it a [...] Read more.
In this experiment, a pellet preparation method was investigated to study the drying, preheating, and roasting properties of limonitic iron ore from a plant in Yunnan. The aim was to improve the subsequent iron-making process of limonitic iron ore and make it a substitute for sintered ore. This substitution would reduce the amount of blast furnace slag in the iron-making process. Bentonite is commonly used as a primary binder in many pelletizing plant operations. However, its excessive usage leads to a higher risk of slagging and coking in the furnace. In this paper, we aim to decrease the quantity of bentonite added, enhance the iron content in the pellets, and reduce impurities to improve the grade of limonite pellets. The results show that the optimal drying, preheating, and roasting temperatures of limonite pellets are 200 °C, 700 °C, and 1250 °C, respectively, and the optimal roasting time is 20 min, when the diameter of the pellets is 8–13 mm. The compressive strength of limonite pellets with the addition of 1.5% bentonite was the highest, meeting the demands of a general blast furnace, based on which the iron grade of limonite pellet ore was increased by 10.63%. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Pyrometallurgy of Minerals and Ores)
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