Production of iron using environmentally-benign renewable or recycled reducing agents  The technology is intended as a replacement for the blast furnace iron making process, allowing iron oxides to be converted into high-density metallic iron in a single processing step. Pellets, briquettes, or other agglomerates made by mixing finely ground iron oxides with a variety of organic compounds or biomass materials can be made and processed into iron nuggets at the mine site. The process allows direct marketing of iron nuggets to steel producers and iron recyclers, rather than only being able to sell iron oxide pellets to blast furnace facilities. On an industrial scale, it is expected that it will be possible to process the pellets to pig iron nuggets using any of several types of furnaces including rotary hearth furnaces shaft furnaces or bath smelting furnaces. The key is that the heat for melting is supplied separately from the reducing power using any convenient fuel or energy source, while reducing power is provided by the hydrocarbon or carbohydrate materials that are added to the pellet.
All of the existing metal nugget technologies depend on coal as their reducing agent. All other iron making technologies either require coke (for blast furnaces), or natural gas (for direct-reduced iron). Researchers have all assumed that only fuels with at least as much energy content as coal can be used for reducing iron oxides to metallic iron nuggets, largely based on the fact that, historically, iron production has required either coke or charcoal as the carbon source/fuel. The iron making industry has therefore not been able to take advantage of the large quantities of biomass and recycled organics that this invention will allow to be used. |
Heap Leach Compaction Evaluation Column The purpose of this invention is to allow for the construction of a heap leach compaction evaluation column that is able to simulate the conditions within an actual ore bed. Evaluation columns are common in the mining and material processing industries but do not often realistically represent the columns in actual material leach heaps because existing column designs do not allow for generation of sufficient pressures within the simulated ore bed. The object of this invention is to produce a constant and controllable pressure in the simulated ore bed so that heap leach evaluation columns are more representative of actual conditions in the field.
This invention comprises a hollow tube in which an aggregate material or agglomerated ore is placed. A free floating plunger is place on top of the ore and pressure is applied to the plunger with an external force. The external force may be applied by an inflatable air bladder or multiple bladders that are restricted by a flange or other restrictive device such as an affixed lid at the top of the tube, by placing heavy weights on top of the plunger, or other suitable means to supply sufficient force. For analytical purposes the tube may also include sensors for temperature, pressure, and other readings. |
Flotation column with adjustable support baffles An apparatus for separating by froth flotation hydrophobic and hydrophilic particles contained in an aqueous slurry, the apparatus comprising a generally vertical tubular column having an upper froth zone, an upper separation zone, and an intermediate feed inlet zone; a feed inlet, air inlet, froth outlet and a tailings outlet; an upper baffle unit comprising a plurality of horizontally extending upper baffle plates, a vertical upper support member including an upper end portion, and first upper apparatus for removably mounting the upper baffle plates on the upper support member at predetermined vertically spaced positions; each of the upper baffle plates comprising a mounting aperture and a plurality of flow apertures; and a second upper apparatus for removably supporting the upper support member in the column with the upper baffle plates in the upper separation zone. The apparatus can include a lower baffle unit. The open area of each baffle plate and the vertical space between adjacent baffle plates can vary between different baffle plates in dependence upon the position of a baffle plate in the column, or in dependence upon one or more of the following: a solids flow rate at the position, a liquid flow rate at the position, and a gas flow rate at the position. The invention also provides a method for improving the operating performance of an unbaffled column. |
Recovery of Polystyrene in Lost Foam This technology emerged from a research program initiated to assist the metal casting industry in prevention of polymer waste disposal, and to promote engineering solutions leading to reuse of the polymer. Our research strategy was based the principles of modern mineral processing technology to polymer recovery. The program includes particulate characterization, examination of surface-interfacial properties of the pattern components, development of an analytical technique for contaminant concentration measurements, shredding and size reduction, and selective separation testing based on component density. Our results indicate that as high as 98% of the polystyrene can be recovered, while the level of coating contaminants did not exceed 5 wt% in the final product, after using the developed technology. |
Using Flotation Separation Technology for Mineral Processing Chemistry This program of research, conducted in collaboration with colleagues at the University of Utah and the University of British Columbia, is focused on studying fundamentals of flotation separation technology for a number of different minerals processing systems. For example, an improved experimental procedure to measure contact angle has been consolidated with coal surface preparation involving polishing with abrasive paper, alumina powder and a cloth, followed by ultrasonic and mechanical cleaning. Specifically, the captive-bubble measuring technique has been compared with the sessile-drop technique and the former has been recommended for the examination of the hydrophobic properties of coal surfaces. The research results reveal that an important factor in analysis of contact angle variation on coal surfaces is the size of the hydrophilic mineral inclusions. In another line of inquiry, fundamental studies of mechanisms of bitumen release from oil sands, its attachment to and spreading over the gas bubble surface allowed the development of a technology to improve the hot-water processing of Utah oil sands. |
Rhizosphere Influence on Hydrocarbon Metabolizing Microorganisms  The goal of this project is to use cultivation and non-cultivation based methods to characterize the microbial populations associated with plant rhizospheres in hydrocarbon-impacted soils. A series of plots have been established in polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) impacted soils that have been planted with species native to Michigan. Preliminary results with these plots indicate that individual plant species have different effects on the extent of hydrocarbon removal. In this research project, experiments will be conducted to evaluate the different influences that unique plant species have on the microbial communities inhabiting the rhizospheres. This will be performed by analyzing soil samples collected from different plots at various time intervals. Microbial communities will be characterized by 1) sequencing a gene that will enable the identification of microorganisms present (16S rRNA genes) 2) sequencing genes involved in PAH-degradation (PAH dioxygenases), and 3) comparing carbon utilization profiles of rhizosphere samples. It is anticipated that these experiments will reveal microbiological factors that enable some plants to accelerate the removal of PAHs from contaminated soils, whereas others hinder their removal. The broader impacts include developing an ecological framework for understanding how an applied technology like phytoremediation can be optimized. Some aspects of this project will also be integrated into a semester long cooperative laboratory experience for a microbial ecology and plant physiology class taught during the same semester. Further, this support will be used to increase research opportunities for underrepresented populations through local outreach and through additional, formal NSF channels (e.g. REU and RET supplements). |
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