References & Services Recycling Equipment

Small Scale Production &Customer-Oriented Research

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TBRC melting - slag reduction/skimming/converting

EAF-melting - gas purging - segregation/metal filtration

pelletizing - pre reduction - volatilization - hydrometallurgy

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recycling of spent batteries (Li-Ion, Ni-MH, Alkaline/ZnC)and catalysts (PGM, Mo, Ni containing) in a SAF process

authothermal melting/converting of WEEE-scrap

removal of ceramic particles fromAl/Mg-salt slags by centri-fugation/filtration

selective oxidation of impurities from secondary lead bycontrolled gas injection using rotor devices

treatment of Pb/Zn-, WAELZ kiln- and copper-slags bymagnetic stirring, DC-arc melting and carbon treatmentusing injectors and hollow electrodes

conversion of hydrometallurgy waste (red mud, Jarosite,scrubber sludges) into valuable products

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recovery of valuable metals from coatings (afterelectroplating, CVD/PVC and painting)

recycling of complex aluminium scraps (compounds, foam,MMC’s) in a tiltable rotary kiln furnace

improvement of the light metals (Al, Mg) recycling yield byflux/salt optimisation

carbothermic Co-reduction of iron-scrap/Al O -waste and

SiO into a FeSi- resp.AlSi-alloy2 3

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Process Development in Lab & Pilot Scale

IME Process Metallurgy and Metal RecyclingRWTH Aachen, 52056 AachenPostal Address: Intzestraße 3, 52072 Aachen, Germany

Infoline

Homepage : www.ime-aachen.de 06/2010

Phone : +49 (0) 241 80 95851E-Mail : recycling@ime-aachen.de

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Fundamental Research

Physical Conditioning

Thermal Conditioning

Melt Centrifugation

Electrometallurgy

Bath Smelting - Slag Metallurgy

Pollution Control

Recycling Metallurgy

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Recycling

Department and Chair of

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Solo Resistance Furnace:

Tamman Furnace:

Mini VIM R Furnace:-

Melt Centrifuges

1 MW Electric Arc Furnace:

Lift Furnace:

35 l Tilting Resistance Furnace:

Top Blown Rotary Converter (TBRC):

- heating power 14 kW, heat-treatment up to 1550 °C- different gas atmosphere possible

- application in high-temperature range (max. 2000 °C)- open and closed operation possible, camera observation

frequency 10 kHz,- effective power 5 kW, vacuum up to 10 mbar,

:- crucible volume 3.0 - max. 13.25 l,- continuously adjustable number of revolutions 60-2000 rpm- maximum rotor head diameter 50 mm resp. 300 mm

- AC or DC, 24 h operation mode- transformer power input 1 MVA,- max. 10 kA at 100 VDC resp. 5 kA at 200 VDC- hearth diameter 1.6 m, height of vessel 3.2 m

- resistance heated by 9 SiC elements- crucible content 5 l, heat power 25 kW, max. 1550 °C

- resistance heated furnace by 9 SiC elements- volume 35 l, max. 1550 °C, impeller- hydraulic tilting and lid with inert gas injection

- rotation speed up to 10 rpm, max. 1550 °C- air or oxygen operated burner up to 500 kW- melting volume max. 1 m³, melt angle 0-90°

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melting capacity 500 g copper

- working temperature up to 1100 °C- rotation continuously variable from 0.75 to 7 rpm- charge volume up to 3000 g pellets

max. temp. 1200 °C

- current: 120-700 A, voltage: 24-44 V- max. capacity 6 l, massive or hollow electrode- can be operated under inert/protective gas or under air

- power 11 kVA, max. exhaust gas temperature 400 °C- hollow discharge and collecting electrodes- dedusting by surges of compressed air

- effective cleaning surface: 169 m², capacity 10000 m (STP)/h- guaranteed values for cleaned gas: 20 mg/m³ (standard)- working temperature: 50 °C, max. 130 °C

- max. volume flow: 20000 m³/h (standard)- cooling in quench zone from max. 220 to 60 °C

Rotary Kiln Furnace:

Lab Scale EAF Furnaces:

Electrostatic Precipitator:

Baghouse Filter:

Scrubber:

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The IME know-how and equipment allows for validation ofproduction processes aiming on metal winning from ore andrecovery from scap. New routes can be developed, syntheticminerals made from slags and waste/energy input minimizedin lab and pilot scale can be tested e.g. by following processcombinations:

Process Sustainability

Pollution ControlThe institute operates a high variety of test installations andmost of them generate unavoidable solid, gaseous and/orliquid by-products. Like the industry our institute alsoundertakes strong efforts to minimize any emissions by theuse of “state of the art” abatement technologies. We are inclose contact to industry research centers for implementingthe newest prototypes. In this way an electrostatic precipitatorwith hollow electrodes for absorbent injection catches most ofthe particles from the furnace off-gas and a high-tech bagfilterhouse collects dust particles of all secondary gases fromareas around the reactor as well as from the work floor. Allsuch pre-cleaned gases pass a best available scrubbing unit,where the rest of remaining particles and all gas componentsare absorbed by acidic or alkaline solution injection. By onlinemonitoring of the off-gas quality we are sure to avoid anybad/harmful impact of our research to the environment.

Physical Conditioning

Input material in form of powder(e.g. ore concentrate, offgas dust)must be often compacted beforemetallurgical treatment in furnaceslike EAF, TBRC or rotary kilns aswell in fundamental investigations.This can be done via pelletizing,cold briketting, pressing or sintering,where all methods are available atthe IME. In this step neccessaryadditives like slag formers or reduc-tants are preliminary mixed with theraw material and charged to theagglomerating equipment.

In order to understand and predict the mechanisms which arecontrolling recycling processes, thermochemically modelling aswell as experimental validation represents the start of manyresearch projects. IME uses the commercial software

Electrometallurgy

Many high efficient extracting pro-cesses rely on intensive metal-slaginteractions and such quick andclose to equilibrium conditions.The lift furnace operating up to1600 °C allows for lab scale trialsin 2 l crucibles of all kind ofceramic materials. Top as well asbottom gas injection and mechani-cal stirring allow for a simulation oflarger units. Without lifting the hea-

Bath Smelting - Slag Metallurgy

Melt Centrifugation

EAF (electric arc furnaces) and SAF(submerged arc furnaces) are widelyused for primary metallurgy of ferro-alloys, direct iron reduction, Mg-siliconproduction or slag treatment/batteryrecycling as well in recycling metallurgylike iron scrap, spent battery resp.catalyst or slag treatment. The highflexibility with respect to temperature,mode of electrical operation (DC, AC),mode of charging (open bath, slaglayer, solid burden) and electrodeposition configuration offers bestconditions for research when develo-

Many metallurgical processesneed preliminary thermal treat-ment with respect to (partial) re-duction of oxides, to a selectiveevaporation of specific metalsand/or compounds as well as toremove organics via pyrolysis. Byusing defined atmospheres likehydrogen, nitrogen, air or CO thechemical reaction can be con-trolled in the desired directions.

IME Opportunities in Recycling Metallurgy

Thermal Conditioning

Fundamental Research

Applications are found for electric arc furnaces, hydrome-tallurgical leaching as well as metal powder sintering.Compared to static devices the rotary kiln furnace offers perfectconditions for full continuous operations.

containing salt slags from Al-recycling, for removal of valu-able ceramics from metal-matrix composite scrap or re-covery of intermetallic com-pounds after segregation/coolcrystallisation. One effectivemeasure is to separate thesolids by use of an immersedcentrifugation rotor collector,developed at IME.

cesses for complex residues, scrapsand slag treatment/battery recycling.We run two lab scale furnaces ofabout 70 kW/6 l, for “proof of prin-ciple” experiments with lining mate-rial, electrodetype, slag former, andcharging alternatives, screening. Theworld largest equipment operated bya university institute is connected to a1 MW power supply for 3 phases. ACand DC operation allows for full

wise even quenching of the reactionproducts can be performed. A 35 l

ilting incustomized moulds. This furnace has

furnace, resistant heated and equippedwith an impeller for gas injection re-presents the next upscaling sequence,where the 200 kg melt can be con-trolled cast by hydraulic t

Cu/Ni/PGM enables our customersto conduct test series in demon-stration scale. This unit serves withrevolutions up to 10 rpm for bestmixing conditions and generatesexact datas for mass flows andenergy balancing. The reactor canalso be used for Pb/Sb/Sn-sys-tems, e.g. in primary or secondarysmelting or in refining operation.

ting hoodshow soli-d i f i ca t ionand other-

been especially desig-ned for reactive metalmetallurgies like formagnesium by in-stalling various covergas devices. Our 1 mTBRC equipped witha 500 kW air/oxygenburner and vessels forAl/Mg as well as for

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continuousexperimentsand suchthroughputsin t/h scale.

Metallurgical processes often create conditions where solidsmust be separated from a molten phase. This counts for oxide

FactSage® and its data-bases for a forecast ofexpected equilibrium pha-ses. As the input materialsbecome more and morecomplex, suitable data areoften missing and have to berecorded in systematicalexperimental investigations(activity coefficients etc.).

optimized sets of funda-mental studies. Testscomprise for example cru-cible screenings, metal-slag equilibria underdefined atmospheres,optical and weight controlof single pellets up to2000 °C in a controlledgas flow and kinetic ex-periments to investigatethe rate controlling step,to define necessary pro-cessing durations or todetermine expectable effi-ciencies versus equili-brium. This research pro-gramme allows for asubsequent scale upthrough various equip-ment present at IME.

The kinetics of the desired process will have a second strongimpact on the success and economical feasibility which require

ping new/ad-justed pro-

In case of reduction processes anauxiliary injection device serves foraccelerated reactions and improvedhomogenisation.