• Resources Recycling
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.30-44
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• 2011

This review describes the involvement of different microorganisms for the recovery of uranium from the ore. Mainly Acidithiobacillus forrooxidans, Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans and Leptospirillum ferrooxidans are found to be the most widely used bacteria in the bioleaching process of uranium. The bioleaching of uranium generally follows indirect mechanism in which bacteria provide the ferric iron required to oxidize $U^{4+}$. Commercial applications of bioleaching have been incorporated for extracting valuable metals, due to its favorable process economics and reduced environmental problems compared to conventional metal recovery processes such as smelting. At present the uranium is recovered through main bioleaching techniques employed by heap, dump and in situ leaching. Process development has included recognition of the importance of aeration of bioheaps, and improvements in stirred tank reactor design and operation. Concurrently, knowledge of the key microorganisms involved in these processes has advanced, aided by advances in molecular biology to characterize microbial populations.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.85-96
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• 2017

In this study, we tried to select a slag system capable of pyro-metallurgical process through analysis of sludge generated from PCB plating and etching process solution. Based on this, the possibility of extracting valuable metals in the sludge was studied by experimental and thermodynamic approaches. The sludge was dried at $100{\sim}500^{\circ}C$ and the morphology, chemical composition and phase of the sludge were analyzed. The possibility of pyro-metallurgical process of sludge was investigated through thermodynamic approach using FactSage software.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.76-82
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• 2021

The separation of palladium from crude metal, which is obtained from electronic waste using pyrometallurgy was achieved through electrolysis. This was done to recover high-purity copper. The oxidation potentials of these metals are a fundamental part of the analysis of electrolytic separation of palladium and impurity metals. To achieve this, copper, iron, and nickel were dissolved in the electrolyte, and palladium and aluminum were found to be recoverable from anode slime. During the electrolysis for palladium separation, palladium was present in the anode slime and was obtained with a recovery of 97.46 % indicating almost no loss. 4N-grade copper was recovered from the electrodeposition layer at the cathode.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.62-72
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• 2019

Generally, $H_2SO_4$ and Cu metal are used as raw materials for producing copper sulfate. The study relates to a method for producing copper sulfate using electrowinning from a waste solution of copper chloride. Uses are used for copper plating for industry, plating, feed, agriculture, electronic grade PCB. Conventional methods for producing copper sulfate have a problem of a large amount of waste water and a high energy cost. A study on the production method of copper sulfate ($CuSO_4$), which is the most used among copper (Cu) compounds, has a low process operation ratio, a small amount of waste water, and a simple manufacturing process. It is easy to remove Na, Ca, Mg, and Al as impurities by using a cationic membrane. At the same time, high purity copper powder could be recovered by an electrowinninng method. Using the recovered copper powder, high purity copper sulfate could be produced.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.59-67
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• 2019

This study was conducted to fabrication pig iron containing copper and to reduce sulfur content pig iron. Roasting test was conducted for 1 ~ 9 hours at each temperature of $500^{\circ}C$, $700^{\circ}C$, and $900^{\circ}C$. In addition, the effect of oxygen partial pressure with 0.5, 0.8, and 1 atm was carried out for 30 minutes at $900^{\circ}C$. It was found that there is no effect to reduce sulfure in pig iron through roasting and oxygen partial pressures. The addition of CaO with 15 wt.% was found to reduce sulfur content up to 0.001 wt.%. The suitable temperature and reactive time for carbothermic reduction were $1600^{\circ}C$ and 30 minutes which shows the highest recovery rate of iron from the copper slag.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.61-67
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• 2021

Scraps are a byproduct of the machining process used for transforming titanium ingots into useful mechanical parts. Scraps take two forms, namely, bulky scraps, which are produced by cutting, and chipped scraps, which are produced by milling. Bulky scraps are comparatively easier to recycle because of their small surface area and less oxygen content; as a result, they pose only a small risk of explosion. In contrast, chipped scraps pose a higher risk of explosion, because of which, their recycling is complicated, resulting in most such scraps being discarded. With the aim of avoiding this waste, we proposed a novel process for converting chipped scraps into stable carbide materials. Methods typically applied to reduce particle size and impair the formation of solid solution type phase in the carbide materials were used to improve the mechanical properties of carbides prepared from chipped scraps. Our novel recycling process reduced carbide production costs and improved carbide quality.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.14-25
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• 2021

As a demand of high-end steel raises, the importance of secondary refinement process also increases. However, the content of each component in molten steel, slag and inclusions change with the time, meaning the secondary refinement process is not an equilibrium state. Furthermore, many reactions occur between molten steel, slag, inclusion, refractory and alloying element during secondary refinement process. In order to consider the above complex reactions with non-equilibrium state, a few researchers developed kinetic models in secondary refinement process based on the experimental numerical equations. It is important to analyze and review to the previously reported models to develop a precise model. Therefore, in present study, the complex reaction models based on kinetic in secondary refinement process were analyzed, reviewed, and introduced. Moreover, the single reaction models also introduced which would be applied to the complex reaction models.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.3-19
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• 2022

Electro-membrane technology is a process for separating and purifying substances in aqueous solution by electric energy using an ion exchange membrane with selective permeability, such as electrodialysis (ED) and bipolar electrodialysis (BMED). Electro-membrane technology is attracting attention as an environmental friendly technology because it does not generate by-products during the process and the recovered base or acid can be reused during the process. In this paper, we investigate the principles of ED and BMED technologies and various characteristics and problems according to the cell configuration. In particular, by investigating and analyzing research cases related to the treatment of waste sodium sulfate (Na₂SO₄), which is generated in large amounts during the metal recovery process.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.33-42
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• 2023

Metal emulsions have been studied for several decades as a method of increasing the efficiency of the steelmaking process. This study was performed using a water model, observable at room temperature, to compensate for the disadvantages of the high-temperature experiment, the results of which are difficult to observe visually. As a substitute for metal-in-slag emulsions, experiments were conducted by dropping distilled water into silicone oil and comparing the results with the results of a calculation by momentum balance equations. The descending velocity of the water droplet decreased as the diameter of the droplet and viscosity of the fluid (silicon oil) increased. To simulate the descending velocity of a water droplet in silicon oil under stirring conditions, the flow rate of the fluid (silicon oil) was measured by particle image velocimetry (PIV) methods. The calculation of the descending velocity of the water droplet was in good agreement with the measured values, with and without stirring a viscous silicone oil.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.54-61
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• 2024

When steel contaminated with Pb, produced by the decay of natural radionuclides, is remelted, Pb distributes among the metal, slag, and gas phases. In this study, 5 wt%Pb was added to Fe and melted with CaO-SiO₂-Al₂O₃-MgO slag to investigate Pb's distribution in the metal/slag/gas. As slag basicity ((wt%CaO)/(wt%SiO₂)) increased, Pb solubility in Fe slightly increased, while Pb in the slag tended to decrease. Consequently, the slag/metal distribution ratio of Pb decreased with increasing basicity. Thermodynamic calculations revealed that the slag/Fe phase distribution ratio of Pb remained very low irrespective of the activity coefficient of PbO in the slag, consistent with the experimental results. The calculated evaporation rate of Pb in Fe-Pb was approximately 22 times that of Fe; hence, most of the Pb evaporated into the gas phase.