PROCEDURE FOR DETERMINING HYDRAULIC JET BARBOTTER RESISTANCE FOR COLLECTING FINE DUST

В СКГМИ (ГТУ) разработана конструкция струйного барботера, в основу которого положена запатентованная конструкция основного узла аппарата -распределительной тарелки, позволяющей реализовать в барботере пенный режим. Данный пылеуловитель позволяет улавливать мелкие частицы пыли ( < 1 мкм), включая наночастицы, не улавливаемые в рукавных фильтрах. В статье приведена методика расчета гидравлического сопротивления барботера, необходимая для использования при выборе вентилятора для процесса пылеулавливания в барботере. Гидравлическое сопротивление барботера определяется как сумма составляющих: статического давления слоя жидкости, капиллярного перепада в зоне образования пузырьков и сопротивлений деталей распределительной тарелки. Разработанная методика была использована при проектировании технологической линии очистки газов от пылевидных возгонов вельц-печей цинкового производства, содержащих наночастицы. North Caucasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (State Technological University) has developed a design of a jet bubbler which is based on the patented design of the device main unit - a distribution plate, which allows to implement a foam mode in the bubbler. This dust collector allows you to capture small dust particles (< 1 microns), including nanoparticles, that are not captured in bag filters. The article presents a method for calculating the hydraulic resistance of the bubbler, which is required for use, when selecting a fan for the process of dust collection in the bubbler. The hydraulic resistance of the bubbler is defined as the sum of the components: the static pressure of the liquid layer, the capillary drop in the zone of bubbles formation and the resistances of distribution plate parts. The developed method was used in the design of a process line for cleaning gases from pulverized ascents of waelz kiln of zinc production containing nanoparticles.

Mineralogy and environmental stability of vanadium-rich slags from the historical processing of Zn-Pb-V ores at Berg Aukas (Namibia)

&lt;p&gt;Vanadium (V) is one of the key technologically critical elements. The slags produced by the historical mining and processing of Zn&amp;#8211;Pb&amp;#8211;V ores in the Waelz kiln at Berg Aukas (northern Namibia) can be potentially used as a secondary resource of V. A combination of mineralogical methods, bulk chemistry, leaching tests and speciation-solubility modeling was used to understand the binding of the major contaminants (Zn, Pb, V) in the solid phase and their potential release under the changing environmental conditions. The average concentrations of the metal(loid) contaminants in the slags are 3.78 wt% Zn, 3370 mg/kg Pb, 5880 mg/kg V, 767 mg/kg Cu, 578 mg/kg As and 92 mg/kg Sb. The mineralogy is dominated by high-temperature silicates (clinopyroxene, melilite, olivine-family phases) and Zn-bearing phases (willemite, zincite). All the primary silicates and oxides are Zn-rich, but vanadium is mainly concentrated in clinopyroxene (up to 5 wt% V2O3). Metallic Fe inclusions, formed under highly reducing conditions in the kiln, are highly weathered. Secondary Fe(III) (hydr)oxides, corresponding to the main weathering products in the slag, efficiently sequester the metal(loid)s (mainly As and Sb). The EU regulatory leaching tests indicated that the release of the metal(loid) contaminants is quite low at the natural pH (deionized water extract: 8.5&amp;#8211;10.4) obtained by extraction in the deionized water and only Sb in all the slag samples exceeds the EU limits for the landfilling of inert waste. The pH-static leaching tests revealed up to 5 orders of magnitude higher release of Pb and Zn under acidic conditions (up to 38% and 63% of their total concentration, respectively), compared to the natural pH. In contrast, V exhibits relatively flat pH-dependent leaching patterns with only &lt;1.6% of the total V leached. Using the slag re-processing costs by acidic (bio)leaching and the current metal prices, the recovery of V, being the most important critical metal in the Berg Aukas slags, seems to be non-economical (Ettler et al., 2020, Applied Geochemistry, DOI: 10.1016/j.apgeochem.2019.104473). This study was supported by the Czech Science Foundation project (GA&amp;#268;R 19-18513S).&lt;/p&gt;

Development of energy-efficient method for processing industrial waste

An energy-saving method for processing technogenic waste has been developed — a smelt layer with inversion phase as a combination of “ideal” mixing and “ideal” displacement regimes. On its basis, a new generation of melting unit was created - the “reactor inversion phase - rotary kiln”. Experimental data show that in the inversion phase layer the specific fuel consumption for processing the “poor” on zinc and “rich” on zinc slags is approximately the same. The latter provision contradicts the prevailing opinion of metallurgists that the processing of slag with a zinc concentration of less than 5% is unprofitable. Сalculation results demonstrate that in case of implementation of an industrial sample of “reactor inversion phase - rotary kiln for processing “poor” slag, compared to the Waelz kiln processing “rich” slag, the specific consumption of fuel will be reduced by 1.5-1.7 times and specific productivity will increase 1.4-1.5 times. The industrial realization of “reactor inversion phase -rotary kiln” would allow cost-effective processing of fuming slag dumps, Waelz clinker, “poor” zinc ores, enrichment tails and other non-ferrous metal wastes.

Development of the Metallurgical Waste Recovery Process

We have developed the process that enables receiving pellets from zinc-containing dust and recovering them in a Waelz kiln with practically total zinc distillation and its capture in bag filters. As this takes place, metallic iron, still present in the pellets, can be used in metallurgical treatment. We have elaborated the process instructions to obtain pellets from zinc-containing dust with an addition of solid fuel, magnesite, and bentonite. To simulate recovery of the carbon-containing pellets in production, bench tests have been performed. These allowed us to determine principal operating conditions of the technological procedure of metallurgical zinc-containing dust recovery and validate the unit for recovery of this dust. The data obtained from the production tests prove feasibility of implementation of this process and allow assessing economic efficiency of zinc-containing dust recovery.

Silver recovery from zinc metallurgical sludge – analysis of solutions

During the hydrometallurgical process of zinc production, conducted in the ZGH “Bolesław” S.A. in Bukowno [Mine and Metallurgical Plant], about 40,000 tons of sludge is generated. After dehydration in the Larox filter presses, sludge contains ca. 16-18% of Zn, 20-25% of Fe, and 200-300 ppm of Ag. Next, sludge is transported to the Olkusz concentrator for flotation to obtain concentrate enriched with Ag (1,000-1,500 ppm). The concentrate is then sent to the HC “Miasteczko Śląskie” [zinc smelter], while the flotation tailings are subjected to recycling in waelz kiln in Bukowno to regain mainly Zn and Pb, in the form of oxides (also sent later to the HC “Miasteczko Śląskie”).

Dechlorination of Zinc Oxide Dust from Waelz Kiln by Microwave Roasting

The new technology of dechlorination from zinc oxide dust by microwave roasting was investigated, combined with the advantages of microwave selective heating and based on a thermodynamic analysis of zinc and lead halides. The associated dechlorination reactions were discussed in details and the effect of all the influencing parameters such as roasting temperature, holding time, stirring speed and air flow were systematically investigated. Experimental results showed that zinc oxide dust dechlorination rate could reach over 95% and meet the requirements of wet smelting electrolysis, given an air flow of 300 L/h, a stirring speed of 60 r/min, a roasting temperature of 650 °C and a holding time of 30 min. Microwave roasting provided a new solution to the dechlorination from zinc oxide dust.