STTR Phase II: Continuous Production and Collection of Magnesium via Carbothermal Reduction

STTR 第二阶段：通过碳热还原连续生产和收集镁

• 批准号: 1738536
• 负责人: Aaron Palumbo
• 金额: $ 70万
• 依托单位: Big Blue Technologies LLC
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2017
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2017-09-15 至 2022-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1738536&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: STTR; Phase; II; Continuous; Production

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Technology Transfer Research (STTR) Phase II project stems from addressing the problem of embedded energy in the manufacture of magnesium metal for use in vehicle light-weighting. Improving fuel economy by incorporation of the lightest structural metal, magnesium, does not save on total lifecycle energy consumed if the magnesium was produced using conventional methods. The most energy efficient and economical production method is known is a process technology that was commercially viable during World War II but not at any other time in history. The project innovation reinvestigates and reinvents this dated process, discovering the reasons for technical and economic failure. Domestic magnesium production using state-of-the-art energy-efficient practices will lead to opportunity and growth for downstream manufacturers that support a wide range of military, industrial, and consumer products such as car parts, electronic devices, titanium and steel production, and canned beverages. The economic and environmental benefits of the innovation in the long term will be ever more prescient given the unprecedented rise in use of magnesium metal over the past 100 years. This innovation creates a clean and economic route to magnesium production, helping to reinvigorate light metals industries within the U.S.The intellectual merit of this project is derived from a new paradigm in the condensation of magnesium metal gas produced by carbothermal reduction of magnesium oxide. Previously, shock cooling through a meta-stable temperature range was employed, generating pyrophoric powders that are dangerous and difficult to handle. This Phase II research uses both rapid cooling and controlled heterogeneous condensation for the formation of robust, oxidation resistance magnesium condensate. This process is executed in a novel and continuous condenser for high metal throughput. This effort is also made possible through the development of a reduction reactor technology that operates under milder conditions than previously used while maintaining high production rates. Total plant energy consumption will be at least 50% less than the dominant incumbent process. The Phase II project will result in a scaled ore-to-ingot pilot facility for the manufacture of magnesium metal as a raw material into manufacturing processes. Product quality, process feasibility, and proven scale-up will be demonstrated.

这项小型企业技术转移研究（STTR）II期项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力源于解决镁金属制造中嵌入能量的问题，用于车辆轻巧。如果使用常规方法生产镁，则通过掺入最轻的结构金属（镁）来改善燃油经济性。最节能，最经济的生产方法是已知的是一种过程技术，在第二次世界大战期间在商业上可行，但在历史上没有任何其他时期。该项目的创新重新研究并重新发现了这一过时的过程，发现了技术和经济失败的原因。使用最先进的节能实践的国内镁生产将为下游制造商提供机会和增长，这些制造商支持各种军事，工业和消费产品，例如汽车零件，电子设备，钛和钢铁生产以及罐装饮料。鉴于过去100年来使用镁金属的前所未有的增长，从长远来看，创新的经济和环境利益将变得更加有先见之明。这项创新为镁生产创造了一条干净，经济的途径，有助于振兴美国境内的轻质金属行业，该项目的智力优点源自新的范式，从而在碳热的氧化物碳热减少镁中产生的镁金属气体。以前，采用了通过元稳定温度范围的冲击冷却，产生了危险且难以处理的热粉。这项II期研究同时使用快速冷却和受控的异质凝结来形成稳健的氧化耐药镁冷凝物。该过程是在高金属吞吐量的新颖且连续的冷凝器中执行的。还通过开发减少反应堆技术在较温和的条件下运行比以前使用的较高的生产率，这也是能够实现的。植物总能源消耗至少要比主导的现有过程低50％。 II期项目将导致尺度上的矿石对矿石试点设施，用于制造镁金属作为制造工艺的原材料。将展示产品质量，过程可行性和可靠的扩大规模。

项目成果

Design and Fabrication of Pellets for Magnesium Production by Carbothermal Reduction

• DOI: 10.1007/s11663-018-1309-5
• 发表时间: 2018-06
• 期刊: Metallurgical and Materials Transactions B
• 作者: B. Chubukov;A. W. Palumbo;Scott C. Rowe;Mark A. Wallace;K. Y. Sun;A. Weimer

Investigation of continuous carbothermal reduction of magnesia by magnesium vapor condensation onto a moving bed of solid particles

• DOI: 10.1016/j.powtec.2019.01.067
• 发表时间: 2020-04-01
• 期刊: POWDER TECHNOLOGY
• 影响因子: 5.2
• 作者: Chubukov, Boris A.;Rowe, Scott C.;Weimer, Alan W.
• 通讯作者: Weimer, Alan W.