Pyrometallurgical processing

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The proposed projects will extend the applicant's core interest in pyrometallurgy and directly benefit the Canadian ferrous and nonferrous metals industries: 1. Modeling of Non-ferrous Refractory Systems: Submerged oxygen injection is common in the non-ferrous industry. However, refractory life in the vicinity of the injection site is short, which incurs significant costs in both reactor downtime and refractory replacement. By developing a mathematical model for temperature and stress within the affected refractory, changes to operating practice and/or the refractory installation to extend the in-service life will be identified. 2. Steel Deoxidation by Hydrocarbon Injection:  Dissolved oxygen is removed from liquid steel by a addition of Al (or other metals) forming solid Al2O3. This is costly and leads to defects in the solidified steel. Methane (CH4) deoxidation would avoid defects and thus directly benefit Canadian steel producers. Using a combination of experiments and thermodynamic modeling, the viability of methane deoxidation will be determined and related issues, such as hydrogen dissolution and recarburization, examined. 3. Modeling of the CSP Tunnel Furnace: Compact Strip Production (CSP) is a recent innovation in steelmaking. CSP mills utilize a 'tunnel' furnace to directly link the casting and rolling operations and absorb delays. To assist with optimization of the reheating process, a thermal model for the tunnel furnace will be developed to identify improved operating procedures, reduce fuel consumption and achieve better temperature control in the discharged thin slabs. 4. Transient Model for the Rotary Kiln: Rotary kilns are common reactors with upwards of 40 operating in the Canadian metallurgical and paper industries. Because industrial kilns frequently encounter process upsets, a mathematical kiln model will be developed to simulate conditions during unsteady-state operation in order to identify the best options for recovering stable operation with minimal loss in productivity.