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

这个小型企业技术转让研究（STTR）第二阶段项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力源于解决用于车辆轻量化的金属镁制造中的嵌入式能源问题。如果使用传统方法生产镁，通过加入最轻的结构金属镁来提高燃料经济性，并不能节省整个生命周期消耗的能源。众所周知，最节能、最经济的生产方法是一种工艺技术，这种技术在第二次世界大战期间具有商业可行性，但在历史上任何其他时期都没有。项目创新对这个过时的过程进行了重新调查和改造，发现了技术和经济失败的原因。采用最先进的节能实践的国内镁生产将为下游制造商带来机会和增长，这些制造商支持广泛的军事，工业和消费产品，如汽车零部件，电子设备，钛和钢铁生产以及罐装饮料。考虑到过去100年镁金属使用量的空前增长，从长远来看，这项创新的经济和环境效益将更具先见之明。这一创新为镁生产创造了一条清洁经济的途径，有助于重振美国的轻金属工业。该项目的知识价值来自于氧化镁碳热还原产生的镁金属气体冷凝的新范例。以前，通过亚稳定温度范围的冲击冷却被采用，产生危险且难以处理的焦粉。第二阶段的研究使用快速冷却和控制非均相冷凝来形成坚固的、抗氧化的镁冷凝物。该工艺在一种新型的连续式冷凝器中进行，以实现高金属吞吐量。这一努力也可以通过开发还原反应堆技术来实现，该技术可以在比以前使用的更温和的条件下运行，同时保持较高的生产率。工厂总能耗将至少比占主导地位的现有工艺低50%。第二期项目将建成一个规模较大的矿石制锭试验设施，用于将金属镁作为原材料生产到生产过程中。将展示产品质量、工艺可行性和已证实的规模化生产。

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.