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Advanced Metallurgy Technologies: Physical and Numerical Modelling

A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Metals and Alloys".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2024 | Viewed by 5940

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Metallurgy and Metals Technology, Czestochowa University of Technology, Czestochowa, Poland
Interests: iron and steel extractive metallurgy; continuous casting; tundish metallurgy; physical and numerical modeling
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Metals continue to be a source of innovative engineering materials applicable to almost all industries. Iron, aluminum, copper, zinc, nickel, cobalt, titanium, etc. will continue to be essential components of key metallic alloys for a long time to come. Therefore, the development of metallurgical technologies creates space for the production of metallic alloys with new unique properties. In the production cycle of metal products, all technological stages require a strategic approach. Starting from pyro- or hydrometallurgical reduction processes, through smelting, refining, casting, plastic working, and chemical or heat treatment, the metals initially concentrated in the ore obtain unique features in the final product. Of course, in the era of the circular economy, the processes of recovering metals from secondary sources are of great importance. Currently, the results obtained from experiments on physical models or numerical simulations determine the scientific progress in the field of metallurgical technologies. Both research techniques complement each other and reliably reflect the industrial conditions.

Dr. Adam Cwudziński
Dr. Chao Chen
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • pyrometallurgy
  • hydrometallurgy
  • electrometallurgy
  • refining
  • casting
  • plastic working
  • additive metallurgy
  • thermochemical treatment
  • physical metallurgy
  • metal recycling
  • physical modelling
  • numerical modeling

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 3868 KiB  
Article
Calorimetric Studies and Thermodynamic Modeling of Ag–Mg–Ti Liquid Alloys
by Weronika Gozdur, Władysław Gąsior, Maciej Zrobek, Andrzej Budziak, Roman Dębski, Wojciech Gierlotka, Magda Pęska, Marek Polański and Adam Dębski
Materials 2024, 17(8), 1786; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17081786 - 12 Apr 2024
Viewed by 301
Abstract
Due to the absence of thermodynamic data concerning the Ag–Mg–Ti system in the existing literature, this study aims to fill this gap by offering the outcomes of calorimetric investigations conducted on ternary liquid solutions of these alloys. The measurements were performed using the [...] Read more.
Due to the absence of thermodynamic data concerning the Ag–Mg–Ti system in the existing literature, this study aims to fill this gap by offering the outcomes of calorimetric investigations conducted on ternary liquid solutions of these alloys. The measurements were performed using the drop calorimetry method at temperatures of 1294 K and 1297 K for the liquid solutions with the following constant mole fraction ratio: xAg/xMg = 9/1, 7/3, 1/1, 3/7 [(Ag0.9Mg0.1)1−xTix, (Ag0.7Mg0.3)1−xTix, (Ag0.5Mg0.5)1−xTix, (Ag0.3Mg0.7)1−xTix)], and xAg/xTi = 19/1 [(Ag0.95Ti0.05)1−xMgx]. The results show that the mixing enthalpy change is characterized by negative deviations from the ideal solutions and the observed minimal value equals −13.444 kJ/mol for the Ag0.95Ti0.05 alloy and xMg = 0.4182. Next, based on the thermodynamic properties of binary systems described by the Redlich–Kister model and the determined experimental data from the calorimetric measurements, the ternary optimized parameters for the Ag–Mg–Ti liquid phase were calculated by the Muggianu model. Homemade software (TerGexHm 1.0) was used to optimize the calorimetric data using the least squares method. Next, the partial and molar thermodynamic functions were calculated and are presented in the tables and figures. Moreover, this work presents, for comparative purposes, the values of the enthalpy of mixing of liquid Ag–Mg–Ti alloys, which were calculated using Toop’s model. It was found that the best agreement between the modeled and experimental data was observed for the cross-sections xAg/xTi = 19/1 [(Ag0.95Ti0.05)1−xMgx] and xAg/xMg = 9/1 [(Ag0.9Mg0.1)1−xTix]. The results of the experiments presented in this paper are the first step in the investigation and future evaluation of the thermodynamics of phases and the calculation of the phase diagram of the silver–magnesium–titanium system. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Metallurgy Technologies: Physical and Numerical Modelling)
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14 pages, 6198 KiB  
Article
Experimental Study of a Representative Sample to Determine the Chemical Composition of Cast Iron
by Martina Laubertova, Silvia Ruzickova, Jarmila Trpcevska and Jaroslav Briancin
Materials 2024, 17(6), 1255; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17061255 - 08 Mar 2024
Viewed by 448
Abstract
In metallurgical practice, the material is considered of adequate quality if it meets the customer’s expectations. It is necessary to take representative samples and perform quality testing to avoid financial and intangible losses. Sample contamination and matrix and surface quality play a significant [...] Read more.
In metallurgical practice, the material is considered of adequate quality if it meets the customer’s expectations. It is necessary to take representative samples and perform quality testing to avoid financial and intangible losses. Sample contamination and matrix and surface quality play a significant role in the accuracy of chemical analyses. The purpose of this paper is to point out the advantages of specific methods of taking samples, such as immersion and spoon sampling of molten metal, and, in the experimental part, to assess the impacts of factors affecting the quality of the sampling. The influence of time of final sampling on determining the true amount of magnesium during a single melt and the influence of duration of mixing of molten cast iron on the accuracy of chemical analysis of the control sample were investigated. It is important that the time between the modification and casting of the liquid cast iron from the casting ladle be as short as possible. This is because the magnesium burns out and thus the chemical analysis of the sample taken is not accurate. Another important factor is ensuring the melt before sampling is homogenized and has the minimum prescribed temperature (1420 °C). Increasing sample collection time will cause changes in its chemical composition. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Metallurgy Technologies: Physical and Numerical Modelling)
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16 pages, 11048 KiB  
Article
Development and Validation of Computational Fluid Dynamics Model of Ladle Furnace with Electromagnetic Stirring System
by Monika Zielinska, Hongliang Yang, Lukasz Madej and Lukasz Malinowski
Materials 2024, 17(4), 960; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17040960 - 19 Feb 2024
Viewed by 483
Abstract
Numerical methods are crucial to supporting the development of new technology in different industries, especially steelmaking, where many phenomena cannot be directly measured or observed under industrial conditions. As a result, further designing and optimizing steelmaking equipment and technology are not easy tasks. [...] Read more.
Numerical methods are crucial to supporting the development of new technology in different industries, especially steelmaking, where many phenomena cannot be directly measured or observed under industrial conditions. As a result, further designing and optimizing steelmaking equipment and technology are not easy tasks. At the same time, numerical approaches enable modeling of various phenomena controlling material behavior and, thus, understanding the physics behind the processes occurring in different metallurgical devices. With this, it is possible to design and develop new technological solutions that improve the quality of steel products and minimize the negative impact on the environment. However, the usage of numerical approaches without proper validation can lead to misleading results and conclusions. Therefore, in this paper, the authors focus on the development of the CFD-based (computational fluid dynamics) approach to investigate the liquid steel flow inside one metallurgical device, namely a ladle furnace combined with an EMS (electromagnetic stirring) system. First, a numerical simulation of electromagnetic stirring in a scaled mercury model of a ladle furnace was carried out. The numerical results, such as stirring speed and turbulent kinetic energy, were compared with measurements in the mercury model. It was found that the results of the transient multiphase CFD model achieve good agreement with the measurements, but a free surface should be included in the CFD model to simulate the instability of the flow pattern in the mercury model. Based on the developed model, a full-scale industrial ladle furnace with electromagnetic stirring was also simulated and presented. This research confirms that such a coupled model can be used to design new types of EMS devices that improve molten steel flow in metallurgical equipment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Metallurgy Technologies: Physical and Numerical Modelling)
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0 pages, 4682 KiB  
Article
Chalcopyrite Leaching in the Presence of Isopropanol—The Kinetic and Mechanistic Studies
by Tomasz Michałek, Krzysztof Pacławski and Krzysztof Fitzner
Materials 2024, 17(4), 824; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17040824 - 08 Feb 2024
Viewed by 558
Abstract
Oxidative leaching, as a basic step of the hydrometallurgical process of pure copper production from chalcopyrite, is a slow process in which mineral acids with strong oxidants addition are usually used as a leaching medium. It was found experimentally that the copper leaching [...] Read more.
Oxidative leaching, as a basic step of the hydrometallurgical process of pure copper production from chalcopyrite, is a slow process in which mineral acids with strong oxidants addition are usually used as a leaching medium. It was found experimentally that the copper leaching from chalcopyrite in the H2SO4–H2O2–H2O system, in the presence of isopropanol (IPA) and under other conditions (H2O2 concentration, rate of mixing and temperature), takes place with satisfactory rate and efficiency. To quantify how much the change of these crucial variables affects the rate of the process, experimentally obtained kinetic curves (conversion over time) were analyzed using a Shrinking Core Model (SCM). The determined values of the copper leaching rate constants (kobs) confirmed the positive influence of increasing IPA and H2O2 concentrations as well as the temperature on the kinetics and efficiency of the leaching. The kinetic studies were also supported by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), 57Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and adsorption measurements. The positive influence of IPA was explained by its stabilizing role for iron compounds (hematite, magnetite, and pyrite), which are catalysts during the Cu dissolution, as well as H2O2 protection from decomposition during free radical reactions. Finally, the optimal conditions for efficient leaching, the rate-limiting step as well as the mechanism suggestion of the copper dissolution, were given. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Metallurgy Technologies: Physical and Numerical Modelling)
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18 pages, 6601 KiB  
Article
Numerical and Physical Modeling of Liquid Steel Asymmetric Behavior during Non-Isothermal Conditions in a Two-Strand Slab Tundish—“Butterfly Effect”
by Adam Cwudziński, Jacek Pieprzyca and Tomasz Merder
Materials 2023, 16(21), 6920; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16216920 - 28 Oct 2023
Viewed by 955
Abstract
This paper presents the results of studies on the occurrence of transient disturbances in the hydrodynamic system of a tundish feeding area and their effect on the casting process. In addition, the effect of changes in the level of superheating of the molten [...] Read more.
This paper presents the results of studies on the occurrence of transient disturbances in the hydrodynamic system of a tundish feeding area and their effect on the casting process. In addition, the effect of changes in the level of superheating of the molten steel fed to the tundish on the evolution of the hydrodynamic system was analyzed. The studies were conducted with the use of a physical model of the tundish and a numerical model, representing the industrial conditions of the process of the continuous casting of steel. When a tundish is fed through a modified ladle shroud that slows down the momentum of the stream, this creates favorable conditions for the emergence of asymmetrical flow within the working tundish volume. The higher the degree of molten steel reheating in the ladle furnace, the stronger the evolution of the hydrodynamic structures in the tundish during the casting process. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Metallurgy Technologies: Physical and Numerical Modelling)
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17 pages, 4019 KiB  
Article
Two-Way PBM–Euler Model for Gas and Liquid Flow in the Ladle
by Han Zhang, Hong Lei, Changyou Ding, Shifu Chen, Yuanyou Xiao and Qiang Li
Materials 2023, 16(10), 3782; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16103782 - 17 May 2023
Viewed by 911
Abstract
Ladle metallurgy is an important steelmaking technology in high-quality steel production. The blowing of argon at the ladle bottom has been applied in ladle metallurgy for several decades. Until now, the issue of breakage and coalescence among bubbles was still far from being [...] Read more.
Ladle metallurgy is an important steelmaking technology in high-quality steel production. The blowing of argon at the ladle bottom has been applied in ladle metallurgy for several decades. Until now, the issue of breakage and coalescence among bubbles was still far from being solved. In order to have a deep insight into the complex process of fluid flow in the gas-stirred ladle, the Euler–Euler model and population balance model (PBM) are coupled to investigate the complex fluid flow in the gas-stirred ladle. Here, the Euler–Euler model is applied to predict the two-phase flow, and PBM is applied to predict the bubble and size distribution. The coalescence model, which considers turbulent eddy and bubble wake entrainment, is taken into account to determine the evolution of the bubble size. The numerical results show that if the mathematical model ignores the breakage of bubbles, the mathematical model gives the wrong bubble distribution. For bubble coalescence in the ladle, turbulent eddy coalescence is the main mode, and wake entrainment coalescence is the minor mode. Additionally, the number of the bubble-size group is a key parameter for describing the bubble behavior. The size group number 10 is recommended to predict the bubble-size distribution. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Metallurgy Technologies: Physical and Numerical Modelling)
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Review

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20 pages, 1543 KiB  
Review
Production, Recycling and Economy of Palladium: A Critical Review
by Tomasz Michałek, Volker Hessel and Marek Wojnicki
Materials 2024, 17(1), 45; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17010045 - 21 Dec 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1525
Abstract
Platinum group metals (PGMs), including palladium, play a pivotal role in various industries due to their unique properties. Palladium is frequently employed in technologies aimed at environmental preservation, such as catalytic converters that reduce harmful emissions from vehicles, and in the production of [...] Read more.
Platinum group metals (PGMs), including palladium, play a pivotal role in various industries due to their unique properties. Palladium is frequently employed in technologies aimed at environmental preservation, such as catalytic converters that reduce harmful emissions from vehicles, and in the production of clean energy, notably in the hydrogen evolution process. Regrettably, the production of this vital metal for our environment is predominantly centered in two countries—Russia and South Africa. This centralization has led to palladium being classified as a critical raw material, emphasizing the importance of establishing a secure and sustainable supply chain, as well as employing the most efficient methods for processing materials containing palladium. This review explores techniques for palladium production from primary sources and innovative recycling methods, providing insights into current technologies and emerging approaches. Furthermore, it investigates the economic aspects of palladium production, including price fluctuations influenced by emission regulations and electric vehicle sales, and establishes connections between palladium prices, imports from major producers, as well as copper and nickel prices, considering their often co-occurrence in ores. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Metallurgy Technologies: Physical and Numerical Modelling)
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