The Project aim. The project is aimed at the conversion of various types of pretreated manganese waste into valuable master alloys using environmentally safe technology of SHS - metallurgy. Also is choice of the economically viable technical solutions, evaluation of technical and economic indicators of the achievements, development and manufacturing of an experimental centrifugal machine for SHS-producing of manganese master alloys, development of working drawings for the working model of semi-installation for pre-processing of manganese waste.
The intense activity in the field of mining of manganese ores and concentrates in the various countries and their processing in special ferroalloy furnaces leads to a continuous and large-scale pollution of the environment with manganese compounds.
To extract these metals from the huge amount of solid and sludge waste various technologies utilizing pyro-metallurgy methods, microbiological leaching, hydrometallurgy, electrochemical leaching and extraction, pulsed electrolysis, etc. are used. These methods are often ineffective, as many of them are not applicable to grained waste with particle size less than 100 microns, while require an high energy consumption. In addition, the processing of such waste is becoming more and more expensive, requires large production facilities, sophisticated equipment, a large number of staff and, most importantly, a big number of these technologies also contaminate the environment. Reference review of the current status in this field of research can be found in paragraph number 12 ("Additional Information" section of this project).
The project’ influence on progress in this area. The processing parameters will be set experimentally, and the valuable products in the form of master alloys will be synthesized; achievable technical and economic parameters will be assessed the most cost-effective technological approaches will be identified, an experimental SHS centrifugal machine will be designed and manufactured. Solution of the urgent tasks and goals of the project will form a basis for significant progress in improving the environmental situation in the regions "trapped" with waste of manganese production (e.g. Ukraine, Georgia and Kazakhstan). As a result, the applied technology will enhance a global-scale return of millions of tons of manganese ore mining and enrichment waste to the industrial turnover, and free up millions of hectares of land for the rehabilitation.
Application of the developed environment-friendly technology will provide producing of commonly used master alloys with regular chemical compound and physical-chemical properties, as well as with various new compositions and having high quality, yield and recovery of the desired product which cannot be obtained by conventional methods. A successful completion of the research work will allow to create later the proper basis for the development of high-performance installations for industrial production of manganese ligatures. Working drawings for implementation of another new technological solution - pre-processing of manganese sludge waste– will be also developed.
Expected results and their application. Technical and technological parameters of materials synthesis will be set on the basis of the research carried out. Working drawings will be made and a new experimental centrifugal machine (ECM) will be installed, all accessories necessary for its operation will be developed. Optimized compositions of exothermic mixtures for common and special master alloys (having not industrially produced analogues) will be developed. The developed compositions may include a wide range of refractory and fusible elements. The results obtained will allow to provide new products highly competitive in comparison with conventional materials.
Proposed solutions would enable a global recycling of tens of millions of tons of manganese mining and processing waste and thus free up for rehabilitation millions of hectares of land, covered with the toxic manganese bearing waste.
Scope of activities. In this project, depending on the type of waste, the following research works wull be carried out and completed:
- Preliminary study and optimization of the compositions of exothermic mixtures;
- Study of the effect of process parameters (such as phase separation, spread of the reaction mass, composition and dispersion of the components, density of the feed mixture)on the regularities of synthesis of molded and cast products;
- Study of the impact of centrifugal acceleration on the technological parameters of the synthesis;
- Measuring of chemical composition and phase content of the final product;
- Technical and economic calculation of profitability and environmental efficience of the proposed technical approach.
On the basis of the results of the project and using AutoCAD software the working drawings drawings will be developed and the experimentally centrifugal engine will be installed together with all equipment necessary for the functioning of the centrifugal machine. Technical parameters of the experimental machine will be optimized and recommendations on the development of an industrial plant will be issued. Working drawings for the installation of pre-processing of manganese sludge waste will be developed.
