Mechanism of Mg2+ dissolution from olivine and serpentine: Implication for bioleaching of high-magnesium nickel sulfide ore at elevated pH

To inhibit the dissolution of Mg^2+ during the bioleaching process of high-magnesium nickel sulfide ore, the effect of major bioleaching factors on the dissolution of Mg^2+ from olivine and serpentine was investigated and kinetics studies were carried out. The results indicated that the dissolution rate-controlling steps are chemical reaction for olivine and internal diffusion for serpentine. The most influential factor on the dissolution of Mg^2+ from olivine and serpentine was temperature, followed by p H and particle size. A novel method of bioleaching at elevated pH was used in the bioleaching of Jinchuan ore. The results showed that elevated pH could significantly reduce the dissolution of Mg^2+ and acid consumption along with slightly influencing the leaching efficiencies of nickel and cobalt. A model was used to explain the leaching behaviors of high-magnesium nickel sulfide ore in different bioleaching systems. The model suggested that olivine will be depleted eventually, whereas serpentine will remain because of the difference in the rate-controlling steps. Bioleaching at elevated pH is a suitable method for treating high-magnesium nickel sulfide ores.

Semisolid A356 alloy feedstock poured through a serpentine channel

Fine spheroidal and equiaxed nondendritic microstructures required for semisolid casting can be formed through a serpentine pouting channel. Effects of the pouring temperature and the vertical section length of the serpentine pouring channel were studied. The results indicate that both favorable semisolid microstructures of A356 aluminum alloy can be generated by a serpentine pouring channel, and the solid shell inside the channel can be avoided when the pouting temperature is in the range from 660 to 680℃. It is also shown that the vertical section length of the serpentine pouting channel has a significant influence on the microstructure of the feedstock, namely both the microstructure of the feedstock and the microstructure uniformity in the radial direction get worse when the vertical section length is shortened; moreover, the pouring temperature for obtaining the feedstock with suitable microstructure decreases. The relevant mechanisms were discussed.

Tensile properties and microstructure of rheo-diecast 7075 alloy prepared by serpentine channel process

A semisolid slurry of 7075 aluminum alloy was prepared by means of a serpentine channel process (SCP) and rheo-diecasting. The influences of pouring temperature during slurry preparation, the injection pressure and die preheat temperature on the mechanical properties and microstructure of a rheo-diecast 7075 aluminum alloy were investigated. The results show that the as-cast strength and elongation of the tensile samples were 210-260 MPa and 0.2%-1.7%, respectively, with an injection pressure of 130 MPa, a pouring temperature of 700-720℃, a preheat temperature of 280-350℃, and a plunger speed of 0.5 m·S^-1. The results also show that the aged strength and elongation of the tensile samples were 420-453 MPa and 1.0%-1.4%, respectively, when the alloy solution was treated at 470℃ for 12 h and aged at 120℃ for 24 h. The substantial shrinkage porosity in the 7075 aluminum alloy tensile samples was the main cause of low elongation.

Refinement of primary Si grains in Al–20%Si alloy slurry through serpentine channel pouring process

In this study, a serpentine channel pouring process was used to prepare the semi-solid A1-20%Si alloy slurry and refine primary Si grains in the alloy. The effects of the pouring temperature, number of curves in the serpentine channel, and material of the serpentine channel on the size of primary Si grains in the semi-solid A1-20%Si alloy slurry were investigated. The results showed that the pouting temperature, number of the curves, and material of the channel strongly affected the size and distribution of the primary Si grains. The pouring tempera- ture exerted the strongest effect, followed by the number of the curves and then the material of the channel. Under experimental conditions of a four-curve copper channel and a pouring temperature of 701℃, primary Si grains in the semi-solid A1-20%Si alloy slurry were refined to the greatest extent, and the lath-like grains were changed into granular grains. Moreover, the equivalent grain diameter and the average shape coefficient of primary Si grains in the satisfactory semi-solid A1-20%Si alloy slurry were 24.4 μm and 0.89, respectively. Finally, the re- finement mechanism and distribution rule of primary Si grains in the slurry prepared through the serpentine channel pouring process were analyzed and discussed.

Refinement of primary Si grains of A390 alloy slurry through serpentine channel pouring process

In this paper, the serpentine channel pouring process for preparing a semi-solid A390 alloy slurry and refining the primary Si grains of the A390 alloy, was used. The effects of the pouring temperature, the cooling water flow and the number of the curves on the size of the primary Si grains in the semi-solid A390 alloy slurry were investigated. The results show that the pouring temperature, the cooling water flow and the number of the curves have a major effect on the size and the distribution of primary Si grains. Under the experimental condition of the four-curve copper channel whose cooling water flow was 500 L·h-1 and the pouring temperature was 690 oC, the primary Si grains of the semi-solid A390 alloy slurry were refined to the greatest extent and the lath-like grains were changed into granular ones. Additionally, the equivalent grain diameter and the average shape factor of the primary Si grains of the satisfactory semi-solid A390 alloy slurry are 18.6 μm and 0.8, respectively. Further, the refinement mechanism of the primary Si grains through the serpentine channel pouring process was analyzed and discussed. In summary, the primary Si nuclei could be easily precipitated due to the chilling effect of the channel inner wall, thus the primary Si grains were greatly refined. Meanwhile, the subsequent alloy melt fluid also promoted the separation of primary Si grains from the inner wall, further refining the primary Si grains.

A cost-effective approach to recycle serpentine tailings:Destruction of stable layered structure and solvent displacement crystallization

In this work,the stable layer structure of serpentine,which seriously restricts the extraction of magnesium,was broken down,and a nearly 94%leaching efficiency of Mg was obtained by adding 5%fluorite powder.Compared with the system without fluorite,the Mg leaching efficiency increased by 36.42%.This result was achieved because the complexation of fluorinion(F)with Si in serpentine promoted a distorted tetrahedral orientation,which led to a loose crystal structure of serpentine and contributed to exposing more Mg for a remarkable increase in Mg recovery.It is suggested that fluorite powder could replace expensive assisted reagents in the leaching process,which would markedly decreased the cost.Moreover,an energy-efficient‘‘solvent displacement crystallization”(SDC)method was employed to efficiently recover magnesium(99.04%)from pregnant solutions.At the same time,the reuse of fluorinecontaining solutions was explored.

Devise of a W serpentine shape tube heat exchanger in a hard chromium electroplating process

In a hard chromium electroplating process, a heat exchanger is employed to remove the heat produced from the high current intensity in an electroplating bath.Normally, a conventional U shape heat exchanger is installed in the bath, but it provides low heat removal.Thus, this study designs a novel W serpentine shape heat exchanger with identical heat transfer area to the conventional one for increasing heat removal performance.The performance of the heat exchange is tested with various flow velocities in a cross-section in range of 1.6 to 2.4 m·s^(-1).Mathematical models of this process have been formulated in order to simulate and evaluate the heat exchanger performance.The results show that the developed models give a good prediction of the plating solution and cooling water temperature, and the novel heat exchanger provides better results at any flow velocity.In addition, the W serpentine shape heat exchanger has been implemented in a real hard chromium electroplating plant.Actual data collected have shown that the new design gives higher heat removal performance compared with the U shape heat exchanger with identical heat transfer area; it removes more heat out of the process than the conventional one of about 23%.

Serpentine Jade(Bowenite) in Korea

A bowenite deposit, recently discovered in Booyo County, Republic of Korea, is the first of its kind in the country. This deposit is located along the contacts of garnet veins intruding the serpentinite. The bowenite is translucent, dark green in color, greasy in luster, 5 in Mohs ’ scale of hardness, ～2.57 in SG , 2.58 in RI , and 1.56 in N D . The X ray powder diffraction analysis identified the bowenite as antigorite of the serpentine group minerals, whose major chemical compositions are composed of SiO 2 (42.49 %), MgO (39.08 %), Fe 2O 3 (3.85 %), and H 2O (11.87 %) and whose important trace elements include Cr (2 188×10 -6 ), Ni (1 110×10 -6 ), and Co (58×10 -6 ). The IR spectrum shows the absorptions at 3 670 (OH stretching), 1 190, 1 070, 980 (SiO stretching) and 610 cm -1 (OH bending). The DTA/TGA thermogram shows the peaks at 343, 755 and 830.1 ℃. The endothermic reaction at 755 ℃ denotes expulsion of structural water, and the strong exothermal reaction at 830.1 ℃ is related to the formation of olivine. Black inclusions finely dispersed in the mineral are identified, with X ray Gandolfi camera method, as magnetite.

Preparation of Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy semisolid slurry through a water-cooled serpentine pouring channel

The semisolid slurry of Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy was prepared through a self-designed water-cooled copper serpentine pouring channel(WSPC) machine. Influences of pouring temperature, the number of turns and the cooling water flow rate on the microstructure of the semisolid Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy slurry were investigated. The results show that the semisolid Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy slurry with satisfactory quality can be generated by the WSPC when the pouring temperature is in the range between 680 ℃ and 700 ℃. At a given pouring temperature, the average grain size of primary α-Al decreases and the shape factor increases with the increase of the number of turns. When the cooling water flow rate is 450 L·h^(-1), the obtained semisolid slurry is optimal. During the preparation of the semisolid Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy slurry with low superheat pouring, the alloy melt has mixed inhibition and convection flow characteristics by "self-stirring". When the alloy melt flows through the serpentine channel, the chilling effect of the inner wall of the channel, the convection and mixed inhibition of the alloy melt greatly promote the heterogeneous nucleation and grain segregation. This effect destroys the dendrite growth mode under traditional solidification conditions, and the primary nuclei gradually evolve into spherical or nearspherical grains.

An analytic model for transient heat conduction in bi-layered structures with flexible serpentine heaters

Uniform heating of complex surfaces,especially non-developable surfaces,is a crucial problem that traditional rigid heaters cannot solve.Inspired by flexible electronic devices,a novel design for the stretchable heating film is proposed with the flexible serpentine wire embedded in the soft polymer film,which can be attached to non-developable surfaces conformally.It provides a new way for the stretchable heaters to realize uniform heating of complex surfaces.However,the thermal field of flexible serpentine heaters(FSHs)depends on the configurations of the embedded serpentine heating wire,which requires accurate theoretical prediction of real-time temperature distribution.Therefore,the analytical model for the transient heat conduction in FSHs is solved by the separation of variables method and validated by the finite element analysis(FEA)in this paper.Based on this model,the effects of the geometric parameters,such as the radius and the length of the serpentine heaters,on the thermal uniformity are systematically investigated.This study can help to design and fabricate flexible heaters with uniform heating in the future.

Tensioner Vibration and Belt Slipping Behavior Investigation for Damped Serpentine Belt Drive Systems

A nonlinear rotational motion model for n-pulley damped serpentine belt drive systems （SBDSs） was developed.The effects of the belt deflection along the contact arc of pulleys on the belt span tensions were considered.The methods for calculating the tensioner arm vibration and belt slipping on pulleys were introduced.The effects of belt damping on rotational vibration of tensioner arm and belt slipping on pulleys were studied.Numerical solutions for a 3-pulley SBDS indicate that the belt slipping at the steady states should be controlled to avoid belt slipping at transient states.The slip factors tend to decrease when the belt damping increases,and the possibility of the belt slipping can be controlled through adjusting the wrap angles of pulleys and the preload of the tensioner when the design parameters of SBDS remain constant.

Infrared Absorption Spectra of Serpentine Cat's Eye from Sichuan Province of China

Infrared （IR） absorption spectra and X-ray powder diffraction （XRD） patterrns of sexpenfine cat＇s eye from Sichuan Province have been investigated, and infrared absorption bands of the serpentine have been assigned in this paper. The results indicate that the bands near 3 600 - 3 700 cm^-1 belong to the stretching absorption band VOH, the bands in 948 - 1 100 cm^-1 axe assigned to the stretching vibraling band Usvo, and the bands at 600 570 and 440 cm^-1 respectively belong to the bending vibration band VOH, δMg-O and δSi-O. The serpentine cat＇ s eye includes two types： chrysotile and antigorite. Chrysotile has a sharp and intensive band at 3 688 cm^-1 and a weak band at 3 643 cm^-1 , while antigorite has only one intensive band in the region. At vibration band VSi-O, chrysotile and antigorite have a similar feature at 1 071 cm^-1, but the band at 980 cm^-1 in anfigorite has been split into two bands in chrysotile - a strong one at 1 027 cm^-1 and a weak one at 949 cm^-1. In addition, antigorite has a characteristic bending vibrating band δMg-O at 570 cm^-1. Based on the analysis of the feature of crystal structure, their IR differences axe well explained.

The Chemistry of Serpentine Soils Developed Over A Podiform Chromite Deposit,Western Sierra Nevada,USA

The Chinese Camp mining district in the western Sierra Nevada of California,USA,contains a serpentinized,ultramafic dunite intrusion with podiform chromite deposits.Serpentine soils have developed over this intrusion,creating a unique ecosystem of endemic vegetation and soils characterized by low Ca/Mg ratios and high Ni and Cr contents.The vegetation and red coloration make it easy to visually distinguish between soils developed over intruded,serpentinized bedrock and unmineralized,adjacent andesite bedrock(Fig.1).The purpose of our study was to compare soil chemistry and vegetative parameters among 3 study-design levels:1)undisturbed serpentine soil,2)undisturbed background soil(non-serpentine,developed over andesite),and 3)serpentine soil disturbed by mining activities.Within each of these l e v*e ls,3 random locations were chosen where weestablished 3,30-m transects(spaced 120-degrees apart).One soil sample was collected at a random location along each transect(0-15 cm depth after removing litter/O horizon).This scheme resulted in the collection of 9replicate soil samples per study-design level.Samples were analyzed for total metal content by ICP-AES/MS(inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy/mass spectroscopy),p H,electrical conductivity,and total C/N/S.The vegetative parameter of%canopy cover was measured with a line-point intercept survey along each transect,using 0.6m intervals.Above-ground net primary productivity(ANPP)was estimated by harvesting all aboveground living plant material within a 0.5 m quadrant at 3 random locations along each transect,drying,and weighting the material.Significant differences among design levels were observed for ANPP,canopy cover,total P,total N,and Ca/Mg,where the median values for these parameters decreased in the order undisturbed background>undisturbed serpentine>mining-disturbed serpentine.The highest concentrations of Cr and Ni were found in undisturbed serpentine(medians of 1960 ppm and 2529ppm,respectively)followed by mining-disturbed serpentine(medians of 420 and 2120,respectively)then undisturbed non-serpentine(medians 47.0 and 32.2 ppm,respectively).Soil p H varied significantly among the design levels with a median 5.74 in undisturbed background,median 6.25 in undisturbed serpentine,and median of 7.17 in mining-disturbed serpentine.These data document the distinct differences in soil chemistry and vegetation parameters between undisturbed serpentine soil and adjacent,undisturbed background soil.Efforts toward mining reclamation must recognize these differences and include the correct baseline conditions in the reclamation plan.

Giant Serpentine Aneurysm Treated with Double EC-IC Bypass with Thrombectomy and Excision of Aneurysm: A Case Review and Technical Note

Objective and Importance: The authors report a case of a symptomatic giant serpentine MCA aneurysm treated with double STA-MCA bypass with thrombectomy and excision of aneurysm. This is the first reported case of a double bypass with concomitant thrombectomy and excision of aneurysmal segment. Clinical Presentation/Methods: We report the case of a 27-year-old Hispanic male with severe acute decline in mental status with a giant serpentine MCA aneurysm with significant mass effect and midline shift trapping the lateral ventricular system. Intervention/Results: Patient presented initially to an outside hospital for altered mental status and confusion. Patient was diagnosed with a giant serpiginous aneurysm and hydrocephalus. A left ventriculoperitoneal shunt was placed at the outside hospital and patient was transferred to University of New Mexico. At this time, his mental status declined rather abruptly. He was treated with a double STA-MCA bypass procedure with aneurysm resection.

Giant Serpentine Cerebral Aneurysm of the Middle Cerebral Artery: Case Report

A 43-year-old male presented with severe intermittent headaches since two years accompanied by multiple episodes of generalized seizures and left hand weakness. MRI scan and cerebral angiography confirmed the diagnosis of a giant serpentine cerebral aneurysm arising from the middle cerebral artery. The patient was admitted for a possible cerebral embolization after undergoing a Balloon Occlusion Test (BOT). Since he tolerated the occlusion test, he underwent coil embolization afterwards with successful occlusion followed by an uneventful recovery and no complications. Later on, the patient was discharged home in a stable and good general condition without any neurological deficits. A six-month angiography follow-up revealed a complete occlusion with no re-canalization of the coiled giant serpentine aneurysm. Therefore, we concluded that parent artery occlusion is a good and safe procedure providing that the patient tolerated both the occlusion and the hemodynamic stress tests.

Design and numerical analysis of serpentine microchannel integrated with inner-wall ridges for enhanced droplet mixing

A numerical model is developed for three-dimensional droplet mixing in serpentine microchannels with inner-wall ridges(referred to as SMR microchannels).The underlying mechanisms of mixing in SMR microchannels are revealed,and the effects of the ridge width and ridge number on mixing inside droplets of different sizes are clarified.The results indicate that SMR microchannels are capable of enhancing the mixing efficiency by 3.6%–12.5%compared with that in smooth serpentine microchannels,particularly when the droplet length is larger than the microchannel width and the width ratio of the ridge to the microchannel is 0.25–1.The above mixing enhancement is determined by two main factors:the combined effects of the vortex pair and reverse flow,and non-horizontal vortices.Moreover,when the width ratio is 1,there is a maximum 16.0%increase in mixing efficiency for small droplets with a length equal to the microchannel width.However,for small droplets,mixing in an SMR microchannel is worse than in a smooth serpentine microchannel when the width ratio is less than 0.75.With increasing the ridge number,when the width ratio is 0.25,the mixing efficiency is reduced for small droplets but increased for larger droplets.

A novel electrolytic-manganese-residues-and-serpentine-based composite(S-EMR) for enhanced Cd(Ⅱ) and Pb(Ⅱ) adsorption in aquatic environment

Electrolytic manganese residue(EMR) is the waste slag generated from the electrolysis manganese industry.As a promising exploitable adsorbent,EMR has become a hot research topic.However,EMR’s low adsorption capacity has limited its applications as an efficient adsorbent.In this study,the EMR was mixed with serpentine and calcined(at 800℃ for 2 h) to prepare a composite adsorbent(S-EMR) with its specific surface area of 11.998 m^(2)·g^(-1)(increased compared to the original EMR) and improved adsorption capacities for Cd^(2+)(98.05 mg·g^(-1)) and Pb^(2+)(565.81 mg·g^(-1)).Kinetic studies have shown that the pseudo-first-order kinetics(PSO)model could best describe the adsorption kinetics of S-EMR for Cd^(2+)/Pb^(2+),implying that the chemisorption process is the rate-limiting step.The effects of different interfering ions on S-EMR’ s adsorption for Cd^(2+)/Pb^(2+)may be due to the difference in their electronegativity.Results of response surface methodology tests showed that pH had the highest influence on adsorption,and the removal efficiency of S-EMR reached 99.92% for Cd(Ⅱ) and 94.00%for Pb(Ⅱ).X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS) analyses revealed that chemical precipitation was the predominant mechanism for Cd^(2+)/Pb^(2+)removal,and the adsorption mechanisms were associated with ion exchange and electrostatic attraction.The results showed that S-EMR could be used as an effective adsorbent for the removal of Cd(Ⅱ)/Pb(Ⅱ) from water bodies,rendering dual benefits of pollution control and resource recovery.

Optimization for aerodynamic performance of double serpentine nozzles with spanwise offsets using Taguchi-based CFD analysis

Serpentine nozzles are widely used in combat aircraft to realize strong stealth characteristics.Based on the layout characteristics within a confined space,a series of double serpentine nozzles with spanwise offsets are established.Using computational fluid dynamics and Taguchi method,the influence mechanisms of the Distribution of Area(DA),Distributions of Centerline for the first and second‘S’sections in the Vertical direction(DCV1 and DCV2),and Distribution of Centerline in the Spanwise direction(DCS)are analyzed.The impact of these factors on the total pressure recovery coefficient can be ranked as DA>DCV2>DCS>DCV1,whereas their impacts on the discharge coefficient and axial thrust coefficient can be ranked as DCV2>DCS>DA>DCV1.Considering the statistical significance of these factors,a nozzle in which DA changes rapidly at the exit and DCV1,DCV2,and DCS change rapidly at the entrance gives the best aerodynamic performance.Compared to the worst configuration,the total pressure recovery coefficient,discharge coefficient,and axial thrust coefficient are improved by 1.6%,3.5%and 3.6%,respectively.DA influences the gas flow acceleration in the entire serpentine channel,resulting in different wall shear stress and friction losses.The various centerline distributions influence the gas flow acceleration effects and form complex wave structures in the constantarea extension section,resulting in different local and friction losses.

Microjet flow control in an ultra-compact serpentine inlet

Microjets are used to control the internal flow to improve the performance of an ultra-compact serpentine inlet. A highly offset serpentine inlet with length-to-diameter ratio of 2.5 is designed and static tests are conducted to analyze the internal flow characteristics in terms of pressure recovery, distortion and flow separation. Flow separation is encountered in the second S-turn, and two strong counter-rotating vortices are formed at the aerodynamic interthce plane （AIP） face which occupy a quarter of the outlet area and result in severe pressure loss and distortion. A flow control model employing a row of microjets in the second turn is designed based on the internal flow characteristics and simplified CFD simulations. Flow control tests are conducted to verify the control effectiveness and understand the characteristics as a function of inlet throat Mach number, injection mass flow ratio, jet Mach number and momentum coefficient. At all test Mach numbers, microjet flow control （MFC） effectively improves the recovery and reduces the distortion intensity. Between inlet throat Mach number 0.2 and 0.5, the strong flow separation in the second S-turn is suppressed at an optimum jet flow ratio of less than 0.65%, resulting in a maximum improvement of 4% for pressure recovery coefficient and a maximum decrease of 75% for circumferential distortion intensity at cruise. However, in order to suppress the flow separation, the injection rate should retain in an effective range. When the injection rate is higher than this range, the flow is degraded and the distortion contour is changed from 90° circumferential distortion pattern to 180° circumferential distortion pattern. Detailed data analysis shows that this optimum flow ratio depends on inlet throat Mach number and the monlcntunl coefficient affects the control effectiveness in a dual stepping manner.

Determination of serpentine dehydration temperature at 1- 5 GPa by the method of electrical conductivity

The stable fields of hydrous minerals are very important for us to inquire into dia-genesis,magmatism,metamorphic evolution and geochemical process of subduction zone.Until now,the dehydration temperatures of hydrous minerals at high pressure are mainlydetermined by phase equilibrium experiment,HP-DTA analysis,MD calculation as well