Preparation of V-Ti-Fe master alloys by metallothermic reduction method

V-Ti-Fe master alloys were prepared by metaUothermic reduction method, and the influences of the mass ratio of V205 to TiO2, Al and Al-Mg alloy addition amounts on the metal recovery rates and alloy compositions were investigated. The results show that appropriate technological parameters are： the mass ratio of V205 to TiO2 is 0.5：1, Al addition represents 95% of the theoretical value, and the Al-Mg alloy addition amount is one third that of the Al addition. The results from energy spectrum analysis show that V and Fe distribute uniformly in the prepared alloy, while the segregation for Ti, i.e. Ti-rich phase is detected. A spray refming process was carried out to reduce the impurity contents of Al and O in the prepared alloys. The Al content drops from 4.27% to 1.86%, and the O content drops from 2.10% to 0.91% after the refining process.

Combustion synthesis of FeAl−Al2O3 composites with TiB2 and TiC additions via metallothermic reduction of Fe2O3 and TiO2

Combustion synthesis involving metallothermic reduction of Fe2O3 and TiO2 was conducted in the mode of self-propagating high-temperature synthesis(SHS)to fabricate FeAl-based composites with dual ceramic phases,TiB2/Al2O3 and TiC/Al2O3.The reactant mixture included thermite reagents of 0.6Fe2O3+0.6TiO2+2Al,and elemental Fe,Al,boron,and carbon powders.The formation of xFeAl−0.6TiB2−Al2O3 composites with x=2.0−3.6 and yFeAl−0.6TiC−Al2O3 composites with y=1.8−2.75 was studied.The increase of FeAl causes a decrease in the reaction exothermicity,thus resulting in the existence of flammability limits of x=3.6 and y=2.75 for the SHS reactions.Based on combustion wave kinetics,the activation energies of Ea=97.1 and 101.1 kJ/mol are deduced for the metallothermic SHS reactions.XRD analyses confirm in situ formation of FeAl/TiB2/Al2O3 and FeAl/TiC/Al2O3 composites.SEM micrographs exhibit that FeAl is formed with a dense polycrystalline structure,and the ceramic phases,TiB2,TiC,and Al2O3,are micro-sized discrete particles.The synthesized FeAl−TiB2−Al2O3 and FeAl−TiC−Al2O3 composites exhibit the hardness ranging from 12.8 to 16.6 GPa and fracture toughness from 7.93 to 9.84 MPa·m1/2.

Cerium extraction by metallothermic reduction using cerium oxide powder injection

This work presented the feasibility of cerium recovery by Al-Mg alloy through the metallothermic reduction of CeO2 to obtain a master alloy Al-4%Ce. The master alloy obtained in this investigation was for the grain refinement and modification of Al-Si alloys. The reagent was incorporated into a molten alloy using the submerged powder injection technique, and metallic samples were obtained during injection. Chemical and microstructural analyses （by inductively coupled plasma （ICP） and scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, respectively） confirmed the possibility of Ce uptake in the bath （0 to 4 wt.%）, as CeO2 was reduced through metallothermic reactions in the molten alloys. Based on the characterization of reaction products, the sequence of the reaction was proposed.

Ecological Problems Related to Mining-Metallurgical Industries and Innovatory, Energy-Efficient Ways of Solving Them

The below stated work scrutinizes ecological risks that are related to mining and metallurgical industries. It analyzes problems caused by pollution of air, soil and water and suggests new possible ways of resolving those problems. Namely, such innovative and energy-efficient technologies are argued as phytoremediation and exothermic self-propagating high-temperature synthesis of solid-phase recovery of metals (SHS). Visual arguments in support of the efficiency of the selected methods are provided.

Cast Intermetallic Alloys and Composites Based on Them by Combined Centrifugal Casting—SHS Process

This work aims to establish a scientific and engineering background in the production of cast multicomponent alloys and metalmartix composite (MMCs) via Self-Propagating High Temperature Synthesis (SHS, combustion synthesis) which is a novel process technique regarding fast and low-cost production ability. We carried out the search for reactive systems and process parameters that would ensure preparation of cast multicomponent materials in a single process. The principles and methods of the SHS thermite-type reaction processes have been investigated under high-gravity values applying loads up to 1000 g with special centrifuge set-up. In this way we expected to improve the yield of target product, remove gaseous byproducts, diminish the grain size in the product, and make product composition more uniform. The obtained results can be expected to make a theoretical background for industrial-scale manufacturing of heat-resistant intermetallic alloys, master alloys, catalysts, MMCs etc.

Lithium sulfide:a promising prelithiation agent for high-performance lithium-ion batteries

Lithium-ion batteries are widely used in portable electronics and electric vehicles due to their high energy density,stable cycle life,and low self-discharge.However,irreversible lithium loss during the formation of the solid electrolyte interface greatly impairs energy density and cyclability.To compensate for the lithium loss,introducing an external lithium source,that is,a prelithiation agent,is an effective strategy to solve the above problems.Compared with other prelithiation strategies,cathode prelithiation is more cost-effective with simpler operation.Among various cathode prelithiation agents,we first systematically summarize the recent progress of Li_(2)S-based prelithiation agents,and then propose some novel strategies to tackle the current challenges.This review provides a comprehensive understanding of Li_(2)S-based prelithiation agents and new research directions in the future.

Reduction characteristics of molybdenum trioxide with aluminum and silicon

Thermodynamics for reduction of molybdenum oxides by aluminum and silicon were calculated, and the results show that reduction reaction is feasible at a certain temperature region. Compared to the presence of CaO or CaCO3, reduction products of molybdenum trioxide with aluminum and silicon at various temperatures were detected by X-ray diffraction （XRD）. Results show that molybdenum trioxide is reduced by aluminum or silicon step by step, and the intermediate product is MOO2. At 1000 ℃, molybdenum trioxide could be reduced to metal Mo by aluminum, and in the presence of CaO, metal Mo as the reduction product appears even at 800 ℃. In contrast, silicon could barely reduce molybdenum trioxide to metal Mo even at 1200℃. In the presence of CaO or CaCO3, reducibility of silicon increases significantly, and the reduction products are metal Mo and MoSi2. Altogether, CaO or CaCO3 performs two major roles in reduction process： restraining sublimation of MoO3 and decreasing the temperature of reducing MoO3 to metal Mo.