There is, I think, something ethereal about i —the square root of minus one. I remember first hearing about it at school. It seemed an odd beast at that time—an intruder hovering on the edge of reality.

Usually familiarity dulls this sense of the bizarre, but in the case of i it was the reverse: over the years the sense of its surreal nature intensified. It seemed that it was impossible to write mathematics that described the real world in …

I and i

Deposits of clastic carbonate-dominated (calciclastic) sedimentary slope systems in the rock record have been identified mostly as linearly-consistent carbonate apron deposits, even though most ancient clastic carbonate slope deposits fit the submarine fan systems better. Calciclastic submarine fans are consequently rarely described and are poorly understood. Subsequently, very little is known especially in mud-dominated calciclastic submarine fan systems. Presented in this study are a sedimentological core and petrographic characterisation of samples from eleven boreholes from the Lower Carboniferous of Bowland Basin (Northwest England) that reveals a >250 m thick calciturbidite complex deposited in a calciclastic submarine fan setting. Seven facies are recognised from core and thin section characterisation and are grouped into three carbonate turbidite sequences. They include: 1) Calciturbidites, comprising mostly of highto low-density, wavy-laminated bioclast-rich facies; 2) low-density densite mudstones which are characterised by planar laminated and unlaminated muddominated facies; and 3) Calcidebrites which are muddy or hyper-concentrated debrisflow deposits occurring as poorly-sorted, chaotic, mud-supported floatstones. These

Phd by thesis

Analysis of XPS spectra of Fe2+ and Fe3+ ions in oxide materials

An assessment of high voltage electron microscopy (HVEM). An invited review

Rapid growth in the market for electric vehicles is imperative, to meet global targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, to improve air quality in urban centres and to meet the needs of consumers, with whom electric vehicles are increasingly popular. However, growing numbers of electric vehicles present a serious waste-management challenge for recyclers at end-of-life. Nevertheless, spent batteries may also present an opportunity as manufacturers require access to strategic elements and critical materials for key components in electric-vehicle manufacture: recycled lithium-ion batteries from electric vehicles could provide a valuable secondary source of materials. Here we outline and evaluate the current range of approaches to electric-vehicle lithium-ion battery recycling and re-use, and highlight areas for future progress. Processes for dismantling and recycling lithium-ion battery packs from scrap electric vehicles are outlined.

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Recycling lithium-ion batteries from electric vehicles

Continuing the series of periodic surveys, a global rundown of primary and secondary lead production and refining is presented. The aim is to provide information on technology and production trends for the benefit of all involved in the industry. Recent changes in the global lead industry include closure of several two-stage production processes (sintering and lead shaft furnaces or Imperial Smelting Furnaces), mainly in the Western world. New producers can treat secondary materials from the more and more dominating lead-acid battery scrap sector; this compensates for the loss of primary production in the Western world. Production in Asia has grown very fast and so the world production has grown to 8.5 Mt/y in 2008. However the impact of the recent global financial crisis may bring some changes. Summaries of production statistics and technologies used will help the lead industry to benchmark its operations.

Lead Smelter Survey

Factors affecting nickel extraction from the reduction roasting of saprolite ore in the Caron process

Characteristics of ISASMELT slag and lead blast furnace sinters

The properties of the slag phase are critical to the smooth operation of ferronickel smelting operations. Phase equilibria studies have been carried out on the "FeO"-SiO2-MgO-Al2O3 system in equilibrium with iron in the range of compositions and temperatures directly relevant to the nickel laterite ores. The results of recent studies on liquidus temperatures and primary phase fields in the range 1500 -1650oC have been incorporated in FactSage databases, and the updated databases have been used to develop a fundamentally-based, quasichemical slag viscosity model capable of predicting the effects of changing temperature and slag composition at liquid and sub-liquid conditions over a wide range of compositions. The results of the model predictions of phase equilibria and viscosities are presented in the form of pseudo-binary sections. The study demonstrates the value of model predictions in identifying trends and the sensitivities of the system to changes in bulk composition and temperature. In particular the influence of the extensive solid solutions in the olivine (Mg,Fe)2SiO4 primary phase field on subliquidus equilibria, and the effects of alumina on phase equilibria and slag viscosities.

Slag phase equilibria and viscosities in ferronickel smelting slags

Fundamental experimental investigations have been conducted to study the effect of Al2O3 on the equilibria between the gas phase (CO-CO2-SO2-Ar) and slag-matte-tridymite phases in the Cu-Fe-O-S-Si-Al system at 1573 K (1300 °C) and P(SO2) = 0.25 atm. The experimental technique used is based on equilibration, rapid quenching and electron probe x-ray microanalysis. New experimental data have been obtained for the four-phase gas-slag-matte-tridymite equilibria system for a range of alumina concentrations up to 20.4 mass% in the slag phase as a function of matte grade, including the concentrations of dissolved sulphur and copper in slag, and Fe/SiO2 ratios in slag. The results obtained for 1573 K (1300 °C) are also used to analyse the effect of temperature on phase equilibria in the range of conditions investigated to that of reported for 1473 K (1200 °C) in the literature. The results obtained show that the concentrations of sulphur, copper and “FeO” in slag decrease with increase of Al2O3 concentration in slag while it has no detectable effect on concentration of sulphur in matte for a given matte grade. The new data provided in the present study are of direct relevance to the pyrometallurgical processing of copper and will be used as an input for optimisation of the FactSage thermodynamic database for the copper-containing, multi-component multi-phase system.

Peter C. Hayes

Papers

Lead Smelter Survey

Factors affecting nickel extraction from the reduction roasting of saprolite ore in the Caron process

Characteristics of ISASMELT slag and lead blast furnace sinters

Slag phase equilibria and viscosities in ferronickel smelting slags

Experimental Study of Gas-Slag-Matte-Tridymite Equilibria in the Cu-Fe-O-S-Si-Al System at 1573 K (1300 °C) and P (SO 2 ) = 0.25 atm