Extractive Metallurgy

Dr Jan D Miller

Mineral Processing

  • Liberation analysis by X-ray CT
  • on-line particle size analysis
  • flotation chemistry
  • air-sparged hydrocyclone technology
  • phosphate flotation
  • soluble salt flotation
  • sulfide flotation

Particle Technology

  • Structure of particle beds by X-ray CT
  • filtration
  • granular solids flow and mixing
  • gypsum structures
  • concrete structures

Hydrometallurgy

  • Physical chemistry of leaching
  • cementation
  • adsorption
  • solvent extraction
  • synthesis and utilization of magnetic activated carbons
  • cyanide destruction and/or recovery

Surface and Colloid Chemistry

  • Atomic force microscopy
  • surface force measurements
  • electrochemical imaging of surfaces
  • surfactant surface structures
  • hydrophobic forces
  • in-situ surface spectroscopy of surfactant adsorption reactions
  • interfacial water structure
  • electrokinetic phenomena

Environmental Technology

  • Air stripping to remove volatile organics from drinking and process water
  • water disinfection by ozone or chlorine sparging
  • suspended solids removal from wastewater and contaminated soil remediation
  • De-inking of wastepaper
  • Plastics recycling technology

Mineral Processing

Dr Raj K Rajamani

  • Mineral Processing: Discrete element method simulation of charge motion in tumbling mills -- The spring dashpot model of individual ball collisions is solved for impact energy spectra. A versatile three-dimensional code is under development for SAG and ball mills
  • Optimized Charge Motion and Slurry Flow in Plant-Scale SAG Mills. The cascading motion of charge and slurry flow through pulp lifters are examined for better energy efficiency
  • Environmental Cleaning: Separation of metallic granules from waste streams using a high-frequency eddy current device. An alternating magnetic field is generated in a ferrite core to bring about the separation
  • Computational Fluid Dynamics Applied to Hydrocyclones. Reynolds stress model and large eddy simulation features of FLUENT software are used in modeling hydrocyclones

Hydrometallurgy & Electrometallurgy

Dr Michael L. Free

  • Corrosion minimization and evaluation, electrodeposition of metals, alloys, and metal matrix composites, electrorefining/electrowinning optimization, particle-surface force modification and control
  • Cross Cutting Technology Development. Electrochemical removal of metal contaminants from dilute solutions
  • Corrosion Minimization Using Surfactants. Corrosion inhibition
  • Alternative Anode Reaction for Copper Electrowinning. Investigation of alternate anode reaction chemistries for higher efficiency in electrowinning

Physical Metallurgy

Dr Sivaraman Guruswamy

  • Microstructure-property evaluation of high-density longitudinal and perpendicular thin-film magnetic storage media
  • Magnetostrictive materials: Control of texture and composition to improve magnetostrictive properties of terfenol and other iron-based alloys
  • Structure-property relationships in high-energy-density NdFeB magnets
  • Thermal diode structures
  • Magnetic Materials Laboratory
  • State Center of Excellence in Magnetic Sensor and Actuator Materials

Dr K. S. Ravi Chandran

  • Microstructure & Mechanical Behavior of In-Situ Ti-TiB Whisker Composites for Armor. Fracture mechanics of functionally graded materials, modeling and simulation
  • Technical Services to Perform Fatigue Characterization of 20 Waspalloy Specimens. Fatigue of small cracks, orientation, imaging small crack paths, fatigue life
  • Metallographic analysis of magnesium and magnesium alloys
  • Titanium Boride Coated Materials for Biomedical Applications. Synthesis of TiB coatings, microstructure, tribological performance
  • Functionally Graded Materials. Processing and properties of Ti-TiB functionally graded materials, thermal stress calculations, finite element modeling
  • For more details: visit the Mechanical Properties Laboratory

Dr Z. Zak Fang

  • Synthesis and sintering of nanocrystalline WC-Co materials,
  • Sintering of nano metallic powders,
  • Discovery and synthesis of complex metal hydride materials for hydrogen storage,
  • A novel intermetallic coating and coating process,
  • Sintering of functionally graded WC-Co materials,
  • Composites of hard and superhard materials with designer micro- and meso-structure,
  • Study of the mechanical behavior of cermet and functionally graded cermet composite materials using Hertzian indentation techniques

Pyrometallurgy

Dr H. Y. Sohn

  • Flash smelting/converting process: Pilot-plant scale flash furnace operation for studying metal production from sulfide minerals
  • Metal powder preparation by CVD reactions: Experimental study of nanosize metal powder production by gas-phase reactions
  • Novel solvent extraction process development: Design and testing of a new solvent extraction process with various advantages over conventional methods
  • Chemical vapor synthesis of metal powders in plasma
  • New Process for Converting SO2 to Sulfur without Generating Secondary Pollutants through Reactions with CAS/CASO4 Pellets. Kinetics and thermodynamics of the CaS-SO2 and H2-CaSO4reactions for converting SO2 to elemental sulfur
  • Development of Bulk, Nanocrystalline Cemented Tungsten Carbide for Industrial Applications. Synthesis of nano-sized WC-Co composite powders by the vapor-phase reduction of chlorides.