A method for preheating metal pellets before charging into a melting furnace, wherein the pellets are transported by a conveyor belt to a chute and discharged from the chute into the melting furnace, the method including heating the pellets by direct flame impingement from two or more banks of burners, wherein the two or more banks of burners comprise an upstream bank of burners and a downstream bank of burners; and controlling the upstream bank of burners to operate oxygen-rich so as to create an oxidizing zone and the downstream bank of burners to operate fuel-rich so as to create a reducing zone.

Various embodiments relate to several processes that may recover commodity chemicals from an alkaline metal-air battery. In various embodiments, while the cell is operating, various side products and waste streams may be collected and processed to regain use or additional value. Various embodiments also include processes to be performed after the cell has been disassembled, and each of its electrodes have been separated such as not to be an electrical hazard. The alkaline metal battery recycling processes described herein may provide multiple forms of commodity iron, high purity transition metal ores, fluoropolymer dispersions, various carbons, commodity chemicals, and catalyst dispersions.

An active material recovery apparatus includes a heat treatment bath and a screening wall extending along a first axis. The heat treatment bath includes a heating zone and the screening wall includes a cooling zone. The active material recovery apparatus includes an exhaust injection and a degassing system. The heat treatment bath is configured to remove a binder and a conductive material in an active material layer and to perform heat treatment in air on an electrode scrap including the active material layer on a current collector. The screen wall is configured to recover the active material in powder form. The active material recovery apparatus is configured to separately recover the current collector that does not pass through the screening wall. The heat treatment bath includes protrusions in a sawtooth shape on a first cross-section orthogonal to the first axis.

An active material recovery apparatus includes a heat treatment bath and a screening wall extending along a first axis. The heat treatment bath includes a heating zone and the screening wall includes a cooling zone. The active material recovery apparatus includes an exhaust injection and a degassing system. The heat treatment bath is configured to remove a binder and a conductive material in an active material layer and to perform heat treatment in air on an electrode scrap including the active material layer on a current collector. The screen wall is configured to recover the active material in powder form. The active material recovery apparatus is configured to separately recover the current collector that does not pass through the screening wall. The heat treatment bath includes protrusions in a sawtooth shape on a first cross-section orthogonal to the first axis.

The present disclosure relates to the field of the preparation of high purity sodium and the safe treatment of sodium calcium slag, and discloses a method and apparatus for sodium slag recovery by using gravity separation—controllable combustion—alkaline liquor leaching process for the preparation of high purity sodium and safe treatment of sodium calcium slag. The method comprises the following steps: (1) subjecting a liquid sodium slag to a gravity stratification to obtain pure metallic sodium and high calcium content sodium slag; (2) roasting the high calcium content sodium slag to obtain a roasting slag; and (3) leaching the roasting slag by using an alkaline liquor to obtain the sodium hydroxide solution and calcium hydroxide. The method and apparatus provided by the present disclosure have advantages including high efficiency separation of sodium and calcium, saving separation time, safe and controllable production process, and continuous production process, thereby providing a safe and efficient method for the preparation of high purity sodium and safe treatment of new sodium calcium slag generated by the method, allowing continuous production of high purity sodium and safe recycle of new sodium calcium slag.

The present disclosure relates to the field of the preparation of high purity sodium and the safe treatment of sodium calcium slag, and discloses a method and apparatus for sodium slag recovery by using gravity separation—controllable combustion—alkaline liquor leaching process for the preparation of high purity sodium and safe treatment of sodium calcium slag. The method comprises the following steps: (1) subjecting a liquid sodium slag to a gravity stratification to obtain pure metallic sodium and high calcium content sodium slag; (2) roasting the high calcium content sodium slag to obtain a roasting slag; and (3) leaching the roasting slag by using an alkaline liquor to obtain the sodium hydroxide solution and calcium hydroxide. The method and apparatus provided by the present disclosure have advantages including high efficiency separation of sodium and calcium, saving separation time, safe and controllable production process, and continuous production process, thereby providing a safe and efficient method for the preparation of high purity sodium and safe treatment of new sodium calcium slag generated by the method, allowing continuous production of high purity sodium and safe recycle of new sodium calcium slag.

The present disclosure relates to the field of non-ferrous metal and chemical industries for the production of metal sodium, and discloses a process for the preparation of high purity metallic sodium and the safe treatment of high calcium content sodium slag, the process comprises the following steps: (1) subjecting a liquid sodium obtained from electrolysis to a supergravity separation to obtain a high purity metallic sodium and a high calcium content sodium slag; (2) subjecting said high calcium content sodium slag to at least one roasting process to obtain a roasting slag; (3) leaching said roasting slag with an alkaline liquor to produce sodium hydroxide solution and calcium hydroxide. The process provided by the present disclosure not only greatly reduces the amount of generated sodium slag, but also implements the safe recovery of calcium and sodium resources from the sodium slag.

The present disclosure relates to the field of non-ferrous metal and chemical industries for the production of metal sodium, and discloses a process for the preparation of high purity metallic sodium and the safe treatment of high calcium content sodium slag, the process comprises the following steps: (1) subjecting a liquid sodium obtained from electrolysis to a supergravity separation to obtain a high purity metallic sodium and a high calcium content sodium slag; (2) subjecting said high calcium content sodium slag to at least one roasting process to obtain a roasting slag; (3) leaching said roasting slag with an alkaline liquor to produce sodium hydroxide solution and calcium hydroxide. The process provided by the present disclosure not only greatly reduces the amount of generated sodium slag, but also implements the safe recovery of calcium and sodium resources from the sodium slag.

The present invention relates to metallurgical processes, and more particularly to a process for producing titaniferous feedstock and fines, a process for agglomerating titaniferous fines, and a process for producing titaniferous metals and titaniferous alloys. Recovery of rare-earth, vanadium and scandium from titanium iron bearing resources is also disclosed. Selective leaching for Scandium recovery from all magnetite type resources such as ilmenite, ferro titanic resources, nickel laterites, magnetite iron resources etc.

The present invention relates to metallurgical processes, and more particularly to a process for producing titaniferous feedstock and fines, a process for agglomerating titaniferous fines, and a process for producing titaniferous metals and titaniferous alloys. Recovery of rare-earth, vanadium and scandium from titanium iron bearing resources is also disclosed. Selective leaching for Scandium recovery from all magnetite type resources such as ilmenite, ferro titanic resources, nickel laterites, magnetite iron resources etc.