During the pyrometallurgical extraction of copper, a significant part of the copper is lost with discard slag, which decreases profits, overall copper recovery, and efficiency of raw material usage. Smelting furnace slag usually has a copper content that is close to or higher than that of copper ores. The investigation of copper losses to slag is thus a task of practical significance, as the ore grades are depleting. Slag cleaning, e.g., a settling furnace, can reduce copper losses to slag as the mechanically suspended copper-containing droplets separate from slag under the action of gravity and can hence be recovered.  An industrial trial was conducted in an electric settling furnace with slag originating from an electric smelting furnace and processed in a zinc fuming furnace. The trial was conducted to increase the understanding of copper losses to slag and how the process parameters temperature and settling time influence the slag copper content. The obtained slag samples were also evaluated to gain better insights as to the settling mechanism and, if any, factors that hinder the copper phases from settling. Slag modification with CaO was also evaluated to investigate how the modification influences the settling of copper phases and, thus, the final slag copper content.  Samples collected during the industrial trial were the basis for the evaluation in the current work. The samples came from batches with varying temperatures, settling times, and CaO content collected at four different sample positions. Instrumental techniques, including XRF, FAAS, ICP-SFMS, and SEM-EDS, were used to analyze the chemical compositions of the samples and the appearance of copper and associated phases.  The results indicated that the copper content of outgoing slag increased with increasing temperature in the evaluated interval. The copper content was also concluded to be more strongly affected by the temperature compared to the settling time. Regulating the temperature to the lower temperature interval in the settling furnace could thus decrease the final slag copper content. During the slag characterization, it was found that suspended copper-containing phases were hindered from settling, due to the attachment to solid phases and gas bubbles in the slag. By controlling and minimizing the presence of the bottom buildup and thus solid phases in the slag, the copper content can be decreased. The results indicated that the CaO slag modification decreased the final slag copper content, and can thus be used as a modifier for increased settling.

The focus of this master’s thesis is on the heat treatment of Ni-base alloys, specifically the risk of intermetallic σ-phases during different stages of heat treatment. The alloy studied is Sanicro®28, a super-austenitic stainless steel produced by Alleima AB. The problem at hand is that the quench-annealing stage is in high demand at the manufacturing facility, and the goal is to investigate if it can be removed from the manufacturing route. During forging, the outer surface and bar-ends can reach low temperatures, posing a high risk of σ-phase precipitation. Additionally, a necklace structure with large grains surrounded by fine re-crystallization is often observed at the surface of forged superalloys/Ni-base alloys. Today, this forged structure is re-crystallized and σ-phase dissolved during the quench-annealing stage. An alternative to quench-annealing after forging is to re-heat the bar using a Car Wagon Furnace(CWF). The thesis includes two laboratory experiments simulating two stages of heat treatment, the CWF and induction furnaces/soaking. The samples subjected to simulated CWF treatment showed re-crystallization throughout the entire structure. Annealing in CWF removes the large grains in surface positions. The time in the CWF also showed to be sufficient to dissolve σ-phase present from forging. Samples heated to the induction furnace set temperature do not contain precipitates, while temperatures below the induction set temperature induce σ precipitation to varying degrees. The key findings of the thesis are as follows: • Re-heating in a CWF right after forging is enough to dissolve σ-phase at half-radius and surface locations. • Quench-annealing stage could be removed by changing the route to a CWF after forging. • If temperatures fall below the σ-maximum stability temperature during induction furnace heating cycles, σ-phase precipitation occurs.

Nickel-based superalloys and tool steels are well-known high-performance alloys due to their extensive use in many different industries. Nickel-based superalloys have found their way into aircraft, aerospace, marine, chemical, and petrochemical industries owing to their excellent high-temperature corrosion and oxidation resistance. On the other hand, tool steels could provide a combination of outstanding corrosion and wear resistance. They can play an important role in cutting and wear applications and manufacturing plastic extrusion and food processing components. Near-net shape manufacturing using powder metallurgy (PM) and hot isostatic pressing (HIP) can serve as an efficient manufacturing process to produce these alloys. This technology can successfully tackle conventional manufacturing challenges of highly alloyed materials i.e. segregation during the casting process or cracks during hot working processes of Ni-based superalloys, and carbide segregation and formation of large and irregularly shaped carbides in wrought and hot rolled tool steels. However, the presence of precipitates on prior particle boundaries (PPBs) in Ni-based superalloys, and metallurgical defects like non-metallic inclusions in both Ni-based superalloys and tool steels may affect the fatigue performance of these PM-HIPed products. This licentiate thesis aims to investigate the microstructure and fatigue behavior of two PM-HIPed alloys i.e. Inconel 625 and high-nitrogen tool steel. The results confirm precipitation along PPBs in PM-HIPed Inconel 625; however, no effect was detected in the fractography studies of the high cycle fatigue samples, and tensile properties were comparable with wrought materials reported in the literature. On the other hand, the microstructure of PM-HIPed high-nitrogen tool steel displayed dispersed precipitates and no traces of PPBs. Moreover, in both cases, i.e. very high cycle fatigue of PM-HIPed high-nitrogen tool steel and high cycle fatigue of PM-HIPed Inconel 625, fatigue crack initiation was attributed to the presence of non-metallic inclusions, either individually or agglomerated with precipitates. This underscores the significance of the manufacturing process in fatigue performance. / Near-net shape manufacturing using powder metallurgy (PM) and hot isostatic pressing (HIP) can serve as an efficient manufacturing process to produce high-performance alloys. Among the variety of engineering alloys, Nickel-based superalloys and tool steels stand out as well-known high-performance alloys, widely employed across diverse industries. PM-HIP technology can successfully address conventional manufacturing challenges associated with highly alloyed materials, such as segregation during the casting process or cracks during hot working processes of Ni-based superalloys, and carbide segregation and the formation of large and irregularly shaped carbides in wrought and hot rolled tool steels. However, the presence of precipitates on prior particle boundaries in Ni-based superalloys, and metallurgical defects like non-metallic inclusions in both alloys, may affect the fatigue performance of these PM-HIPed products. The present study aims to assess two PM-HIPed alloys, namely Inconel 625 and high-nitrogen tool steel, with a comprehensive examination of their microstructure and fatigue properties. The objectives include examining the microstructural features introduced by the PM-HIP process and understanding how they influence fatigue failure mechanisms in these alloys.

Gas atomization is regarded as a reliable method for creating high-quality metal powders from molten metal. The liquid metal is fed into the chamber as a free-falling stream through a nozzle, where it is impinged by high-velocity gas jets, causing degeneration and production of metal droplets, which solidify to create metal powders. As the metal droplets fall lower towards the collection hoopers, the solidification process begins. As a result, having a strong handle on the process parameters helps to produce metal powders that are fine, spheroidized, and have good characteristics. A free fall atomizer with twelve discrete nozzles, having a cylindrical internal profile, arranged in two different levels has been employed to introduce high-velocity gas jets into the chamber, for the current study. A cross-sectional sketch created by Uddeholm AB provided the geometric dimensions, and CFD was used to generate a simulation experiment for the system. Fluent setup input values were derived from literature data. The primary objective of the study is to analyze the influence of varying inlet pressure and the number of discrete gas jet nozzles, on the flow behavior of the atomizing gas. Additionally, the Discrete Phase Model approach was adopted to study the interaction of particles with the gas flow. The simulation model was validated by carrying out the visualization experiment, Schlieren imaging. From the study, it was realized that the results of the numerical model showed a mismatch relative to the experimental value. This can be attributed to the discretization technique, input parameters and the numerical model employed in this study. However, the parametric study provided a qualitative analysis regarding the influence of input parameters on flow behavior. It was studied that with increasing the inlet pressure and number of discrete nozzles there is a subsequent increase in the maximum velocity attained by the atomizing gas, resulting in a decrease in velocity of melt introduced into the system. Additionally, a radial pressure gradient was observed to be present that increased in accordance with the parameters, resulting in reduction of the melt film thickness produced during pre-filming mechanism. However, the Discrete Phase Model provided evidence that with increment in the gas to melt ratio, the number of particles that get dispersed to make collision with the domain wall increased. Thus, a subsequent increase in downstream velocity was required to maintain the particles within the domain walls as the study parameters were increased. / Gasatomisering betraktas vara en tillförlitlig metod för att skapa högkvalitativt metallpulver från smält metall. Den flytande metallen matas in i en kammare som en fri fallande ström genom ett munstycke, där den trycks in av höghastighetsstrålar. Vilket skapar en degeneration och en bildandet av metalldroppar som stelnar till att metallpulver kan skapas. Stelningsprocessen börjar när metalldropparna faller emot uppsamlingsbågarna. Ett fint och sfärisk metall metallpulver med goda egenskaper kan produceras genom att ha en god kontroll på processparametrarna. I denna studie har en ”Free Fall Atomizer” med tolv diskreta munstycken med en cylindrisk profil arrangerade i två olika nivåer använts för att introducera höghastighetsstrålar i kammaren. De geometriska dimensionerna var försedda från en ritning i tvärsnitt skapad av Uddeholms AB och samt användes en CFD för att generera ett simulationsexperiment av systemet. Ingångsvärden för inställningarna av flödena härleddes från litteraturdata. Huvudsyftet med studien var att studera flödesbeteendet av den atomiserande gasen genom att analysera inflytandet av att variera ingångstrycket och antalet diskreta gasstrålmunstycken. Dessutom togs det till en diskret fasmodell för att studera partiklarnas interaktion med gasflödet. Simulationsmodellen validerades genom att utföra ett visualiseringsexperiment genom Schlierenfotografering. Det framgick i studien att den numeriska modellens resultat inte stämde överens med det experimentella värdet. Detta kan attribueras till diskretiseringstekniken, inmatningsparametrarna och den numeriska modellen som användes i studien. Hur som helst försedde den parametriska studien en kvalitativ analys angående inflytandet av inmatningsparametrarna på flödesbeteendet. Det framgick att en ökning av ingångstrycket och av antalet av diskreta munstycken gav en påföljande ökning i den maximala hastigheten som den atomiserande gasen kan erhålla. Vilket resulterar till en sänkning av hastigheten av smältan som introduceras till systemet. Dessutom observerades en radiell tryckgradient vara närvarande som ökade i enlighet med parametrarna. Det resulterade i en reduktion av smältfilmtjockleken som producerades under förfilmingsmekaniskmen. Trots det visade den diskreta fasmodellen att en ökning av gas till smältförhållandet också ökade antalet partiklar som sprids vidare för att kollidera med domänväggen. Således krävdes en påföljande ökning av nedströmningshastigheten för att bibehålla partiklarna inom domänväggar när studiens parametrar ökade.

Additive manufacturing (AM) has experienced significant growth and development in recent years, owing to the ability to produce complex parts using a wide range of materials with relative ease. Powder bed-based metal AM has been at the forefront of this growth, even reaching the point where parts can be manufactured for end-use applications. Binder jetting (BJ) is one such technique where a liquid binder is selectively deposited on powder layers to create a green body which is then densified using sintering. The aim of this work was to use binder jetting to produce parts using Vanadis 4 Extra, a highly alloyed cold-work tool steel produced by Uddeholm AB for applications involving high demand on abrasive wear. Optimization of the densification parameters, which included debinding atmosphere, debinding temperature, sintering atmosphere, sintering temperature, and sintering time, to achieve full density parts was carried out as the first phase. It was found that the sintering atmosphere and time had the most significant impact on the density of the samples while the debinding atmosphere heavily impacted the C residue from the binder. In the second phase, samples were produced using the optimized parameters for mechanical analysis, which included analyses of the surface roughness and the wear resistance of the binder jetted samples against the conventionally produced samples. The surface roughness was in line with the data presented in literature for binder jetted samples. The binder jetted samples produced during this work exhibited better wear resistance than the conventionally produced samples, with the samples post-processed using hot isostatic pressing showing even better wear resistance. One possible explanation is the diffusion of N from the sintering atmosphere into the samples, leading to the conversion of carbides to carbonitrides and even nitrides. However, further investigation is needed in order to confirm this theory.

Additive manufacturing (AM) are manufacturing methods where components are produced by adding material layer by layer which allows for a high freedom of design as well as little or no material waste compared to conventional manufacturing methods. Despite the many benefits of AM there are still problems concerning the quality of the produced material. In this project an AM equipment was tested by using different process parameters and comparing their effect on the printed material. An electron beam powder bed fusion equipment was used and with varying values for beam power, scanning speed and preheat temperature. Initial tests were done using Ti-6Al-4V plates with a Ti-6Al-4V powder then being used for a few selected process settings. The EB-PBF did not act as predicted with varying beam powers compared to input values. Melting tracks using powder also proved to be difficult due to, for example, the build plate moving from being overcharged by the electron beam and the difficulty to control the powder layers. The geometry of printed tracks on plates was analysed and values for melt pool width, depth and height was measured. Both width and depth for the most part have a linear increase with increased power and line energy density. Preheating temperature has a smaller effect on the width and depth but leads to more even tracks.

Tungsten (W) is listed among the European Union (EU) critical raw materials (CRMs) for its supply risk and economic importance. Primarily, tungsten is produced from scheelite and wolframite mineral ores with 0.08-1.5% tungsten trioxide (WO3) grade. However, as primary deposits for these resources are becoming less or lower in grade, alternative sources need to be explored. These alternative tungsten sources include scrap from end-of-life products, mine waste and rejects from the ore beneficiation processes (tailings). The latter alternative source is the focus within this thesis. Historical tailings repositories often pose environmental risks but may also become secondary sources of CRMs. This is because of relatively high minerals and metals content due to less efficient extraction methods and/or relatively low metal prices at the time of active mining. Therefore, reprocessing of such tailings is not only a supply risk-reducing measure but also an approach to remediation that contributes to the mining industry’s aim of moving towards a circular economy. The aim of this thesis has been to develop efficient methods for separating valuable minerals from the tailings in order to leave behind a stable and environmentally safe residue. Geometallurgical studies were conducted by collecting drill core samples from the Smaltjärnen tailings repository in Yxsjöberg, Sweden, for evaluating the potential of this repository for further processing. The tailings were originally produced from the ore that was mined by Yxsjö Mines while it was in operation from 1935 to 1963, with average ore grades of 0.3-0.4 wt.% WO3, 0.2 wt.% Cu and 5-6 wt.% fluorspar. The exploited minerals were scheelite for W, chalcopyrite for Cu and fluorspar. The tailings repository is estimated to have about 2.2 million tons of tailings covering an area of 26 hectares, with elemental concentrations of 1-2 wt.% S, 0.02-0.2 wt.% Cu, 0.02-0.3 wt.% W, 0.02-0.04 wt.% Sn and 0.02-0.03 wt.% Be. Sampling and characterization of the historical tailings were conducted based on geometallurgical units (i.e. a distinction between different layers and locations in the repository), followed by metallurgical test work. The tailings were characterized with regard to color and granulometry, particle size distribution, chemical composition, scheelite mineral occurrence, texture and mineral liberation, as well as mineralogical composition. Based on a comprehensive literature survey, tailings characteristics, and assessment of the earlier processes from which the Yxsjöberg tailings were produced, feasible separation methods were pre-selected involving dry low-intensity magnetic separation (LIMS) and high intensity magnetic separation (HIMS), enhanced gravity separation (EGS) using a Knelson concentrator, and batch froth flotation. The average WO3 and Cu concentration in these tailings based on the sampled locations was 0.15 % and 0.11 % respectively. Applying them to the estimated 2.2 million tons of tailings in this repository gives approximately 3300 tons of WO3 and 2512 tons of Cu. From the metallurgical test work, several feasible processing routes have been identified that need to be further assessed based on the economic and environmental criteria. / REMinE (Improve Resource Efficiency and Minimize Environmental Footprint)

The application of chemical additives, known as grinding aids (GA), dates back to 1930 in the cement industry. As opposed to the cement industry, where the use of GAs is on the final processing step, it could be one of the first process steps in ore beneficiation. A few investigations addressed the GA applications in ore dressing; therefore, further studies are required to better understand the GA effects on the product properties and downstream separation processes. This thesis undertakes a comparative study on the dry grinding of magnetite and the resulting product characteristics with and without GAs. The main aim is to reduce energy consumption and to address some of the challenges associated with dry processing.  The effects of GAs on the dry batch ball milling of magnetite were examined to analyze the energy consumption (Ec), particle size distribution, flow properties, bulk properties, surface morphology, particle fineness, and surface chemistry of products. Their effects on the ground product were systematically explored by sieve analysis, powder rheology, BET surface measurements, optical microscopy analysis, and zeta potential measurements. Compared with the absence of GAs, the dry grinding efficiency of magnetite increased after using GAs; however, an optimal dosage exists based on the GA type. Among GAs which considered in this investigation (Zalta™ GR20-587 (Commercial GA) and Zalta™ VM1122 (Commercial viscosity aid) as well as sodium hydroxide), Zalta™ VM1122, a polysaccharide-based additive, was the most effective GA where by using this GA; the Ec decreased by 31.1% from 18.0 to 12.4 kWh/t. The PSD became narrower and finer (P80 decreasing from 181 to 142 µm), and the proportion of the particles (38–150 µm) increased from 52.5 to 58.3%. In general, the results reveal that at sufficient GA dosages, they reduce the average particle size, increase the specific surface area, and narrow the particle size distribution. However, an excessive amount of GAs could be detrimental to the grinding performance.  Further studies on powder rheology indicated that the used GAs resulted in improved material flowability compared to grinding without additives (in the examined dosage range). The rheology measurements by the FT4 Powder Rheometer showed strong linear correlations between basic flow energy, specific energy, and the resulting work index when GAs was considered for grinding. There was a strong correlation between the grinding parameters and flow parameters (r > 0.93). These results confirmed the effect of GA on ground particles' flowability. Zalta™ VM1122 showed the best performance with 38.8% reduction of basic flow energy, 20.4 % reduction of specific energy, 24.6% reduction of aerated basic flow energy, and 38.3% reduction of aerated energy. The present investigation showed that the predominant mechanism of GAs is based on the alteration of rheological properties. Further investigation on the surface properties showed that using GAs could increase the surface roughness, which is beneficial for downstream processes such as froth flotation. Zalta™ VM1122 resulted in increased surface roughness and minimum microstructural defects from the optical microscope images. Furthermore, Zalta™ VM1122 (non-ionic) resulted in similar zeta potentials and pH values for the product compared to experiments without GA. These comparable product properties are advantageous as they minimize any potential negative effects on all possible downstream processes. / Kolarctic CBC (KO1030 SEESIMA)

Aluminium alloys have the possibility to be infinitely recycled. By only generating 5% of the emissions compared to primary aluminium, great CO2 savings can be made. One of the issues in manufacturing components entirely from post-consumer scrap is the presence of trace elements and impurities. Such elements can be Fe, Cu, Cr, P and Pb. In sheet metal manufacturing, these elements can also react with process agents such as Ti, B, Na and Sr and affect the recrystallization behavior and in turn mechanical properties.In this work, a derivative of the 3003 alloy made entirely from post-consumer scrap has been analysed. The alloy achieved insufficient formability due to lack of recrystallization and grain growth. With the use of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) together with focused ion beam (FIB) lamella preparation, the microstructure was characterized.The characterization shows both larger particles of α-Al15Si2M4 (M=Mn,Fe,Cr) from solidification and dispersoids from heat treatment, pinning the grain boundary movement together with Q-AlCuMgSi. With the use of high throughput computational thermodynamics, Thermo-Calc was used to effectively screen compositions lowering the amount of α-Al15Si2M4 and removing the Q-AlCuMgSi phase. The new alloy was cast using directional solidification at different cooling rates to study the particle morphology, which in turn plays a role in the particle break up and distribution during cold working as the interparticle spacing affects the grain growth.Varying cooling rates was seen to affect morphology and distribution. Hot compression was utilized to examine the particle redistribution before cold work. It was however shown that hot compression was not sufficient in redistributing the particles as would be the case in rolling.

Heat transfer is key to understanding many processes in engineering. At a steel mill heat transfer is absolutely crucial to understanding most of the processes. One such a process is the pre-heating of a freshly relined ladle. The goal of this project was to develop code which could solve the diffusion equation, in an arbitrary three-dimensional geometry, subject to Dirichlet, Robin, Neumann, and certain kinds of non-linear boundary conditions. In order to approximate the solution the code uses a cell centred finite volume methodology. In order to verify the computational correctness of the code it was used on three simple cases where analytic solutions are known, a rarity for three-dimensional boundary value problems. A mathematical model for the heat conduction inside a ladle at Ovako’s site in Hofors was developed. The model was evaluated based on measurements on the outside of the ladle as well as from a temperature probe inside the bottom of the ladle. The model was found to adequately agree with the measured temperature. The code can thus be used to find a more optimal heating regiment of the ladle, possibly reducing emissions. / Värmeöverföring är nyckeln till att förstå många processer inom teknik. På ett stålverk är värmeöverföring helt avgörande för att förstå de flesta av processerna. En sådan process är förvärmning av en nymurad skänk. Målet med detta projekt var att utveckla en kod som kunde lösa diffusionsekvationen i en godtycklig tredimensionell geometri under Dirichlet-, Robin-, Neumann- och vissa typer av icke-linjära randvillkor. För att approximera lösningen använder koden en cellcentrerad finita volymmetodik. För att verifiera kodens beräkningsmässiga korrekthet användes den i tre enkla fall där analytiska lösningar är kända, vilket är en sällsynthet för tredimensionella randvärdesproblem. En matematisk modell för värmeledningen i en skänk vid Ovakos anläggning i Hofors utvecklades. Modellen utvärderades utifrån mätningar på utsidan av skänken samt från ett termoelement inuti botten av skänken. Modellen visade sig stämma väl överens med den uppmätta temperaturen. Koden kan därför användas för att hitta ett mer optimalt uppvärmningsschema för skänken, vilket eventuellt kan minska utsläppen från processen.