This thesis deals with the problem of no-cement corundum refractory castables. In the theoretical part, it focuses on NCC refractory and its use, production technology and input raw materials. The second part of the theoretical work deals with MgAl2O4 spinel. The practical part of the thesis then continues in the topic and focuses on cement-free refractory concrete and the influence of MgO content on their properties.

Recently, refractory materials have been proposed as a strong alternative to poly-silicon and aluminum alloys as metallization systems for Very Large Scale Integrated (VLSI) circuits because of their improved performance at smaller Integrated Circuit (IC) feature size and higher interconnect current densities. However, processing and reliability problems associated with the use of refractory materials have limited their widespread acceptance. The hot-wall low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) of Molybdenum and Tungsten from their respective hexacarbonyl sources has been studied as a potential remedy to such problems, in addition to providing the potential for higher throughput and better step coverage. Using deposition chemistries based on carbonyl sources, Mo and W deposits have been characterized with respect to their electrical, mechanical, structural, and chemical properties as well as their compatibility with conventional IC processing. Excellent film step coverage and uniformity were obtained by low temperature (300-350 C) deposition at pressures of 400-600 mTorr. As-deposited films were observed to be amorphous, with a resistivity of 250 and 350 microohm-cm for Mo and W respectively. On annealing at high temperatures in a reducing or inert atmosphere, the films crystallize with attendant reduction in resistivity to 9.3 and 12 microohm-cm for Mo and W, respectively. The average grain size also increases as a function of time and temperature to a maximum of 2500-3000 A. The metals and their silicides that are deposited, using silane as silicon source, are integratable to form desired metal-silicide gate contact structures. Thus, use of the low resistivity of the elemental metal coupled with the oxidation resistance of its silicide manifests the quality and economy of the process. MOS capacitors with Mo and W as the gate material have been fabricated on n-type (100) silicon. A work function of 4.7 +/- 0.1 eV was measured by means of MOS capacitance-voltage techniques. The experimental results further indicate that the characteristics of W-gate MOS devices related to the charges in SiO₂ are comparable to those of poly-silicon; while, the resistivity is about two orders of magnitude lower than poly-silicon. It is therefore concluded that hot-wall low pressure chemical vapor deposition of Mo and W from their respective carbonyl sources is a viable technique for the deposition of reliable, high performance refractory metal/silicide contact and interconnect structures on very large scale integrated circuits.

By 2020 depression is predicted to be the second most frequent cause of disability worldwide. Research suggests that existing methods of treatment are ineffective for many resulting in a large number of chronic, treatment resistant courses (termed refractory depression [RD]). Further evidence suggests that up to 60% of individuals with RD have a co-morbid Personality Disorder (PD), namely Clusters A and C. As such, it has been proposed that individuals with RD fail to respond to existing treatment interventions because these treatments fail to address maladaptive personality styles (i.e., overcontrol tendencies) that may complicate treatment. This project aimed to test this novel assertion by examining whether individuals with RD exhibit higher levels of overcontrol (e.g., skills deficits in the expression and experience of emotion, in forming close relationships and in receptivity and openness) compared to individuals with current, but not chronic, depression and a normal control group. A total of 180 individuals were recruited and based on eligibility criteria were allocated to the following groups: RD, n = 56; acute, non-chronically depressed (ANCD), n = 61; normal control (NC), n = 63. Participants completed a series of self-report questionnaires and as a whole, between group analyses supported study predictions; individuals with RD displayed significantly higher levels of overcontrol compared to both the ANCD and NC groups. More specifically, individuals with RD demonstrated significantly more difficulties with interpersonal relationships and expressing emotions, a significantly greater need for structure and significantly higher levels of maladaptive perfectionism compared to controls. This study forms part of a large multi-centre randomised controlled trial (RCT; REFRAMED) that is designed to study the efficacy of a novel treatment intervention - Radically Open-Dialectical Behaviour Therapy – for individuals with RD.

The present thesis focuses on the interaction between refractory and liquid steel. The aim of this work is to understand the interaction behavior between refractory and liquid steel regarding steel cleanliness. The effect of different refractories on different inclusions in Al-killed steel was studied in a furnace. The sintering mechanism of filler sand were also investigated in laboratory. In the industrial trials, the attachments of different oxides on the walls of submerged entry nozzle (SEN) were discussed in the cases of high strength low alloy steel (HSLA) and ultra-low carbon steel (ULC). It is found that the effect of alumina and spinel refractory on all the three types of inclusions is very little, while MgO refractory influences the inclusions depending on the activity of dissolved oxygen in liquid steel. At low oxygen level, alumina inclusions could transform into spinel inclusions with the help of MgO refractory, while the effect on spinel and calcium aluminate inclusions is not evident. On the other hand, when the activity of dissolved oxygen is high enough, the evolution of spinel inclusions from alumina inclusions could not be seen. The reaction between chromite and silica grains leading to liquid formation is the main mechanism for the sintering of filler sand. The factors viz. steel composition, silica size and content, operation temperature and process holding time have a strong influence on the sintering of the filler sand. Smaller size and higher content of silica in sand, steel grades containing higher Mn and Al contents, higher temperature and longer holding time would result in serious sintering. The choice of the sand needs to take those factors into account. The results show that solid alumina particles are always agglomerated on the inner wall of SEN in the case of ULC steel. The top slag with high FeO and MnO contents is considered as the main reason of this kind of attachments. The removal of slag might be a good method to avoid the attachments. In the case of HSLA steel, liquid calcium aluminate inclusions could attach on the inner wall of SEN as well. The smoothness of the inner wall of the SEN holds the key of liquid attachments. In addition, the attachment situation on the outer wall of SEN depends on the operations. The oxygen entrainment through the mold powder would result in the formation of plate-like alumina attachments. The control of reoxidation due to oxygen entrainment would help to avoid this situation. / <p>QC 20160816</p>

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Engineering Johannesburg, 11 October 2016 / Refractory lining failure of damaged magnesia bricks and used alumina bricks was investigated by XRF, XRD, SEM-EDS analysis and computational thermochemistry (phase diagrams). In addition, the effect of oxygen partial pressure towards the refractory lining and alkali sulphate ratio were also determined. The presence of low melting phases of KCl, (Na, K) Cl, K2SO4 and CaSO4 compromised the refractoriness of the magnesia bricks because they are liquid at temperatures below clinkerisation temperature (1450 °C). Sodium oxide and potassium oxide in the kiln feed and chlorine and sulphur in the kiln gas atmosphere migrated into the magnesia brick and react to form KCl, (Na, K) Cl and K2SO4. Components of the magnesia brick, CaO reacted with the excess sulphur in the kiln gas atmosphere forming CaSO4. The presence of these impurity phases indicated that the magnesia bricks suffered chemical attack. Potassium and part of components of high-alumina brick reacted to form K2 (MgSi5O12) impurity phase. Phase diagram predictions indicated that the presence of sodium at any given concentration automatically results in liquid formation in the high alumina brick. This confirms that the chemical attack is also the cause of the failure of the high alumina brick. The analysis of the microstructures of both unused and damaged magnesia bricks revealed that the fracture was predominantly intergranular whereas, in high alumina brick, the fracture was transgranular. The absence of evidence of micro-cracks in both magnesia and alumina bricks rules out thermal shock as a failure mechanism. The absence of clinker species and phases in the examined magnesia and alumina bricks indicated that corrosion by clinker diffusion was absent. The partial pressure of oxygen is low (1.333×10−4 atm), it indicates the stability of Fe3O4 and Mn3O4 and therefore does not favour the oxidation of Fe3O4 to formation of Fe2O3 and Mn3O4 to formation of Mn2O3. The values of alkali sulphate ratio indicated that the kiln operating conditions were favourable for chemical attack to occur. / MT2017

No description available.

This thesis aims to explore the role of executive functions in multitasking. Research has shown that severe performance decrements often arise in dual-task performance, also called multitasking, as compared to single task performance. This reflects a limitation in processing temporally overlapping information. Interference between tasks arises due to a bottleneck process limited to processing only one task at a time. It has been proposed that this interference is resolved by executive functions. However, the dual-task paradigm employed in this thesis, Psychological Refractory Period (PRP) paradigm, (Pashler, 1994) is typically investigated in the field of human action performance, and the exact concept of executive functions remains underspecified. However, while underspecified in the area of action performance, executive functions have been investigated in detail in the field of memory research, more specifically in the context of working memory (WM). Therefore, the aim of this thesis was to investigate whether the executive functions in PRP are related to the executive functions as discussed in the context of WM. To test this question, we combined the PRP paradigm with a WM task, creating a complex WM span task. If the executive functions of WM and PRP are indeed related, then an interaction between the two tasks should be evident. Participants were presented with a sequence of letters to remember, followed by a processing block in which they had to perform either a single task or a dual-task, and finally were asked to recall the letters. Results (Chapter 2) showed that recall performance decreased when performing a dual-task as compared to performing a single task. This supports the assumption that PRP dual-tasks demand executive functions of WM. Following this, two other experiments were performed each with a different parametric modulation of the processing demands of the PRP dual task; response order (fixed vs random; Chapter 3) and stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA, short vs long; Chapter 4) of the component tasks. Recall performance was lower after a more difficult dual-task compared to an easier dual-task, which again indicates that demands on executive functions are increased in the dual-task. While previous neuroscientific research indeed showed that dual-tasks as well as WM tasks rely on lateral-prefrontal cortices (LPFC), it remains unknown whether both tasks activate the same areas or different sub-areas of the LPFC. Therefore, this study (Chapter 6) investigated how the neuroanatomical correlates of both dual-task and WM compare to each other. The brain activation for the PRP and WM tasks showed considerable overlap as well as some differentiation. Both tasks activated, among other areas, the inferior frontal junction. With respect to differences, the PRP task activated more the inferior middle frontal gyrus (MFG) whilst the WM component activated more the superior MFG. Thus, results support the assumption that PRP dual-tasks demand the executive functions of WM. This will allow us to inform theoretical models of cognition and to get a better understanding of human cognition. Future studies can build on this in order to create a more consolidated conceptualisation of the relationship between WM and multitasking.

Red mud is a waste product of alumina production and has an adverse effect on environment. About 90 million tonnes of red mud are produced annually throughout the world and little is recycled for useful applications. The world nickel reserves consist of approximately 30% sulphide ores and 70% oxide ores. Despite the relative abundance of oxide ores, 55% of nickel and nickel alloys produced today are derived from sulphide ores. However, with the production of nickel and its alloys from low-grade oxide ores becoming increasingly important, a major concern is high sulphur level in the resultant alloy. For this reason, desulphurization of the ferronickel becomes an important consideration. In the present study, experiments were conducted to determine if red mud could be used as a major ingredient of custom designed fluxes for the desulphurization of ferronickel alloy. Factors investigated included desulphurization rates, contact angle measurements and flux-refractory interactions.

Red mud is a waste product of alumina production and has an adverse effect on environment. About 90 million tonnes of red mud are produced annually throughout the world and little is recycled for useful applications. The world nickel reserves consist of approximately 30% sulphide ores and 70% oxide ores. Despite the relative abundance of oxide ores, 55% of nickel and nickel alloys produced today are derived from sulphide ores. However, with the production of nickel and its alloys from low-grade oxide ores becoming increasingly important, a major concern is high sulphur level in the resultant alloy. For this reason, desulphurization of the ferronickel becomes an important consideration. In the present study, experiments were conducted to determine if red mud could be used as a major ingredient of custom designed fluxes for the desulphurization of ferronickel alloy. Factors investigated included desulphurization rates, contact angle measurements and flux-refractory interactions.

The use of microorganisms notably bacteria in mineral processing industry is presently one of the leading emerging pre-treatment techniques being employed for the processing of double refractory gold ores and concentrates. Currently numerous studies are in progress to further improve upon the efficiency of the bacterial process and to investigate the potential of other microorganisms. In this study, microbial pre-treatment of double refractory gold ore (sample A) and concentrate (sample B) was investigated using a white-rot fungus, Tramestes versicolor (ATTC 20869). Pulp density, temperature, pH and retention times were the process variables considered. Preliminary studies investigated the amenability of selected pure sulfide sulfur minerals, various types of coal and ore sample A to fungal degradation. Various pre-treatment scenarios were also studied to optimize gold extraction. These were single stage, a two-step and two stage processes involving the well known chemolithotrophic bacteria Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans (ATTC 15494), Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans (ATTC 19859) and Leptospirillum ferrooxidans (ATTC 53992), the bacterium, Streptomyces setonii (ATTC 39116) and the white-rot fungus, Tramestes versicolor. Preliminary results for sample A indicated that T. versicolor did not degrade sulfides significantly at its optimum growth conditions (pH range of 4.5 – 5.0) and carbonaceous matter was not degraded but rather passivated as preg-robbing decreased significantly. Lignite was inert to passivation by T. versicolor unlike bituminous coal and to lower extent anthracite. Stimulated alkaline conditions (pH range of 9.5 – 10.5) recorded the overall best sulfur oxidation. Results of both the single stage and two-step processes confirmed that carbonaceous matter was passivated by T. versicolor; as preg-robbing decreased significantly from 18.1% to ≤ 1.0%. Gold extraction by cyanidation of the pre-treated sample A was 82.5% for the two-step as against 80.5 % for the single stage and 15.0% for the untreated sample. Application of the two-step and single stage process conditions to sample B resulted in 93.3% and 89.9% gold extraction respectively as against untreated concentrate of 30.5%. For the various two stage pre-treatment processes investigated, the abiotic - S. setonii process recorded the best gold extraction of 81.5% for sample A. S. Setonii degraded carbonaceous matter unlike T. versicolor which passivated it. However, it takes only 3 - 7 days for T. versicolor to effect passivation and eliminate preg-robbing while 14 - 56 days is required for S. setonii to degrade carbonaceous matter significantly. The result of the novel microbial pre-treatment process indicated that sulfide sulfur was degraded under alkaline conditions and carbonaceous matter passivated by T. versicolor at its optimum growth conditions. This led to a significant improvement in gold extraction from the double refractory gold ore and concentrate investigated. / Thesis (Master, Mining Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2008-09-22 16:42:01.272