The main objectives of this Thesis were the determination of the reaction kinetics of the dissolution of zinc-ferrite particles ((Zn$ sb{1-x}$, Fe$ sbsp{x}{2+}$)$ rm Fe sbsp{2}{3+}O sb4$, x $ le$ 0.4) in hot aqueous solutions of sulphuric acid, and the development of a mathematical model for the prediction of the performance of a series of continuous stirred-tank reactors where zinc ferrite is leached. / Well-characterised, porous zinc-ferrite particles of industrial origin were subjected to controlled leaching experiments at temperatures close to 373 K in sulphuric acid solutions of concentration higher than 0.25mol L$ sp{-1}$. The dissolution process was found to be described most adequately by the grain model with surface reaction being the rate-controlling step. After analysing the experimental results through this model, a unique rate equation for zinc-ferrite dissolution as a function of temperature and solution composition, was obtained. / Based on this rate equation, a mathematical framework was built for the analysis of the start-up and the steady-state of reactor cascades where zinc ferrite is continuously leached. This framework consisted of population-balance and mass-balance equations, which were solved analytically or numerically. Computer simulation results, which were obtained by this reactor model, showed very good agreement with actual industrial data.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.41588 |
| Date | January 1994 |
| Creators | Filippou, Dimitrios |
| Contributors | Demopoulos, George P. (advisor) |
| Publisher | McGill University |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Coverage | Doctor of Philosophy (Department of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering.) |
| Rights | All items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated. |
| Relation | alephsysno: 001395229, proquestno: NN94618, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest. |
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