APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR FRAGMENTING SLAG

Abstract: Apparatus and method for handling molten slag, in which the slag is delivered from a furnace (12) to a cooling conveyor (20) by a reciprocating spout (16), driven in a horizontal plane to provide a stream of molten slag in a substantially sinusoidal pattern to the conveyor (20). The conveyor is sloped to provide gravity flow from an input end to an output end, and vibration is imparted to the conveyor for separating the molten stream of slag into pieces of slag and for propelling slag from the input end towards the output end. Cooling is provided by a water jacket (46) around the sides and bottom of the conveyor (20), sufficient substantially to solidify the pieces of slag before they reach the output end. Further cooling may be provided by a spray bar (37), positioned above the conveyor (20), whih provides a stream of cooling water to the surface of the slag. A water bath (50) is disposed to receive pieces of slag dispensed from the output end of the conveyor (20), further cooling the slag to about 200 degrees centigrade. Pieces of slag are then received into a screw conveyor (60), which simultaneously conveys the slag for further processing and reduces the size of individual pieces. A divider (44) may be positioned within the conveyor (20) to assist the vibratory means (26,28) in separating the molten stream of slag into pieces of slag, suitable for handling.

Description: This invention pertains to the art of treating the by-products of metal processing, and more particularly, to the field of processing slag derived from a metal purification process involving molten metal. As is well-known, many processes for the purification of metals involve melting a base material (such as ore, or scrap) in a furnace. The resulting liquid separates into layers according to density, generally with the desired metal at the bottom of the furnace, and with a layer of various impurities floating at the surface. Such impurities primarily consist of oxides, generally oxides of the primary metal, referred to as "slag" or "dross". Of course, processes involving mattes function in identical fashion; it should be understood that mattes are encompassed by the term "metal" as used herein. In many instances, slag can be a valuable commercial product in its own right, as, for example, aggregate in making concrete. Processing slag to obtain the material in a usable form, however, poses problems. Traditionally, slag is tapped from the furnace and poured into a mold to cool. Of course, the molten slag is extremely hot and requires some time to cool, requiring the allocation of plant space, and when cooled, such blocks are bulky and heavy, further requiring expensive crushing and handling equipment. One solution offered by the art to solve such problems is found in U.S. Patent No. 3,417,930, issued to Brumagin. The apparatus disclosed there includes a tray-like conveyor, cooled by a water jacket and coupled to motors that impart vibration to the tray. Molten slag is poured onto one end of the tray, where it begins to solidify. The tray slopes slightly downward from the input end, and the vibration of the tray causes the slag to move down the conveyor. The apparatus is sized such that the slag is substantially solid by the time it reaches the end of the conveyor. It has been found, however, that this apparatus produces slag in pieces that continue to require special handling due to their size. It would therefore be advantageous to offer an apparatus for handling molten slag that would produce small, easily processed pieces of cooled slag. It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and a method that receives molten slag and fragments the same into relatively small, solidified pieces. This and other objects are achieved in the present invention as disclosed in the claims 1 to 10. Generally, apparatus according to the invention includes reciprocating spout means for receiving a molten stream of slag from a furnace and delivering same in a substantially sinusoidal pattern to a first conveyor means, which has input and output ends, side walls; and a bottom surface disposed to receive slag from the spout means. A means for imparting vibration to the first conveyor is coupled to the same, and the resulting vibration separates the stream of slag into discrete pieces and causes the pieces of slag to move from the input end to the output end of the conveyor. The first conveyor also has cooling means for extracting heat from the slag during conveyance, so that the slag is solidified before reaching the output end of the conveyor. The apparatus further may include a water bath, disposed to receive slag from the output end of the conveyor, and a second conveyor for removing slag from the water bath and for reducing the size of individual pieces of slag. In a preferred embodiment, a stream of molten slag flows from a surface by means of a reciprocating spout, pivoted at the furnace wall and driven in reciprocal horizontal motion. The spout pours molten slag in a substantially sinusoidal pattern onto the receiving end of a tray-like cooling conveyor, which includes a cooling means. The cooling means may be a jacket around the sides and bottom of the tray, through which a cooling medium, such as water, is circulated. A means for imparting vibration, such as a motor driving an unbalanced vibrator, is coupled to the tray, for separating the stream of slag into pieces and for causing the pieces of slag to move down the tray. Such pieces continue down the tray, solidifying before reaching the output end of the same. A water bath is positioned to receive the pieces of slag at the end of the tray, such that the slag is immediately cooled to a temperature suitable for handling. A screw conveyor extends into the water bath and conveys pieces of slag to a suitable receiving means, further reducing the size of the pieces as it does so. In an alternative embodiment, the still-molten stream of slag makes contact with an upstanding divider, positioned within the tray, which assists in breaking the stream into a succession of pieces. FIGURE 1 is a pictorial schematic representation of an embodiment of the invention; FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view, taken on plane II-II of Fig. 1; FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view, taken on the plane III-III of Fig. 1; FIGURE 4 is a pictorial representation of the reciprocating spout of the embodiment shown in Fig. 1; FIGURE 5 is a pictorial representation of an alternative embodiment of the invention. An embodiment 10 of the present invention is shown in Figs. 1 and 2. A furnace 12 may be employed, for example, to purify a metal from a base material, which could be ore or scrap material. The particular metal is not important to the invention, as a number of metal purification processes involve melting a base material in a furnace and allowing the resulting liquid to separate according to density. Purified metal can then be extracted by tapping the furnace at a level appropriate to the location of the metal. Generally, the desired metal is the most dense substance in the furnace and settles to the bottom. A combination of impurities, termed "slag" or "dross", usually comprising oxides of the primary metal, floats on the surface of the metal in a preferred form, the furnace 12 is employed to separate platinum group metals from an ore or scrap material, and the slag primarily includes aluminum oxides. Those in the art will understand, however, that the invention can be employed in a number of metal-purification processes, all of which produce slag. Removal and processing of this slag is the focus of the present invention. An aperture 14 is provided in the side of the furnace, located at a height suitable for slag removal. A spout 16 extends into this aperture, positioned to receive a flow of slag when the total height of molten liquid in the furnace reaches a selected level. Preferably, this spout takes the form of a channel, having a bottom surface 17 and side walls 15, as can be seen more clearly in Fig 4. Of course, the slag emerging from the surface is at a highly elevated temperature, which may be about 1000-1500 degrees C. To prevent overheating as a result of such temperatures, the spout is provided with cooling means, in the form of coolant channels 19, connected to suitable coolant supply means (not shown). It has been found effective to employ highly heat-conductive material, such as copper, for the spout. The spout supplies slag to a cooling conveyor 20. Unlike the teaching of the prior art, however, the spout does not merely convey the slag, but it also distributes the slag laterally on the conveyor. The spout is mounted on the furnace on a pivot pin 18, allowing the end of the spout disposed toward the conveyor to move in a horizontal plane from one side of the conveyor to the other, as shown by arrows A. Any suitable means can be employed to produce such motion, and it is preferred to employ a motor 27, turning an eccentric wheel 23, which in turn drives a connecting rod 25, attached at its respective ends to the wheel and to the spout. Of course, those in the art will understand that a variety of alternatives to this arrangement could be employed. The cooling conveyor is mounted on a suitable means, such as table 22, supported by support means such as legs 24. The conveyor also includes a means for imparting vibration, thus inducing the slag to move from one end of the conveyor to the other, as disclosed in U.S. patent No. 3,417,930, discussed above. Such means can include a motor 26 driving a rotary unbalanced mechanical vibrator 28, which may be coupled to the conveyor by mounts 30, including flexible means, such as springs. The reciprocating spout and the vibratory conveyor co-operate to produce unexpected results. Because the stream of slag is deposited upon a sloped, vibrating surface, it moves longitudinally down the conveyor. Simultaneously, the mouth end of the spout is moving laterally, as discussed. Therefore, the stream of molten slag is deposited in the form of a substantially sinusoidal pattern. When this pattern is compared to the results achieved by a stationary spout, it is clear that the stream of the present invention is spread over a wider area on the conveyor surface, and is therefore thinner than the counterpart stream found in prior art devices. As the slag cools and begins to solidfiy, the vibratory forces acting upon the slag causes the stream to separate into discrete pieces, markedly smaller than the output observed from any prior art apparatus. The conveyor has a tray-like form, with a bottom 34 and sides 32, and includes two sections. A receiving section 36 is disposed at the input end of the conveyor, located adjacent the furnace, and a cooling section 38 extends from the receiving section to the output end 40, located at the opposite end of the conveyor. Both sections are sloped downward with respect to the furnace, but the receiving section has a steeper slope. For example, the receiving section can be sloped at angles in the range 2-40 degrees, and preferably about 10 degrees, compared to a typical slope of about 5 degrees for the cooling section. A vertical step 42 separates the two sections. In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the cooling section is separated into two channels by a divider 44. This element is a vertically-extending member located in the center of the conveyor, of a height in excess of that expected for the pieces of slag, preferably about 3 inches (7.62 cm). One end of the divider terminates at a point downslope of the input end of the conveyor, at a point chosen to allow slag to begin cooling slightly before imparting the divider. The divider may be welded or otherwise suitably fixed in position. Although the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2 employs a single divider, a plurality of dividers could be utilized to break slag into smaller pieces during the conveyance. Such apparatus would be more difficult and costly to produce, of course, and it has been found that at most, a single divider serves to accomplish the goal of size reduction. As shown in Fig. 5, further advantages can be achieved by fabricating the receiving end of the conveyor in a fan-shaped configuration 39, with its wide end adjacent the furnace. The increased width of the receiving end input portion required that the spout travel a wider arc, shown by arrow B. Given that the flow rate remains constant, it follows that the substantially sinusoidal pattern of molten slag is deposited over a wider area, and therefore will be thinner that the stream deposited in the embodiment discussed above. Such decreased thickness allows the molten slag to solidify more rapidly, and that process further amplifies the effectiveness of the separating action of the vibratory mechanism. Therefore, the pieces of slag that result from this apparatus will be smaller and easier to handle than the output from the straight-side design. It has been found helpful to increase the slope of the receiving end 39 to about 15 degress to facilitate rapid flow across the relatively wider surface of the fan-shaped portion. To further assist the solidification of the slag, a spray bar 37 may be provided, positioned over the receiving section of the cooling conveyor. The bottom surface of the slag undergoes relatively effective conduction cooling from the conveyor, but the slag's top surface is limited to convection cooling from the ambient air, a relatively inefficient process. The spray bar promotes cooling by providing a spray of water droplets that make contact with the slag and immediately boil off, extracting heat from the slag as they do so. The spray bar offers the added advantage of increased lubrication of the conveyor surface (and thus more rapid movement of the slag), as the presence of moisture on the bottom surface of the conveyor decreases the friction between that surface and the slag. A primary function of the conveyor is cooling the slag, and to this end the conveyor is provided a cooling means, preferably a coolant jacket 46, extending around the sides and bottom of the conveyor, as shown in Fig. 3. Any convenient cooling medium can be employed to effect such cooling, but it has been found effective to use water to perform this function. Water can be circulated through inlet ducts 48 and outlet ducts 49, driven by appropriate pumping means (not shown). Those in the art will appreciate the requirements to size the conveyor and its cooling means such that the slag is substantially solidified by the time it reaches the output end of the conveyor. It is possible to provide a conveyor of sufficient length to cool the slag completely before it reaches the output end. It has been found, however, that such an arrangement is highly wasteful of plant space. A more efficient system involves a combination of a cooling conveyor and a water bath 50, disposed at the output end of the conveyor to receive pieces of slag emerging from the output end of same. Such pieces of slag fall from the conveyor into the bath, in which water is circulated by the feed duct 52 and return duct 54. The water further cools the slag rapidly to a handling temperature, such as about 200 degress C. Preferably, the water bath is in the form of a trough. A screw conveyor 60 has an input end 62 extending into the water bath at the location where pieces of slag fall into the bath. This conveyor is enclosed on at least three sides (both sides and bottom) by housing 64. This conveyor continuously receives pieces of slag from the bath and moves them upward. The helical screw also exerts force upon the pieces of slag, breaking them into still smaller pieces. This conveyor can feed into any suitable handling apparatus for further processing, such as bagging, crushing, etc. The water feed rate to the trough is controlled as will be understood by those in the art, to cool the slag to a temperature that will facilitate handling and drying. It has been found that if the feed rate is increased to the point that the slag is cooled to a level below the boiling point of water, the slag will not dry rapidly within the screw conveyor. Constituents of the slag can be highly corrosive, and when combined with water such substances can damage the screw conveyor. The invention operates to fragment slag into small, easily-handled pieces in the following manner. Slag accumulates at the surface of the molten metal within the furnace 12 until the slag level reaches a point at which slag flows out of the furnace through spout 16. Driven by motor 21, which operates through connecting rod 25, the spout reciprocates in a horizontal plane across the input end of a cooling conveyor 20. Slag is deposited across the receiving end 36 of the conveyor in a continuous, substantially sinusoidal pattern. The relatively steep slope of this portion of the conveyor causes the slag stream to flow relatively rapidly, continuing down the step 42 and pooling slightly in the initial portion of cooling section 38. The vibratory motion of the conveyor (imparted by the motor 26, driving rotary unbalanced mechanical vibrator 28) impels the slag down the conveyor. As the slag cools and solidifies, the force imparted by the vibratory mechanism separates the stream of slag into pieces, which are suitable for handling. In an alternate embodiment of the invention, the separating action of the vibratory mechanism may be supplemented by an upstanding divider 44, positioned within the conveyor. The conveyor includes cooling means, such as a coolant jacket 46 extending around the bottom and sides of the conveyor, to extract heat from the slag as it moves down the conveyor. A spray bar 37 may also be provided, to facilitate the cooling of the slag's surface and to provide additional lubrication to the conveyor surface. The apparatus is sized such that the slag is substantially solidified by the time it traverses the conveyor. The pieces of slag retain a considerable amount of heat at this point, however, to enable immediate handling of the slag, a water bath may be positioned at the output end of the conveyor, so that pieces of slag fall into same. Water is circulated through this bath, so that remaining heat is extraced from the pieces in a short amount of time. Screw conveyor 60 extends into the water bath and picks up pieces of slag for conveyance to a receiving means, such as a truck or the like. While being moved upward by this conveyor, the slag is further reduced in size by the action of the helical screw. Those in the art will understand that alterations and modifications to the embodiment shown can be made. For example, it would be possible to adapt the invention to other metal-purification processes, or to provide alternate means for reciprocating the spout.

Claims: Apparatus for fragmenting slag, comprising spout means (16) for delivering a molten stream of slag from a furnace (12), a first conveyor means (20) being disposed to receive slag from said spout means and having input and output ends, and side walls (17) and a bottom surface (15) sloped at an angle from the horizontal, for inducing a gravitational acceleration of the slag from said input end toward said output end, said first conveyor means including means for imparting vibration (26,28) to said first conveyor means, for separating the molten stream of slag into pieces of slag during conveyance and for causing said slag to move from said input end to said output end and cooling means (46) for extracting heat from the slag, so that the slag is substantially solidified before reaching said output end, characterised in that the spout means deliver a substantially continuous stream of molten slag to the first conveyor means and by the provision of means (21,23,25) for driving the spout means in a reciprocatory motion such that the stream of slag is delivered onto the first conveyor means in a substantially sinusoidal pattern. Apparatus for fragmenting slag as claimed in claim 1, further comprising water bath means (50), disposed to receive slag from the output end of said first conveyor means (20), and second conveyor means (60), for removing pieces of slag from said bath means (50) and reducing the size of individual pieces of slag. Apparatus for fragmenting slag as claimed in claim 2 wherein the temperature of said water bath means (50) is maintained at a sufficient level to cool said slag to about 200 degrees centigrade and said second conveyor means (60) comprise screw conveyor means, disposed to receive pieces of slag within said water bath means (50), for removing pieces of slag from said bath means (50) and reducing the size of individual pieces of slag. Apparatus for fragmenting slag as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said first conveyor means (20) further includes divider means (44), disposed within said first conveyor (20) for assisting in separating the molten stream of slag into pieces of slag during conveyance. Apparatus for fragmenting slag as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said divider means (44) defines flow channels between said side walls (17) of said cooling conveyor means (20). Apparatus for fragmenting slag as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the first conveyor means (20) is a cooling conveyor means for cooling the slag to a substantially solidified condition, having a receiving portion disposed toward said input end and a cooling portion disposed toward said output end, the receiving portion of said cooling conveyor means (20) being sloped at a greater angle to the horizontal than the slope of said cooling portion. Apparatus for fragmenting slag as claimed in any one of the preceding claims further comprising spray bar means (37), disposed above said first conveyor means (20), for providing a coolant spray to the surface of the slag. Apparatus for fragmenting slag as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the reciprocating motion of said spout means (16) is in a horizontal plane. A method for cooling and handling molten slag, comprising the steps of pouring a stream of molten slag from a furnace (12) to cooling conveyor means (20) separating said stream of slag into discrete pieces of slag and extracting sufficient heat from said pieces of slag substantially to solidify said pieces of slag, characterised in that the stream of slag being poured onto the cooling conveyor means is a substantially continuous stream of molten slag delivered in a substantially sinusoidal pattern, and that the slag is separated by vibrating motion. A method for cooling and handling molten slag as claimed in claim 9, further comprising the steps of further cooling said pieces of slag in a water bath means (50) to a temperature of about 200 degrees centigrade and reducing the size of said pieces of slag.

Inventors: CAVENDER, ROBERT LEE, SAVILLE, JAMES
Applicants: TEXASGULF MINERALS & METALS INCORPORATED
Application year: 1987
Main classification: C21B3
IPC codes: C21B3