• Resources Recycling
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.28-36
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• 2008

The effect of attrition scrubbing on the recovery of platinum group metals (PGMs) from automobile catalytic converters has been investigated. Catalytic converters were first crushed into particles less than 2 mm and attrition scrubbed in the range of 60 min, and then they were sieved with several screens. The catalyst layer, $\gamma$-alumina, was dislodged from the surface of the supporting matrix into fine particles less than $45{\mu}m$ by attrition scrubbing. The fraction of fine particles less than $45{\mu}m$ increased as the residence time for attrition scrubbing increased. The composition of the fine fraction obtained at a residence time of 40 min was $CeO_2$ 19.3%, $ZrO_2$ 1.9% and PGMs 419 ppm. In the fine fraction, the recovery of y-alumina increased proportionally to the residence time. Simultaneously, the recovery rates of $CeO_2$, $ZrO_2$ and PGMs increased to 82.9%, 78.7% and 78.9%, respectively. The production of the fine fraction less than $45{\mu}m$ and the recovery of $\gamma$-alumina increased when the solid concentration and initial feed size increased. Therefore, the attrition scrubbing as the comminution and separation process was concerned to be effective for the recovery of catalyst layer from ceramic supporting matrix by physical impact and shearing action between particles in the scrubbing vessel.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.137-147
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• 2017

Sericite is a clay mineral that has a wide applications in the industry, depending on its purity. To maintain sericite's purity as high as possible it is necessary to remove its gangue minerals or control their contents prior to use for high value-added products and applications. In this study, the wet beneficiation of sericite by applying selective grinding and sedimentation techniques, were investigated. The ore mineral was composed mainly of sericite, quartz and calcite. Analysis showed that the content of sericite increased along with the particle size decrease, but the contents of impurity minerals as quartz and calcite were tended to decrease relatively with particle size decrease. The results of liberation tests using an attrition scrubber showed that the increase in residence time and slurry density have increased the generation of fine particles in -325 mesh size range. It was observed, however, that the contents of impurities such as quartz and calcite in such fine particles also increased during prolonged scrubbing. In the dispersed form without breaking, the yield of the recovered concentrate was 15.4 wt% and the $K_2O$ content was 9.84 wt%, after the dispersed slurry was allowed to settle for 20 minutes. On the other hand, the concentrate yield was increased to 23.4 wt% after 10 minute attrition scrubbing and 40 minute sedimentation, while its $K_2O$ content was decreased to 9.71 wt%. Most of final products were observed as platelet-shaped particles containing Si, Al and K which are main component of sericite.

• Journal of Korea Soil Environment Society
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.55-62
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• 1998

Soils contaminated with hydrocarbons and residual metals can be effectively treated by soil washing. In developing the soil washing process several major effects for separating contaminants from coarse soils progressively improved upon combinations of mining and chemical processing approaches. The pilot-scale soils washing process consists of the four major parts : 1) abrasive scouring, 2) scrubbing action using a washwater that is sometimes augmented by surfactants or other agents, 3) rinsing, and 4) regenerating the contaminated washwater. The plant was designed based upon the treatment capacity > 5 ton/hr on site. The lumpy contaminated soil fractions first experience deagglomeration and desliming passing through a rolling mill pipe. In the second unit the attrition scrubbing module equipped with paddles uses high-energy to remove contaminants from the soils. And a final rinsing system is assembled to separate the washwater containing the contaminants and very fine soils from the washed coarse soils. For recycling the contaminated washwater passes through a washwater clarifier specifically designed for flocculation, sedimentation and gravity separation of fine as well as flotation and separation of oils from the washwater. In order to more rapidly assess the applicability of soil washing at a potential site while minimizing the expense of mobilization and operation, a mobile-type soil washing process which is self-contained upon a trailer will be further developed.