Pyrometallurgy and Waste Recycling: Experiment and Simulation

A special issue of Metals (ISSN 2075-4701).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 September 2026 | Viewed by 1463

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Guest Editor
Department of Metallurgical Engineering, School of Engineering, Pukyong National University, Busan 48513, Republic of Korea
Interests: extractive metallurgy; powder metallurgy; thermodynamic; chemical metallurgy; non-ferrous metal recycling
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Due to the growth and expansion of humanity, the annual amount of industrial and domestic waste produced is ever-increasing, with the total amount exceeding hundreds of millions of tons. With growing environmental concerns, scientists are now focusing their research efforts on the increasingly important problems of waste processing and the development of practical methods for its utilization. The creation of new, advanced materials using cutting-edge technologies necessitates the development of novel and significantly more complex recycling methods compared to those used for natural resources, presenting a substantial challenge for researchers in the field. The economic value of waste as a source of raw materials is a concept that has already achieved widespread recognition within both the manufacturing sector and the scientific community, signifying a significant shift in perspective towards resource management. It is critically important to emphasize the fact that innovative and advanced waste processing technologies are constantly being developed, incorporated into industrial processes, and integrated into the global economy on a daily basis. The purpose of this Special Issue is to provide a detailed account of the methods that can be used for streamlined the processing and subsequent industrial and agricultural utilization of this waste, thus promoting resource recovery. This Special Issue presents scholarly insights into the latest technological advancements.

Prof. Dr. Jei-Pil Wang
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • high-temperature metal recovery
  • secondary resource utilization
  • thermodynamic simulation
  • slag treatment and valorization
  • sustainable extractive metallurgy
  • zero waste technology

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 5062 KB  
Article
Experimental Determination and Thermodynamic Assessment of Deoxidation Equilibria in High-Ti Liquid Iron at 1873 K Using a Modified Quasichemical Model
by Yong-Woo Kim, Min-Kyu Paek and Sun-Joong Kim
Metals 2026, 16(4), 446; https://doi.org/10.3390/met16040446 - 20 Apr 2026
Viewed by 158
Abstract
The present work investigated the thermodynamic behaviors of oxygen in a liquid Fe–Ti alloy over a wide Ti concentration range of 11.6–71.2 wt% at 1873 K by integrating equilibrium experiments with thermodynamic modeling. To prevent excessive oxidation during the equilibrium experiments, the liquid [...] Read more.
The present work investigated the thermodynamic behaviors of oxygen in a liquid Fe–Ti alloy over a wide Ti concentration range of 11.6–71.2 wt% at 1873 K by integrating equilibrium experiments with thermodynamic modeling. To prevent excessive oxidation during the equilibrium experiments, the liquid alloys were equilibrated in a purified Ar atmosphere with an oxygen partial pressure below ~10−20 atm. Two quenching methods—furnace quenching with He gas injection and water quenching via quartz tube suction—were employed to evaluate the effect of cooling rate on total oxygen measurements. While He gas quenching led to higher measured oxygen contents owing to the formation of secondary Ti oxides, the quartz tube suction quenching method consistently yielded significantly lower oxygen values. The dissolved oxygen content increased with increasing Ti content. Electron probe microanalysis identified TiO as a stable equilibrium oxide phase above 11.6 wt% Ti, which was characterized as a face-centered cubic (FCC) rock-salt structure via electron backscatter diffraction analysis. Based on these results, a thermodynamic assessment of oxygen behavior in a liquid Fe–Ti alloy in equilibrium with TiO was performed for the first time using a modified quasichemical model. Consequently, the present model successfully reproduced the Ti–O relationship in the liquid Fe–Ti alloy across both the high-Ti concentration region saturated with TiO and the low-Ti concentration region saturated with Ti2O3 and Ti3O5. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pyrometallurgy and Waste Recycling: Experiment and Simulation)
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25 pages, 16008 KB  
Article
The Correlation of Thermodynamic Modelling and Experimental Methods in the Production of Nickel Matte from Saprolite Nickel Ore via CaS
by Erdenebold Urtnasan, Chang-Ho Jung and Jei-Pil Wang
Metals 2026, 16(1), 119; https://doi.org/10.3390/met16010119 - 20 Jan 2026
Viewed by 839
Abstract
Given the importance of nickel in lithium-ion batteries and the expectation of the growth in electric vehicles and electrical devices, the demand for nickel in battery production is expected to increase dramatically. Nickel is primarily sourced from laterite saprolite ore, and there is [...] Read more.
Given the importance of nickel in lithium-ion batteries and the expectation of the growth in electric vehicles and electrical devices, the demand for nickel in battery production is expected to increase dramatically. Nickel is primarily sourced from laterite saprolite ore, and there is now substantial interest in moving from ferronickel smelting technology to nickel matte technology in its processing to produce high-grade nickel. This research involved a thermodynamic modelling and lab–scale experiment on the smelting of nickel matte. Nickel concentrate from laterite saprolite was used, and CaS, produced from commercially available gypsum, was employed as a sulfurizing agent. The matte smelting experiment was conducted at 1500 °C to optimize CaS and C consumption. During smelting with CaS, matte particles form, although sufficient reduction of nickel and iron from the concentrate is not achieved. By consuming carbon, the reduction potential of iron is increased, and this process, along with enriching the matte with iron, aids in the transportation of nickel. At a nickel grade in the matte with a Ni/Fe ratio of approximately 1, the nickel recovery only reached 63%. Upon achieving a nickel recovery exceeding 93%, the Ni/Fe ratio reached 0.44, corresponding to a nickel grade reduction to 22.78%. By employing analytical techniques and thermodynamic modelling, we have successfully determined the sulfidizing of nickel, identified the ideal CaS and C additions, and characterized the structure and quality of the slag produced during nickel matte smelting, supplying vital technological data necessary for practical application. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pyrometallurgy and Waste Recycling: Experiment and Simulation)
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