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P. R. Taylor
Current Research
There are currently four graduate students working on research projects related to
the extractive metallurgy of lead or zinc. One student [1] is looking at the vacuum
distillation of lead bullion for her Ph.D. project. The Center for Resource Recovery
and Recycling funds this research. The experimental system is shown in Fig. 1. The
system is used to evaluate the effects of temperature, vacuum pressure, and time on
the removal of arsenic and antimony by selective volatilization. The work includes
detailed thermodynamic modeling in an attempt to describe the experimental results.
The overall objective is to see if it is possible to simplify lead refining using vacuum
distillation and produce a pure volatile product.
Another research project [2] is on the controlled hydrogen reduction of zinc ferrites to zinc oxide and magnetite. The objective is to recover the zinc and any contained gallium, germanium, or indium. The Critical Materials Institute funds this
research. The tube furnace roasting experimental system is shown in Fig. 2. The
student is evaluating the effects of time, temperature, and hydrogen concentration
of the roast reduction reaction and the leaching, purification, and recovery of the
desired elements.
Fig. 1 Vacuum distillation reactor
P. R. Taylor
Current Research
There are currently four graduate students working on research projects related to
the extractive metallurgy of lead or zinc. One student [1] is looking at the vacuum
distillation of lead bullion for her Ph.D. project. The Center for Resource Recovery
and Recycling funds this research. The experimental system is shown in Fig. 1. The
system is used to evaluate the effects of temperature, vacuum pressure, and time on
the removal of arsenic and antimony by selective volatilization. The work includes
detailed thermodynamic modeling in an attempt to describe the experimental results.
The overall objective is to see if it is possible to simplify lead refining using vacuum
distillation and produce a pure volatile product.
Another research project [2] is on the controlled hydrogen reduction of zinc ferrites to zinc oxide and magnetite. The objective is to recover the zinc and any contained gallium, germanium, or indium. The Critical Materials Institute funds this
research. The tube furnace roasting experimental system is shown in Fig. 2. The
student is evaluating the effects of time, temperature, and hydrogen concentration
of the roast reduction reaction and the leaching, purification, and recovery of the
desired elements.
Fig. 1 Vacuum distillation reactor