Technical science

Anuar A.B.,Ormansha Z.D.,Master Students

Abitova Gulnara,Candidate of Technical Sciences, PhD

L.N.Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Kazakhstan

 

Optimization of Control Systemfor the Technological Processes of the Rare Metals Production

 

Abstract. This work is devoted to the creation of a new, modernized system of automatic control of technological process of preparation of stock solutions for the extraction of rare metals from chloride-sulfate solutions in lead production.

Keywords: Automation of technical processes, non-ferrous metals, extraction processes, rare metals.

 

I Introduction.Different areas of the world economy demonstrate a trend of consolidation and globalization of production. The world experience shows that the only way to create competitive industrial structures is to concentrate capital and production capacities and to integrate them vertically. This integration improves production efficiency by reducing transaction costs and indirect taxation of intermediate products.

In the late twentieth century, countries with market economies experienced a growth in steel consumption and innovative restructuring of the mining industry. This laid the foundation for the reduction of production capacity in steel manufacturing and the construction of new compact plants for processing final products with high added value (Yellishatty et al., 2011). The impetus for this was the desire of industrialized countries to achieve cleaner production (Baines et al., 2012). It caused a relative decline in steel production in developed countries in the second half of the twentieth century and contributed to the growth of its import from developing countries (Ernst & Young, 2014).

The decrease in the share of the metallurgical industry in the national output of developed countries led to the growth of metallurgical production in developing countries (EUROFER, 2014). In developing countries, metallurgical production was built mainly on a new technological basis; it had a progressive structure of production and corresponded with global development trends.

Statistical data show that China is world leader in the production and consumption of steel. In 1996, China produced almost 130 million tons of steel; in 2014, this figure exceeded 700 million tons (Horvath, 2012; Li, Jian & Jiang, 2012). The annual growth of steel production ranged from 2.1 to 26.8% on average in 2000-2011. These growth rates of steel production in China were caused by the launch of modern steel-producing facilities, which accounted for about 700-730 million tons of steel per annum (‘China Iron and Steel Association’, 2013).

This was more than Chinese companies could actually sell. However, the Chinese government does not plan to cease the construction of new facilities. On the contrary, in 2010, it approved the construction of a plant with a total capacity of 10 million tons of steel per annum in the Guangdong Province, which was built by the Baosteelcompany, and in the Guangxi Province, which was built by the WISCO company. The Baosteel, WISCO, and Angang companies combined plan to produce a total of 60 million tons of steel per annum in 2015-2016 (Wang, 2012; Bloomberg, 2015).

The mining and metallurgical industry (MMI) is one of the most important industries of any country, because of its high level of capital concentration and business integration. During the last 30 years, the volume of world mineral production has increased by more than 1.5 times; it is expected to exceed 25 billion tenge by 2050 (Galiyev&Yusupova, 2013).

The effectiveness of the MMI is very important for Kazakhstan. At present, Kazakhstan is the leader in terms of both mineral raw material reserves and its production volumes. In these circumstances, ensuring sustainable growth of the industry and its integration into the world economy is crucial [1].

Therefore, it is necessary to analyze the current state, identify the problems, and formulate strategic priorities for the development of the mining and metallurgical industry of Kazakhstan.

Kazakhstan occupies a leading place in the world reserves of rare elements and metals that has a great influence on scientific and technological progress.

Although forecasts the global market of rare metals in the near future are very favorable, the production and consumption of rare metals, is currently in the country are not sufficiently developed.

In addition, the planned rise in the country's total industrial production, accelerated development of high-tech industries and the strengthening of the defense capability will significantly increase the consumption of non-ferrous and rare metals, leading him to the level of industrialized countries.

 

II Formulation of the problem. The level of automation of metallurgy, including the production of rare metals, is one of the leading places among other industries. Metallurgical installation is characterized by continuous processes occurring in them. In this processing of mineral raw materials shall meet the requirements for the production of eco-friendliness. Almost all operations and metallurgical plants, especially on devices hydrometallurgy, and in particular, solvent extraction, mechanized and transients which develop relatively quickly. This explains the high development of automation in the production of rare metals hydrometallurgy [2].

Automation liquid extraction includes automatic control, remote control, technological protection, chemical control, technological lock and alarm.

Rare Metals Production Process Control refers to a rather complex control systems that maintain the technological regimes within the prescribed limits, monitoring their condition requires the collection of large amounts of information and to provide a significant number of devices, sensors, and control mechanisms. Therefore, how to optimize the production process control of rare metals with the development and application of the modernized control system for the production of rare metals are actual and reasonable.

The novelty of the study is to provide a scientific basis for the production of rare metals management system based on the synthesis of a mathematical model of the process and the creation of systems of control and management of production lines on the basis of a personal computer, allowing to improve, modernize and optimize existing production technology of rare metals. Provide with the effectiveness and comprehensiveness of their extraction, improving the quality of output of commodity products is a relevant and important scientific and technological challenge.

The common and most rational today flowsheet producing rare metals of melts lead production, including the deposition of the concentrate with its subsequent sulfation and transfer metal oxide soluble form from which the rare metal is recovered by the extraction method has a number of disadvantages associated with a deviation in technological conditions, the need to maintain and regulate the process parameters within specified limits, prompt and efficient management of production technology in general.

One of the methods that meet the requirements of the complex and to maximize the recovery of valuable components from industrial products and tellurium metallurgical processes is an extraction method for extracting rare metal, based on the pre-sulfation strong sulfuric acid and metal compounds into solution [3].

Thus, analysis of existing methods for obtaining rare metal shows:

1) The main source of rare metal now in the production of lead and zinc are the lead melts away refining of lead bullion.

2) The most common and best technology in the industry are considered rare metals extraction processes that transform raw materials poor and provide significant economic benefit.

3) One of the methods to ensure a comprehensive and maximum extraction of valuable components and rare metals from industrial products metallurgical processes is the extraction method based on pre-sulfation strong sulfuric acid compounds and the transfer of rare metals in the solution.

4) Extraction processes for the production of rare metals are characterized by simplicity and versatility, in connection with what they are easier to automate and optimize, which is a prerequisite for any improvement of the process and its intensification [4].

III  Results. The paper was reviewed and investigated directly itself a rare metal production - namely, the process of extraction of rare metals from lead melts applied in the metallurgy production.

The process of producing a rare metal on the metallurgy production consists of several steps, consisting in oxidizing the concentrate of concentrated sulfuric acid in order to convert it into an oxide form in the leaching slurry hydrochloric acid solution to form an extractable component for conducting rare metal extraction process tributyltin phosphate, stripping it ammonium chloride solution, cleaning solution from impurities, metal deposition sodium sulfite and melting it to obtain the final product - a rare metal stamp TA-1 [5].

According to the technological instructions adopted by the metallurgy production, an operation sulfation (oxidation) of the concentrate into the reactor a total volume of 5m3 (working volume – 5m3) pumped 1,6m3 of concentrated sulfuric acid. The amount of acid was measured wooden slats (6 bars or 80sm on the rail). When the stirrer was charged to the reactor 0,4t rare earth concentrate or third party materials. To determine the required amount of concentrate for loading concentrate in the container is weighed before and after loading process weighbridge. Number of loaded raw material is determined by the difference of weight measurements.

After loading concentrate into the reactor started the process of oxidation. Initially, the oxidation proceeded without heating (closed steam supply to the reactor jacket), since the beginning of the process splicing (oxidation) at elevated temperature can be too violent reaction to the release of large amounts of gases [6].

This leads to a strong release and foaming of the reaction mixture. Therefore, steam supply is only 2-4 hours after loading concentrate into the reactor. At a reaction temperature not lower than 1400 °C the duration of the oxidation process is not more than 48 hours [6].

End splicing process (oxidation) should be determined by the laboratory on the basis of the analysis of samples taken, as a result of which the efficiency of set rare metal concentrate oxidation. In the case where the efficiency is 95-97%, the oxidation step is complete. But in practice this method is not widely used because of the complexity and duration of the method. Therefore, the end of the process was determined visually by the color of the resulting pulp, which has a pure milk-white color [6].

 

IV Conclusion.Physical and chemical processes for the production of rare metals in industrial production is well researched and tested in practice. As a result of experimental studies on the existing production line producing rare metals, analysis and processing of the actual process data, it is shown that:

1) The production line producing rare metals, lead production is characterized by a large number of transients that are maintained in the optimal mode requires a clear system of control and regulation of technological parameters and an effective management system to all production.

2) Preparation of a rare metal on the lead production today is incidental production quality is to increase the level of semiconductor purity (i.e., base substance content in the final product should be not less than 99.99%) can only be secured mathematically Precision balance main chemical components used in the art.

3) The solution to improve the quality of manufactured product and the complexity of the use of raw materials is only possible with the use of complex automation, advanced sensors and flowmeters [6].

4) Therefore, one of the main objectives of this study is to develop, both theoretical foundations and practical ways to improve and optimize the extraction process for producing rare metals from industrial products of lead production based on modern high-performance methods and means of control and development of advanced monitoring and control systems in the production of rare metals.

 

REFERENCES

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2.  Abitova G.A. Ñîâåðøåíñòâîâàíèåïðîöåññàèçâëå÷åíèÿòåëëóðàèçïëàâîâñâèíöîâî-öèíêîâîãîïðîèçâîäñòâàñïðèìåíåíèåìíîâûõèíôîðìàöèîííûõòåõíîëîãèé. : diss. cand.tech.scien. Instituteof Metallurgy and Enriched,NASMES of RK . – Almaty. - 2006.-148 p.

3.  Gulnara Abitova.Research and development of control system for process with increasedpotential robust stability at complex automation of production of rare metals.: doctoral dissertation, PhD. KazNTU. – Almaty. - 2013. – 149 p. 

4.  Abitova G., Nikulin V. «Increasing Product Quality by Implementation of Complex Automation System for Industrial Processes», in the book: Omar Hammami, Daniel Krob, Jean-Luc Voirin, "Complex System Design & Management"/ The Proceedings of the Second International Conference on CSDM 2011, Paris, France, 2011. - Published by Springer – Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg. - Chapter 22, p.305-316.

5.  Abitova G., «Realization of the uniform introduction concept of modern means for the automation providing qualitative management by  technological  process», Journal  of  International  Scientific  Publication:  Materials,  Methods  and Technologies. Volume 4, Part 2. – Info Invest, Bulgaria, 2010. – P. 504-515.

6.  Abitova G., «Working out the universal algorithm of consumed characteristics calculation for control and management of discharged production», Kazakh-American Free University. Academic Journal. Scientific Journal. – Sandy, OR, USA, 2010. - Ñ.26-32.