Project Details
Projekt
Central project - Slag synthesis, design and characterization
Subject Area
Mechanical Process Engineering
Metallurgical, Thermal and Thermomechanical Treatment of Materials
Metallurgical, Thermal and Thermomechanical Treatment of Materials
Term
since 2021
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 470552553
The project looks at metallurgical slag production and the associated characterisation methods. The service character of the project in regard to the SPP results from the provision of defined formulated and characterised slag samples, as it is also necessary in the second funding period to provide sufficient quantities of EnAM-containing slags for the experimental work. LiAlO2 n*SiO2, which typically occurs in the metallurgical recycling of Li-ion batteries, was selected as the EnAM system in the 1st funding period. In the second funding period, a further slag system with EnAM will be added in order broaden the range of physical properties (magnetisability / density) of the sample material and to work on the EnAM approach more holistically. The second EnAM system is a fayalitic slag (Fe2[SiO4]) that enriches tantalum in the EnAM. The services include the reproducible synthesis of slags containing EnAM crystals in a defined volume concentration and with a defined crystal size. The solidified slag is crushed before distributed as fractions with a defined particle size distribution. Basic information on the concentration and size (distribution) of the Li or Ta-EnAM crystals is also shared. The research part of the central project focuses on two areas: metallurgical-technological investigations with quantification of the metallurgical processing properties of the Li-EnAM system and the further development of 3D-geometallurgical characterisation methods and their application in order to provide a deeper insight into the structure and composition of the heterogeneous material structure of the Li-EnAM system. The fundamental engineering metallurgical challenge aims at analysing the influence of other components of the Li slag expected in practical applications, e.g., fluorine and phosphorus, on the properties of the Li-EnAM, e.g. crystal size, crystal shape, yield, concentration. The work is rounded off by a work package that utilises real starting materials from Li-ion batteries for their pyrometallurgical processing in order to prove that the EnAM concept for the recovery of Li is transferable. The work on geometallurgical characterisation aims to develop a holistic characterisation method for EnAM in order to quantify the 3D structure as well as the elemental and mineralogical composition of the solidified slag using 3D X-ray tomography in combination with 2D mineralogical analysis using correlative approaches. This results in a complete 3D image of the structural and mineralogical information of the slag sample with the embedded EnAM. The image data of the EnAM particles are provided via a special database.
DFG Programme
Priority Programmes
