Metal Refinement in the Presence of Mechanically Degradable Polymers

Abstract

The grinding of metal shavings in the presence of a mechanically degradable high-molecular compound intensifies the refinement and plasticizing processes, accompanied by the reduction and desulfurization of the fine metal. Mechanically degradable organics are used as solid-phase high-molecular compounds to promote metal refinement. A high-energy vibrating mill is used to grind steel shavings, a single-crystal diffractometer for X-ray diffraction, and an infrared laser pyrometer to measure the temperature of reactor walls during grinding. Polymethyl methacrylate is experimentally chosen as a high-molecular compound to generate active low-molecular components. The grinding of high-speed steel shavings together with the high-molecular organic compound leads to metal disintegration, which is a more energy-favored process that that occurring in the presence of low-molecular surface-active agents. The experiment has also demonstrated that there is no need to use labor-intensive annealing of the powder to eliminate mechanical work hardening since vibrating treatment of shavings in the presence of a degradable polymer leads to metal plasticizing. The time factor is used to describe the removal of adsorbed sulfur and that contained in steel from the metal and to describe the reduction of oxide films by the cracking products during mechanochemical treatment.