Separation of Gold from Sulfide Using a Plasma Arc Fuming Process

Transferred-arc plasma treatment of iron sulfides containing gold is examined from both thermodynamic and experimental points of view. Three cases are analyzed: argon plasma with sulfide, argon plasma with a carbon–sulfide mixture, and argon–methane plasma with sulfide. The carboreduction of the materials appears to be well adapted for gold separation by fuming, but experimentally the process is limited by the poor mixing of graphite with molten material. The reduction with a CH₄ (10%) plasma is a proved alternative to the aforementioned process. A gold extraction efficiency of 90% is achieved for batch smelting operations.     

XPS analyses of lanthanides phosphates

XPS measurements were performed on lanthanide orthophosphates LnPO₄ (Ln: La, Ce, Nd, Gd), and correlated with XRD and some EDS analyses. Single lanthanide phosphates LnPO₄ and mixed lanthanide phosphates LnxLn^′1−xPO₄, all crystallized in a monoclinic structure similar to the monazite mineral. Results were examined qualitatively and quantitatively, by considering the Ln 3d lines, P 2p line and O 1s line.Ionic sputtering does not induce significant broadening nor an additional shift of the lanthanide peaks and does not have an effect on their chemical environments, except in the case of cerium. However, sputtering seems to significantly reduce the intensity of the O 1s and P 2p peaks, while Auger peaks of carbon and oxygen atoms interfere, respectively, with the 3d line of gadolinium and neodymium. Those phenomena are all the more important when the Nd and Gd content is weak and must be taken into account for a quantitative analysis of the spectra.The quantitative analyses reveal the expected results for single monazites. On mixed phosphates, the measured phosphorous and oxygen amounts are generally more valid for non-sputtered sample surfaces than for sputtered surfaces, while the calculated relative amount of lanthanides [Ln]/[Ln′] are correct in all the cases.One of the important goals of this work was to have a satisfactory value for the atomic ratio La/Gd, and particularly in the case of (La,Ce)PO₄ and (La,Gd)PO₄, to obtain good agreement between the calculated lanthanides ratio Nd/Gd and ratios estimated from XRD and EDS measurements.     

MTi(0.7)Mo(0.3)Mo(5)O(10) (M = SR, Eu), first evidence of mono- and bicapped bioctahedral Mo(11) and Mo(12) clusters: synthesis, crystal structures, and physical properties

The novel quaternary reduced molybdenum oxides MTi(0.7)Mo(0.3)Mo(5)O(10) (M = Sr, Eu) have been synthesized by solid-state reaction at 1400 degrees C for 48 h in sealed molybdenum crucibles. Their crystal structures were determined on single crystals by X-ray diffraction. Both compounds crystallize in the orthorhombic space group Pbca with 8 formula units per cell and the following lattice parameters: a(Sr) = 9.1085 (7), b(Sr) = 11.418 (1), and c(Sr) = 15.092 (3) A; a(Eu) = 9.1069 (7), b(Eu) = 11.421 (2), and c(Eu) = 15.075 (1) A. The Mo network is dominated by bioctahedral Mo(10) clusters, which coexist randomly with Mo(11) and Mo(12) clusters (monocapped and bicapped Mo(10) clusters). The Mo-Mo distances within the clusters range from 2.62 to 2.92 A and the Mo-O distances from 1.99 to 2.17 A as usually observed in the reduced molybdenum oxides. The Sr(2+) and Eu(2+) ions occupy large cavities, which result from the fusion of two cubooctahedra and thus are surrounded by 11 oxygen atoms. The M-O distances range from 2.50 to 3.23 A for the Sr compound and from 2.49 to 3.24 A for the Eu analogue. Single-crystal resistivity measurements indicate that both materials are poor metals with transitions to semiconducting states below 50 and 40 K and room temperature resistivity values of 9 x 10(-3) and 5 x 10(-3) Omega.cm for the Sr and Eu compounds, respectively. The magnetic susceptibility data indicate paramagnetic behavior due to the Eu(2+) moment at high temperatures for the Eu compound and do not reveal the existence of localized moments on the Mo and Ti sublattice in the Sr compound. An XPS study clearly suggests that the isolated Ti ions are tetravalent. Theoretical considerations preclude the existence of heterometallic Mo-Ti clusters.     

Controlled nucleation and growth of thin hydroxyapatite layers on titanium implants by using induction heating technique

This paper reports the results obtained by the development of a new wet method of hydroxyapatite (HA) thin layer deposition. The method is based on the localized precipitation of HA on metallic substrates activated by induction heating. The technique developed has been shown to allow for the complete coating of substrates with micrometric thin films of HA within a low processing time. The method has been successfully applied to coat Ti plaques and Ti-6A1-4V cylinders.     

Analysis of Antimony Doping in Tin Oxide Thin Films Obtained by the Sol-Gel Method

The antimony doping in SnO₂ thin films prepared by the sol-gel dip-coating method has been studied using two characterization techniques. In order to determine the actual doping level directly in the deposited layers, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) have been used. We found that this doping level is systematically lower than expected from the starting solutions composition, and that two oxidation states are present: Sb³⁺ and Sb⁵⁺. As the antimony content increases, there is a competition between Sb⁵⁺ and Sb³⁺ species.The SnO₂: Sb thin films have also been observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), showing that the measured mean size of crystallites decreases as the Sb content increases in the oxide. No precipitates of either Sn or Sb oxides (other than SnO₂) could be detected.     

Physico-chemical behavior of carbon materials under high temperature and ion irradiation

Carbon/carbon (C/C) composites have been chosen for the conception of the thermal shield of the “Solar Probe” space mission. To understand their behavior under solar aggressions (high temperature and ion irradiation) and know the possible interactions with the shipped-in instruments, these materials are tested in a facility that allows to partially simulate the solar environment and to carry out in situ measurements. The mass loss rate of the materials is recorded and the composition and distribution of the ejected species are followed using an opened source mass spectrometer and a post-treatment XPS analysis of the condensed species on a gold-plated copper target is also performed. Besides this, the sputtering processes of graphite at high temperature and ion irradiation have been theoretically investigated in order to understand the main parameters that can influence the erosion of the material and predict accurately the physico-chemical behavior of the C/C composites.