A collaborative model planning to coordinate mining and smelting furnace

International audienceIn this paper, we are interested in the tactical planning problem of mines and smelting furnace. The problem concerns a set of mines with one smelting furnace. We are faced to a multi-actor’s context for which a global optimization is not possible due to the independence of the services. This problem is solved using a set of local optimization model of mines bloc extraction and a model of smelting furnace. This paper begin with the state of the art related to the principal problems in mining process. It justifies the novelty of our work. Indeed, this paper aims to discuss on the impact of sharing information between downstream processes and upstream processes. Consequently, after the state of the art, the classical planning process using local optimization and the information sharing process are presented. In the following part, profits generated and related to different contexts: value-creation and approach are compared. At the end of the paper, conclusion and future extensions are presented

Challenges and Prospects of Steelmaking Towards the Year 2050

The world steel industry is strongly based on coal/coke in ironmaking, resulting in huge carbon dioxide emissions corresponding to approximately 7% of the total anthropogenic CO2 emissions. As the world is experiencing a period of imminent threat owing to climate change, the steel industry is also facing a tremendous challenge in next decades. This themed issue makes a survey on the current situation of steel production, energy consumption, and CO2 emissions, as well as cross-sections of the potential methods to decrease CO2 emissions in current processes via improved energy and materials efficiency, increasing recycling, utilizing alternative energy sources, and adopting CO2 capture and storage. The current state, problems and plans in the two biggest steel producing countries, China and India are introduced. Generally contemplating, incremental improvements in current processes play a key role in rapid mitigation of specific emissions, but finally they are insufficient when striving for carbon neutral production in the long run. Then hydrogen and electrification are the apparent solutions also to iron and steel production. The book gives a holistic overview of the current situation and challenges, and an inclusive compilation of the potential technologies and solutions for the global CO2 emissions problem

Archaeometric Investigation for Provenance Studies about Copper Metallurgy in the Phoenician and Punic Cultures

The doctoral thesis regards an innovative method based on an elaboration of chemical-physical data in terms of statistics and georeferencing of copper-based alloys artefacts in the Mediterranean and Atlantic regions which underwent the influence of Phoenician-Punic cultures. Fundamental aim of the research is the localization of areas where this influence is evidenced by the presence of artefacts which characteristics can be attributable to Phoenician and Punic presence. The chronological range considered is mostly between the Late Bronze Age (LBA) and the Early and Middle Iron Age (EIA- MIA), even if more ancient and more recent periods have been considered for coparison. The study of Phoenician-Punic archaeological sites, trade routes and the type of bronze processing have been considered broadly throughout the Mediterranean Basin and surrounding areas (but also atlantic and continental areas), leading to the production of databases containing information on archaeological settlements, mines and ore basins, and compositional data coming from literature or obtained from the analyses of bronze artefacts (SEM-EDS and EDXRF analyses), managed through an unprecedented application of Geographic Information System (GIS tool). So the GIS application includes data coming from archaeometric analytical sessions and from analogous researches published on specialised literature, carried out on samples of different typologies. The collected databases were elaborated on the basis of statistics-mathematic methods, in particular Principal Component Analysis (PCA), while frequency distributions and Box-Whisker diagrams have been used for the study of smaller datasets. The production of manufactures (small size metal statuary), connected to religious worship, were addressed in Alentejo, Portugal (Evora and Alcacer do Sal) and in Sardinia, Italy (Cagliari and Sassari). The mining and the production of slags and semi-finished products have been examined for Moroccan area (especially in Meknes Region) while metal artefacts of Roman period from Volubilis archaeological settlement have been analysed in the light of a probable technological conservatism between Punics and Romans. The production of bronze Punic coins was deepened for a private collection (Collection M. Viola) and through the study of Punic and neo-Punic finds in France, Belgium and in lesser extent in Northern continental Europe areas. The results have been interpreted with a unique perspective, so as to allow a new vision on the Phoenician presence an bronze production in the areas where they settled. Further result is the elaboration of a useful tool for the archaeological research that is reproducible in several fields, even different from the ancient metallurgy studies

Just transition toolbox for coal regions

As the worldwide remaining carbon budget decreases rapidly, countries across the globe are searching for solutions to limit greenhouse gas emissions. As the production and use of coal is among the most carbon-intensive processes, it is foreseeable that coal regions will be particularly affected by the consequences of a transformation towards a climate-neutral economy and energy system. Challenges arise in the area of energy production, environmental protection, but also for economic and social aspects in the transforming regions - often coined with the term "Just Transition". For the decision makers in coal regions, there is an urgent need for support tools that help to kick off measures to diversify the local economies while at the same time supporting the local workers and communities. The Wuppertal Institute aims to support coal regions worldwide by developing a Just Transition Toolbox, which illustrates the challenges and opportunities of a sustainable transition for a global audience. It comprises information about strategy development, sets recommendations for governance structures, fostering sustainable employment, highlights technology options and sheds light on the environmental rehabilitation and repurposing of coal-related sites and infrastructure. The toolbox builds on the work of the Wuppertal Institute for the EU Initiative for Coal Regions in Transition and takes into account country-specific findings from the SPIPA-partner countries India, Indonesia, South Africa, Japan, South Korea, Canada and the USA. The acronym SPIPA is short for "Strategic Partnerships for the Implementation of the Paris Agreement" an EU-BMU programme co-financed by the GIZ

Creative Strategies to Recover Urban Land in Disuse

[eng] Industrial land in disuse is a dual carrier of crisis and revitalization of mining cities facing decline. On the one hand, it is an object that carries urban crisis, which has many negative effects on the urban environment, economy, and society. On the other hand, it has the advantage of reuse and can be transformed into a positive factor for urban revival. The main starting point of this research is to explore the value of industrial wastelands and their reuse to promote China's mining cities out of their difficulties. The existing research on industrial lands in disuse lacks a holistic and systematic view and has insufficient knowledge of overall value of industrial lands in disuse and inadequate refining of their core values. This has led to a series of problems such as "islanding" renewal, "destructive" protection, and convergence of appearance. On account of these problems, this research applies landscape genetic theory to the conservation and renewal of industrial lands in disuse by using literature research, field survey, typology, comparative study, and systematic analysis, and analyzes the regular characteristics of industrial land in disuse clusters in China in time and space, so as to explore a more effective way for the deep excavation and scientific expression of the value of industrial lands in disuse. This research is highly interdisciplinary and exploratory. The main research contents and academic contributions: 1. The research introduces the concept of genes in biogenetics, based on the principles of "base pairing" and "DNA sequence combination" in the storage and transmission of genetic information. And based on the typology and the epistemology that interprets anthropology and the methodological basis of designing language and semiotics, we have constructed a landscape genetic theory structure with a landscape gene structure system and landscape genetic atlas as the core. 2. This research unravels the mining cities in China as the research background, clarifies the definition, classification, regional distribution, and spatial structure of mining cities, discusses the characteristics and laws of the formation and development of mining cities, and summarizes the problems and countermeasures. Then, the concept of industrial land in disuse is proposed. Its causes are analyzed and classified, and the main problems in the protection and renewal of industrial lands in disuse in China are analyzed. 3. Based on the evaluation of the value of industrial lands in disuse and their morphological and structural laws, the "unit-piece-chain-domain" landscape genetic structure system is proposed, so that any complex industrial land in disuse group can be quickly decomposed and combined under the guidance of this system. Based on this structure system, coupling mining city spaces, industrial land in disuse groups, and green space, the effective way for transformation and characteristics shaping of mining city and high-quality human living environment construction is explored. 4. This research proposes a conservation method and creative strategy for industrial land in disuse based on the genetic behavior of landscape genes. In the gene replication stage, it focuses on the protection of the authenticity and integrity of the landscape genes of industrial wasteland. In the gene translation stage, it focuses on the benign recombination and functional grafting of the landscape genes of industrial land in disuse. Three creative strategies of recombination and grafting are proposed: landscape genetic juxtaposition, landscape genetic translation, and landscape genetic symbiosis. The space of industrial land in disuse, which is contradictory and conflicting due to cultural heterogeneity and spatial and temporal differences, is reconstructed to create a landscape with regional characteristics. Huangshi City is a representative mining city in China, with a large number and many types of industrial wastelands, which has temporal continuity and spatial integrity. Based on the evaluation of the value of industrial wastelands in Huangshi City, using landscape gene theory, this research constructs the landscape gene structure system of "unit-piece-chain-domain", and builds the spatial layout of coupling urban space, industrial land in disuse clusters, and green space. Taking Tonglvshan landscape gene piece and Hanyeping Railway landscape gene chain as examples, this research maps the landscape gene atlas. Based on the landscape gene atlas and genetic behavior, protection of authenticity and integrity, recombination, and grafting measures are proposed to revitalize industrial land in disuse

Market Stakeholder Analysis of the Practical Implementation of Carbonation Curing on Steel Slag for Urban Sustainable Governance

Carbonation curing on steel slag is one of the most promising technologies for the iron and steel industry to manage its solid waste and carbon emissions. However, the technology is still in its demonstration stage. This paper investigates the market stakeholders of carbonation curing on steel slag for construction materials for its effective application by taking China as a case study. A holistic analysis of the competition, market size, and stakeholders of carbonation curing on steel slag was carried out through a literature review, a survey, a questionnaire, and interviews. The results showed that carbonation curing on steel slag had the advantages of high quality, high efficiency, low cost, and carbon reduction compared with other technologies. Shandong province was the most suitable province for the large-scale primary application of the technology. Stakeholder involvement to establish information platforms, enhance economic incentives, and promote adequate R&D activities would promote carbonation curing of steel slag into practice. This paper provides a reference for the commercialization of carbonation curing on similar calcium- and magnesium-based solid waste materials

Lead production on the northeast periphery: A study of the Bowes family estate, c.1550-1771

This is a study of a family estate’s relationship with a high value mineral product. It aims to fill a knowledge gap in the extractive industry’s history in the Northeast by examining the lead production process on Bowes’ lands. The behaviour of the landowner as mineral lord and the extent of any individual’s role is the over-arching theme. It involves the study of the gentry as entrepreneur, and the key role of the estate steward. The economic relationship between the region and the nation is also illuminated through the Bowes family’s activities in both the North-East and London. The main focus is on the Bowes estate between 1720 and 1760 as this was the period when George Bowes was actively involved in developing the lead mining industry on his estates in North-East England. The chapters that follow examine the Bowes family’s relationship with lead between 1550 and 1771. Chapter 2 attempts to establish the roots of this relationship in the sixteenth century; Chapter 3 focuses on the swing to inactivity in the lead business during the first half of the seventeenth century, followed by less passive involvement from the late 1670s into the early eighteenth century. The period of George Bowes patriarchy then becomes the focus of the thesis: Chapter 4 discusses the organisation and management of lead production on the Bowes estate in the mid-eighteenth century; Chapter 5 the development of lead mining; Chapter 6 smelting and related activities; Chapter 7 the lead market and carriage; chapter 8 the role of George Bowes; and Chapter 9 the transitional period between 1760 and 1771 prior to the arrival of the London Lead Company

Dynamics of Japan’s Trade and Industrial Policy in the Post Rapid Growth Era (1980–2000)

This open access book provides an in-depth examination of Japan's policy responses to the economic challenges of the 1980s and '90s. While MITI's earlier role in promoting rapid growth has been addressed in other studies, this volume, based on official records and exhaustive interviews, is the first to examine the aftermath of rapid growth and the evolution of MITI's interpretation of the economy's changing needs. Covering such topics as the oil shocks, trade conflict with the United States, and the rise and collapse of the so-called bubble economy, it presents a detailed analysis and evaluation of how these challenges were interpreted by government officials, the kinds of policies that were enacted, the extent to which policy aims were realized, and lessons for the longer term. This book is recommended especially to officials of countries concerned about the challenges that follow on high economic growth and to readers interested in Japan’s contemporary economic history

Process Modeling in Pyrometallurgical Engineering

The Special Issue presents almost 40 papers on recent research in modeling of pyrometallurgical systems, including physical models, first-principles models, detailed CFD and DEM models as well as statistical models or models based on machine learning. The models cover the whole production chain from raw materials processing through the reduction and conversion unit processes to ladle treatment, casting, and rolling. The papers illustrate how models can be used for shedding light on complex and inaccessible processes characterized by high temperatures and hostile environment, in order to improve process performance, product quality, or yield and to reduce the requirements of virgin raw materials and to suppress harmful emissions