An efficient approach to utilize copper smelting slag: Separating nonferrous metals and reducing iron oxide at high temperature.

Over 50 million tons of copper slag are produced worldwide annually. Stacking is currently the primary method used to treat copper slag, resulting in resource wastage and environmental issues. Using slag as a raw material in the steel industry is areasonablesolution. However, the presence of nonferrous metals degrades steel performance and corrodes smelting equipment, and the remaining slag poses environmental and sustainable challenges. Thus, this study focused on removal of nonferrous metals from copper slag and subsequent reduction of iron oxide. The experimental results showed that increasing the percentage of the chlorinating agent (calcium chloride), temperature, and duration, the removal percentage of copper initially increased linearly, then plateaued. The acidity coefficient had a marginal effect on copper removal percentage. The optimum chlorination roasting conditions were 13 % calcium chloride, 1373 K, and 0.5 h, resulting in removal percentages of 90.3 %, 81.9 %, and 82.7 % for copper, zinc, and lead, respectively. The appropriate oxygen partial pressure for chlorination roasting was 10-5-0.7 atm. The reduction percentage of iron oxide was approximately 82 % under roasting conditions of 1.5 h at 1373 K. Based on these results, a novel scheme for copper slag utilization is proposed that involves chlorination roasting for nonferrous metal removal, reduction roasting for iron oxide reduction, and melting to obtain molten iron and separate molten slag. The iron and slag are used for steel manufacturing and rock wool preparation, respectively. This scheme provides apromisingway to efficiently use copper slag, which will reduce primary resource consumption and pollution.

Prediction of re-oxidation behaviour of ultra-low carbon steel by different slag series.

A kinetic model was developed using FactSage Macro Processing to simulate the re-oxidation of ultra-low carbon steel via different oxidising slags. The calculated results show good agreement with experimental laboratory thermal simulation data. Therefore, the model can be used to predict the change behaviour of slag-metal-inclusion in the re-oxidation reaction of liquid steel. It can provide prediction and guidance for an accurate secondary oxidation control process. During the slag re-oxidation process, when the oxygen in the steel is supersaturated and the slag is low in oxidation, it can easily form stick-like and dendritic shape inclusions of Al2O3 in steel. As the (FeO) content increases in slag, the oxygen transfer from slag to steel is evident, and the inclusion size increases, showing clusters and spherical shapes. In addition, supersaturated oxygen in steel easily forms unstable Al2O3-TiOx inclusions with [Ti]. As the components of liquid steel tend to be uniform, the Al2O3-TiOx inclusions will decompose and disappear, forming stable Al2O3 and TiO2 inclusions. The number of inclusions can be reduced by increasing the basicity and the ratio of CaO to Al2O3 in the initial slag.

[Expression Levels of JARID1B, Hes1 and MMP-9 Genes in CML Patients Treated with Imatinib Mesylate].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the relationship between the expression levels of JARID1B,Hes1 and MMP-9 genes and the stages of chronic myelogenous leukemia(CML) and the curative effect of imatinib mesylate (IM). METHODS: Peripheral blood samples of 15 cases of CML in chronic phase and 10 cases of CML in progressive phase were collected from the Hematology Department of Taihe Hospital affiliated to Hubei University of Medicine and 15 cases of healthy people in the Physical Examination Center. CML patients were divided into effective group and ineffective group based on the efficacy after treatment with IM, then real-time PCR was used to detect the expression levels of JARID1B, Hes1 and MMP-9 mRNA, finally, the differences in the level of gene expression and their correlations with CML stages and IM curative efficacy were analysed. RESULTS: The expression levels of Hes1 and MMP-9 in initially diagnosed patients in chronic and progressive phase without IM treatment were significantly higher than those of health people（P＜0.05）. There was no significant difference in the expression level of JARID1B between chronic phase patients and health people（P＞0.05）, but the expression level of JARID1B in the progressive phase patients was higher than that of health people （P＜0.05）. The expression levels of JARID1B and Hes1 in the IM-effective group were not significantly different from those in the IM-ineffective group (P=0.85,P=0.82）, while the expression level of MMP-9 in the IM-effective group [JP2]was significantly lower than that in the IM-ineffective group（P＜0.05）. CONCLUSION: The expression levels of JARID1B Hes1 and MMP-9 relate with the different phase of CML; The expression levels of JARID1B and Hes1 have not significant relationship with IM curative efficacy, the MMP-9 gene expression level relates with IM curative efficacy.

[Plasma concentrations of vascular endothelial growth factor and tissue factor in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia].

OBJECTIVE: To detect plasma concentrations of vascular endothelial cell growth factor (VEGF) and tissue factor (TF) in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and explore their clinical significance in ALL. METHODS: Thirty-three children with newly diagnosed ALL, including 18 cases of low risk, 7 cases of moderate risk and 8 cases of high risk, were enrolled in this study. Twenty-five patients received a complete remission and 8 cases were in non-remission after conventional remission induction chemotherapy. Plasma concentrations of VEGF and TF in the patients were detected using ELISA before and after treatment. Sixteen healthy children served as normal control group. RESULTS: Plasma concentrations of VEGF and TF in ALL patients before treatment were significantly higher than those in normal controls (P < 0.01). Plasma concentrations of VEGF and TF in the non-remission group before treatment were significantly higher than those in the remission group (P < 0.05) and the control group (P < 0.01). After treatment the plasma concentrations of VEGF and TF in the non-remission group were not significantly reduced and higher than those in the remission and the control groups (P < 0.01). There were significant differences in plasma concentrations of VEGF and TF among the low-risk, moderate-risk and high-risk groups before and after treatment (P < 0.05). Plasma concentrations of VEGF and TF in the high risk group were not significantly reduced after treatment and higher than those in the control group (P < 0.01). A linear correlation was noted between plasma VEGF and TF concentrations in ALL patients before treatment (r=0.50, P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: VEGF and TF play an important role in the development of ALL and may be useful to the evaluation of the severity and the outcome in ALL.

[The effect of HGF on graft-versus-host disease and graft-versus-leukemia after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation in acute lymphoblastic leukemia mice].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) on graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (allo-BMT) and related mechanism in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) mice. METHODS: Twenty nude mice were randomly divided into control (group A) and test (group B) groups for monitoring relapse, and 20 BALB/c mice into control (group C) and test (group D) groups for GVHD. HGF as injected from day 0 to day 7 after BMT for groups B and D, while PBS for A and C. CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cell were evaluated by flow cytometry. The survival of mice after BMT was recorded. The level of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) was evaluated by ELISA. RESULTS: The median past-BMT survival were 7.00 +/- 1.58, 9.00 +/- 1.58, 11.00 +/- 3.95 and 24.00 +/- 13.44 days for groups A, B, C, D, respectively, being prolonged in group D. HGF could decrease the quantity of CD4(+) T cells [group D (10.39 +/- 1.15)% vs group C (13.50 +/- 1.80)%, P < 0.01] and increase CD8(+) T cell [group D (12.25 +/- 2.85)% vs group C (6.12 +/- 1.99)%, P < 0.01], decrease the level of TNF-alpha in transplanted ALL mice [group D (112.10 +/- 18.99) pg/ml vs group C (143.90 +/- 25.35) pg/ml, P < 0.01] and reduce the degree of GVHD. CONCLUSION: HGF could alleviate post-allo-BMT GVHD but retain GVL effect.

[Effects of HGF on GVHD and Th1/Th2-related cytokines in ALL mice after allo-BMT].

To observe the effects of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) on graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and Th1/Th2 related cytokines in mice with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) after allogenic bone marrow transplantation (allo-BMT), BALB/c mice were conditioned by total body irradiation with 11 Gy and then were transplanted with allogeneic bone marrow after establishing ALL model. BALB/c mice were divided into groups A and B. The mice of group A were injected subcutaneously with HGF from day 0 to 7 after allo-BMT, and the mice of group B were injected subcutaneously with PBS from day 0 to 7 after allo-BMT. The symptoms of GVHD and the GVHD pathological changes of liver and small intestine and skin were observed. The serum levels of both IFN-gamma and IL-4 were determined by ELISA. The results showed that the score of GVHD in group A was lower than that in group B (P < 0.05). The levels of IFN-gamma in both groups A and B were all higher than that in normal group (P < 0.05 and P < 0.001, respectively), However, the level of IFN-gamma in group A was lower than that in group B (P < 0.01). The levels of IL-4 in both group A and B were all lower than that in normal group (P < 0.05), but the level of IL-4 in group A was higher than that in group B (P < 0.05). It is concluded that HGF can alleviates the severity of GVHD, because of its balancing the Th1/Th2-related cytokines after allo-BMT.