Vlaamse Instelling Voor Technologisch Onderzoek (Vito)

Umicore

Vlaamse Instelling Voor Technologisch Onderzoek

Vlaamse Instelling Voor Technologisch Onderzoek, Afgekort V.i.t.o., Onderneming Van Openbaar Nut Onder De Vorm Van Een N.v.

Jan Luyten

Steven Mullens

Ivo Thijs

Jozef Cooymans

Johan Vangrunderbeek

Werner Verdickt

Pieter Lens

Wannes De Moor

Joris Roosen

Francis Rondas

Maarten Schurmans

Carina Smolders

The present invention provides a process for preparing a high-purity nickel sulphate solution, comprising the steps of: i. forming an aqueous mixed metal sulphate solution by reacting sulphuric acid with a raw material feed comprising nickel, manganese, cobalt, and magnesium in an aqueous medium; ii. extracting manganese from said aqueous mixed metal sulphate solution, thereby obtaining a first aqueous raffinate comprising nickel, cobalt and magnesium, and a manganese-rich organic phase; iii. extracting cobalt from said first aqueous raffinate, thereby obtaining a second aqueous raffinate comprising nickel and magnesium, and a cobalt-rich organic phase; and iv. extracting magnesium from said second aqueous raffinate solution, thereby obtaining a high-purity nickel sulphate solution, and a magnesium-rich organic phase.

Process for preparing a high-purity nickel sulphate solution

A method for manufacturing a high ductility Ti-, Ti-alloy or NiTi-foam, meaning a compression strain higher than 10%, includes: preparing a powder suspension of a Ti-, NiTi- or Ti-alloy powder, bringing the said powder suspension into a desired form by gelcasting to form a green artifact. The method also includes a calcination step wherein the green artifact is calcined, and sintering the artifact. The calcination step includes a slow heating step wherein said green artifact is heated at a rate lower or equal to 20&#xb0; C./hour to a temperature between 400&#xb0; C. and 600&#xb0; C. and the Ti-, NiTi- or Ti-alloy powder has a particle size less than 100 &#x3bc;m. A high ductility Ti-, Ti-alloy or NiTi foam, with a compression higher than 10%, with a theoretical density less than 30%, pore size (cell size) between 50 to 1000 &#x3bc;m can be obtained with such a method.

Titanium, titanium alloy and NiTi foams with high ductility

An electrochemical sensor to measure the activity of a metallic component in a molten metal, comprising the molten metal as the measuring electrode, a reference electrode containing the metallic component to be measured, separated from each other by a liquid ion-conducting halide comprising the metallic component to be measured and immobilized in a non-conducting porous support fabricated from a material inert or almost inert to the molten metal, the halide and the reference electrode material, and whereby the reference electrode further comprises an external connection comprising an electric wire held in an electric isolating material which is chemically inert or almost inert to the molten metal and the reference electrode material, characterized in that the sealing of the reference electrode which is adapted to be sealed is done by a high temperature cement and by the molten metal itself and by a gas tight sealing of the external connection above the melt, and the reference electrode is introduced by a melt process.

Sensor for application in molten metals

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Molenstede, Belgium

Jan Luyten