Rolled mill scale is one of the most valuable industrial waste. The produced mill-scale briquettes are reduced by hydrogen at varying temperatures. The reduction is carried out at 800°C, 900°C, and 1000 °C and lasts for 120 minutes. The reduced samples are studied by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The reduction of mill scale allows the new use and development of this material to obtain sponge iron that can be reused to produce iron-based powder metallurgy components. From the SEM, EDS, and XRD analysis, it is clear that as the reduction temperature increases from 800°C to 1000°C, the amount of produced iron powder also increases at constant holding time, where the amount of iron powder produced at 800oC is 94.55%, but it is 98.22% at the reduction temperature of 1000°C. The proposed reduction process allows obtaining a sponge iron powder of an irregular morphology with different crystallite sizes as measured by the Scherrer equation, where the crystallite size increased with the reduction temperature. The minimum crystallite size value is 44.45nm at the reduction temperature of 800°C, but it equals 60.1nm at 1000°C.

BACKGROUND: The association of serum free testosterone (FT) with prostate cancer is not fully understood. Studies on the results of the relationship between serum testosterone level and prostate cancer are conflicting. However, there is a reported association between lower serum testosterone levels and high-grade prostate cancer. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between serum FT and the clinico-pathological characteristics of prostate cancer in South African patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The clinical data of 109 consecutive patients diagnosed with prostate cancer on biopsy were evaluated prospectively. The variables were age, ethnic group, prostate-specific antigen (PSA), digital rectal examination (DRE) findings, clinical tumour, nodes and metastases (TNM) stage, and Gleason score. Low serum FT was defined as <250 ng/dl. Statistical analysis was performed using Stata V10 software (p<0.05 considered significant). RESULTS: There was a statistically significant association between low serum FT and high serum PSA, high Gleason score and clinically advanced stage prostate cancer. CONCLUSIONS: In this cohort of men with histologically diagnosed prostate cancer, low serum FT was associated with higher PSA, higher grade, and locally advanced or metastatic prostate cancer.