US1817935A - Pyrometallurgical copper refining - Google Patents

Pyrometallurgical copper refining Download PDF

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Publication number
US1817935A
US1817935A US299666A US29966628A US1817935A US 1817935 A US1817935 A US 1817935A US 299666 A US299666 A US 299666A US 29966628 A US29966628 A US 29966628A US 1817935 A US1817935 A US 1817935A
Authority
US
United States
Prior art keywords
copper
vessel
molten
product
sulphur
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US299666A
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English (en)
Inventor
Harry H Stout
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
COPPER DEOXIDATION Corp
Original Assignee
COPPER DEOXIDATION CORP
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority to BE363012D priority Critical patent/BE363012A/xx
Application filed by COPPER DEOXIDATION CORP filed Critical COPPER DEOXIDATION CORP
Priority to US299666A priority patent/US1817935A/en
Priority to GB24260/29A priority patent/GB317399A/en
Priority to FR680195D priority patent/FR680195A/fr
Priority to DEST46292D priority patent/DE615378C/de
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US1817935A publication Critical patent/US1817935A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C22—METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
    • C22B—PRODUCTION AND REFINING OF METALS; PRETREATMENT OF RAW MATERIALS
    • C22B15/00—Obtaining copper
    • C22B15/0026—Pyrometallurgy
    • C22B15/0028—Smelting or converting
    • C22B15/0052—Reduction smelting or converting
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C22—METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
    • C22B—PRODUCTION AND REFINING OF METALS; PRETREATMENT OF RAW MATERIALS
    • C22B15/00—Obtaining copper
    • C22B15/0026—Pyrometallurgy
    • C22B15/006—Pyrometallurgy working up of molten copper, e.g. refining

Definitions

  • This invention relatesto the pyrometallurgical refining of copper.
  • the object of the invention is to produce at less cost a fire-refined product with chemical and physical properties superior to those of the product of previously known refining methods.
  • a particular object is to produce a copper having uniform and dependable physical qualities, a result ,which cannot be reached is by prior art fire-refining practice.
  • Figure 1 is a diagram representing the location of the different units used in carrying out the invention. 4
  • Figure 2 is an elevation partly in section of certain pieces of apparatus.
  • Figure 3 is a section of a line 3--3 of Figurer 2.
  • Another source of contamination of present process fire refined copper is the oxygen absorbed by the molten metal in transit from 3 the interior of the furnace to the mould and Serial No. 299,666.
  • Raising the oxygen content of the molten copper in the furnace diminishes the per cent. of the total sulphur content which enters into SE11 solution; hence less S0 gas is generated during solidification and the surface of the bar is flat or concave-low pitch copper.
  • molten copper melted by any of the methods now used in the art and/or molten copper from the converter 10 is transported by the ladle 11 and poured through the launder 12 into the oxidizing vessel 13, which has been preheated by any suitable method.
  • the preheating has been carried to such a point that the combined heat of the vessel and that of the entering copper results in a copper temperature of from about 2000 to 2050 F.
  • the copper is then oxidized by any of the methods now used in the art, such as by air and/or oxygen to about a saturated liquid solution'of copper cuprous oxide eutectic at the particular temperature, thereby removing substantially all of thesulphur with the least addition of oxygen.
  • the degree of oxidation necessary to remove substantially all sulphur is a function of the temperature of the copper at the finish of the blow, the lower the copper temperature, the lower the oxygen content necessary; in practice we have about 0.55% oxygen at 2030 F.
  • the closestr-219.1 temperature used at the end of the oxldation is that found most economical unflakes, not in eutectic soder the local conditions of fuel cost, wages, necessary tonnage per vessel, WhlCh 1s claimed per se in my copending application Serial No. 5-i7,013, filed June 26, 1931, for Vessel for fire refining, etc.
  • the oxidizing vessel is specially heat-insulated (as hereinafter disclosed) to prevent rapid loss of heat from the copper, and in some cases it is preferred to pour the oxidizedcopper without further heating into the reducing vessel 14.
  • the copper cuprous oxide eutectic may be heated by the combustion of commercial fuel to any desired temperature before it is transferred to 4 the subsequent vessel, if found desirable, as
  • the eutectic After the eutectic is in the reducing vessel and before reduction begins it may be fired on by flame from commercial fuel as the eu ectic as such will not absorb appreciable amounts of sulphur beyond that which is substantially expelled by the hydrogen content of the reduction medium during the early stages of reduction when the oxygen content of the copper is re'atively high.
  • the eutectic is reduced to any desired oxygen content by any of the means new used in the art such as poles, charcoal, suitable reducing gases, etc., and from this vessel the refined copper is cast by any of the means new used in the art which will cast the charge in a suitably short casting period time.
  • the vessel'l4 may be moved along track 17 and thefcopper poured into molds 18.
  • the oxidation and reduction can be performed in the same vessel, and the copper cast without subjecting it to contact with lame from combustion of commercial fuel after reduction provided the vessel is suitably heat insulated and the casting period sufficiently short, but in this case the interior rick lining of the vessel will absorb appreciable sulphur from the copper before it is oxidized and this sulphur will reenter the copper from the brick work during the latter stages of reduction, and the productcontains relatively more sulphur than the product when oxidation and reduction are conducted in separate vessels. On the other hand the product, even when oxidation and reduction are performed in the same vessel, contains.
  • the vessel must be especially insulated against loss of heat and must have its openings necessary to conduct the process, capable of being closed relatively tight against the entrance of air into the vessel during the casting period; otherwise fuel is necessary during the casting period, which, as has been pointed out, poisons the copper when in the reduced condition.
  • the lining 20 of refractory brick is of such a thickness that the steel shell 21 never rises above a temperature that it is well able to withstand over, long periods of use.
  • the steel shell extends a safe distance above the molten copper level.
  • the next lining 22 of the vessel is composed of a suitable heatinsulating material such as sil-o-cel, magnesium, asbestos, etc., and this lining must be of suitable thickness to retain most of the heat within the vessel and at the same time permit the steel shell 21 to stay below its suitable working temperature. Outside of this heat-insulating material is the outer metal shell 23.
  • vessels may both be constructed in this manner.
  • the present process differs from prior art practice also in that prior art requires a much higher capital expenditure per ton of product as the following example will show.
  • To produce 240 tons per day of product, fire refined from molten blister requires by prior art methods two furnaces of 120 tons each or.2aO tons total, from each furnace one charge in hours is cast and the casting periodis from 3 to 5 hours long for each charge.
  • With my process two vessels each approximately tons or a total vessel size of tons, will cast the same amount of copper, a charge is cast every two hours and the casting period for each charge is from 18 to 26 minutes.
  • the large size furnace units of the prior art require continuous combustion of fuel and therefore need an oxidizing flame during reduction and casting. They consume from 52 to 83 pounds of poles per ton of product. In the present process no fuel is required during reduction and casting, only from 23 to 32 pounds of poles are used per ton of product, and the length of time required for reduction is correspondingly shorter.
  • any of the soluble deoxidizers now used in the art such as phosphorus, silicon, zinc, etc., can be added to the previously substantially deoxidized copper in the furnace and the copper cast in the same manner as any other form of copper, thus eliminating the ver expensive hand ladling and hand casting o deoxidized copper.
  • the process of fire re includes chemically reducing previously oxidized molten'copper and casting the copper without applying heat to the copper after the start of the reducing step 6.
  • the process of fire refining copper which includes pouring previously melted molten copper containing sulphur into a vessel and oxidizing it to a saturated solution of copper cuprous oxide eutectic, at a temperature below 2075 F. and above 2000 F., thereafter heating the copper to a'temperature in excess of2150 F. by burning commercial fuel inside the vessel, transferring the molten copper to a second vessel, and chemically reducing the copper in the second vessel.
  • the process of fire refining copper which i includes pouring previously melted molten copper containing sulphur into a vessel and oxidizing it to a saturated solution of cop er cuprous oxide eutectic, at a temperature elow 207 5 F. and above 2000 F., transferringthe molten copper to a second vessel, and

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • Materials Engineering (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Metallurgy (AREA)
  • Organic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Manufacture And Refinement Of Metals (AREA)
  • Furnace Housings, Linings, Walls, And Ceilings (AREA)
US299666A 1928-08-15 1928-08-15 Pyrometallurgical copper refining Expired - Lifetime US1817935A (en)

Priority Applications (5)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
BE363012D BE363012A (xx) 1928-08-15
US299666A US1817935A (en) 1928-08-15 1928-08-15 Pyrometallurgical copper refining
GB24260/29A GB317399A (xx) 1928-08-15 1929-08-08
FR680195D FR680195A (fr) 1928-08-15 1929-08-12 Perfectionnements à l'affinage thermique du cuivre
DEST46292D DE615378C (de) 1928-08-15 1929-08-16 Raffinationsgefaess fuer Kupfer

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US299666A US1817935A (en) 1928-08-15 1928-08-15 Pyrometallurgical copper refining

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US1817935A true US1817935A (en) 1931-08-11

Family

ID=23155740

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US299666A Expired - Lifetime US1817935A (en) 1928-08-15 1928-08-15 Pyrometallurgical copper refining

Country Status (5)

Country Link
US (1) US1817935A (xx)
BE (1) BE363012A (xx)
DE (1) DE615378C (xx)
FR (1) FR680195A (xx)
GB (1) GB317399A (xx)

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
BE363012A (xx)
FR680195A (fr) 1930-04-25
DE615378C (de) 1935-07-03
GB317399A (xx) 1931-02-09

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