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
  • C22B9/00—General processes of refining or remelting of metals; Apparatus for electroslag or arc remelting of metals
  • C22B9/05—Refining by treating with gases, e.g. gas flushing also refining by means of a material generating gas in situ
• • 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
  • C22B15/003—Bath smelting or converting
  • C22B15/0041—Bath smelting or converting in converters
• • 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

• the invention relates to a method for the pyrometallurgical production of copper in a converter.
• so-called blister copper copper matte and/or secondary raw materials, for example, are used as raw materials.
• the aim is to produce the so-called blister copper in a purity of at least 96 wt. %, preferably over 99 wt. %.
• An attempt is of course made to achieve degrees of purity that lie as close as possible to 100 wt. %.
• a copper-containing melt is first filled into the converter (charged into the converter).
• “Slagging” includes the subsequent removal of the slag from the converter.
• the aim of the invention is to optimise the known method. Copper production should be possible either in a shorter time and/or with a higher degree of purity.
• the invention proceeds from the following consideration: during the filling (charging) of the converter, no metallurgical work is performed in the reactor.
• the furnace serves merely as a “buffer” or as a “holding unit”. This also applies to the last process step, in which the melt is emptied from the converter.
• these process steps are also used for the secondary metallurgical treatment of the melt.
• a treatment gas is already introduced into the metal melt (copper melt) during charging of the converter. This has the advantage that the so-called “slagging” step commences virtually at the same time as the charging and not until after a time delay.
• the converter can be used from the first second in the sense of a melt treatment.
• a rinsing treatment during the “deslagging” has the advantage that the removal of foreign components and the formation of the slag are accelerated.
• the gas purging/rinsing treatment can be used for another effect.
• the slag can be guided selectively in the direction of the converter opening, where it is then drawn off. A more precise segregation between slag on the one hand and melt on the other hand is thus achieved and the loss of melt observed in the prior art is avoided.
• the invention relates in its most general embodiment to a method for the pyrometallurgical production of copper in a converter, with the following features:
• the gas used in process steps a), b), c) and e) can consist predominantly or completely of oxygen like the gas used in process step d).
• the fraction of oxygen can be reduced in a selective manner and replaced by a fraction of inert gas.
• the fraction of oxygen can initially amount well above 50%, whilst the fraction of inert gas towards the end of this process step amounts to over 50%. In this way, the fraction of copper(I)oxide can be minimised.
• the inert gas treatment can be continued in process step e).
• the emptying of a converter with 300 tonnes of blister copper takes approximately one hour.
• the metal melt should also be acted upon (treated) during this emptying stage.
• the secondary metallurgical treatment of the copper melt can thus be conducted over the whole conversion process.
• the feeding of the gas can take place via a plurality of gas purging/rinsing elements.
• gas purging elements gas rinsing bricks
• Such gas purging elements can be readily adopted according to the invention.
• Gas rinsing elements with directed porosity as well as those with non-directed porosity can be used.
• the first group is characterised in that more or less rectilinear slits or channels are formed in the rinsing elements, through which the gas is conveyed.
• Gas rinsing elements with non-directed porosity are designed like a “sponge”. The gas must move through the body from pore to pore.
• Such gas purging elements can be used individually or in groups in the bottom and/or the wall of the converter. According to the invention, provision is made such that they can be activated individually, in preselectable groups or all together. Again, individual gas rinsing elements or groups of gas rinsing elements can be charged with a different gas or different gas pressure.
• a suitable gas regulator is provided for this purpose.
• the latter can be adjusted so as to set the metal melt into a motion which is such that the slag floating thereon acquires a specific flow direction, for example in the direction of the tapping opening.
• the method can be conducted in such a way that gas(es) is introduced into the melt (blown in, jetted in) during all the treatment steps and uninterruptedly.
• Both the gas and the gas quantity and/or gas pressure can be changed during the individual treatment steps.
• 10 gas rinsing elements can for example be provided, each with a rinsing rate of for example 200 litres per minute.
• the method enables greatly accelerated pyrometallurgical copper production with a degree of purity which at least corresponds to the degree of purity according to the prior art and can lie well above 99.5 wt. %.

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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)
• Heat Treatment Of Articles (AREA)

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Citations (7)

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• 2003
  • 2003-08-23 DE DE50306237T patent/DE50306237D1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2003-08-23 US US10/566,289 patent/US20060236812A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2003-08-23 ES ES03818380T patent/ES2279232T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2003-08-23 JP JP2005508352A patent/JP4477580B2/ja not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2003-08-23 AT AT03818380T patent/ATE350500T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2003-08-23 CN CNB03826952XA patent/CN100357463C/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2003-08-23 WO PCT/EP2003/009367 patent/WO2005021808A1/de active IP Right Grant
  • 2003-08-23 EP EP03818380A patent/EP1656464B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2003-08-23 CA CA002539011A patent/CA2539011A1/en not_active Abandoned

Patent Citations (7)

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