US3890139A - Continuous process for refining sulfide ores - Google Patents

Continuous process for refining sulfide ores Download PDF

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US3890139A
US3890139A US35617273A US3890139A US 3890139 A US3890139 A US 3890139A US 35617273 A US35617273 A US 35617273A US 3890139 A US3890139 A US 3890139A
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slag
matte
furnace
furnace unit
rate
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Takashi Suzuki
Kazuo Tachimoto
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Mitsubishi Metal Corp
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MITSUBISHI KIZOKU KABUSHIKI KA
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    • 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
    • C22B15/005—Smelting or converting in a succession of furnaces
    • 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
    • C22B23/00—Obtaining nickel or cobalt
    • C22B23/02—Obtaining nickel or cobalt by dry processes
    • C22B23/025—Obtaining nickel or cobalt by dry processes with formation of a matte or by matte refining or converting into nickel or cobalt, e.g. by the Oxford process
    • 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
    • C22B5/00—General methods of reducing to metals
    • C22B5/02—Dry methods smelting of sulfides or formation of mattes
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02P—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
    • Y02P10/00—Technologies related to metal processing
    • Y02P10/20—Recycling

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a continuous process for refining sulfide ores. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a continuous method for refin ing a sulfide ore of metals such as copper, nickel, and cobalt and an apparatus therefor, wherein the sulfide ore is treated in a continuous and consistent manner by means of a series of furnaces to obtain the intended metal in large quantity and in the most economical manner.
  • the structure of the furnaces for the respective refining process steps and the devices connecting these furnaces with each other are made simple and durable to facilitate the construction, operation, and maintenance thereof. This enables the operation of the furnace to be carried out in a consistent and continuous manner over a very long period of time, thereby achieving a high thermal efficiency within the furnaces and a high yield of the objective metal.
  • FIG. 1 is a longitudinal cross-section showing the basic arrangement and connection of the furnaces according to the present invention
  • FIG. 2 is an enlarged view showing an overflowing part of the melt in the smelting furnace to be used in the first process step;
  • FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a longitudinal crosssection showing an example wherein the smelting furnace and the separator are integrally constructed;
  • FIG. 4 is a longitudinal cross-section showing another example of the separator.
  • FIG. 5 is a longitudinal cross-section showing an example wherein a white metal is produced in the blister furnace 3 shown in FIG. 1.
  • the method according to the present invention may be applied for treating copper ore as well as other metal ores such as nickel and cobalt which may be refined by the same or similar reaction as with copper.
  • the present invention will be described with refer ence to copper as an example.
  • the process disclosed in the prior U.S. patent appiication Ser. No. 88l,226, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,725,044, comprises three process steps.
  • These three process steps are carried out by use of three furnaces corresponding to the abovementioned. respective process steps, ie.
  • a smelting furnace at slagging furnace, and a blister furnace.
  • Each of these furnaces is connected with the other to enable continuous transfer of a melt to be realized therebetween, and each of the furnaces is so arranged that the compositions, temperatures, and residence quantities of matte, slag, white metal, and blister copper residing in the furnace may be controlled independently of the other two furnaces.
  • a blister copper can thereby be produced in a continuous manner as a whole.
  • the furnace efficiency in each process step can be increased without disturbing the discreteness in the furnace operation, which disturbance might arise in a furnace having a plurality of reaction zones by convection and agitation of the melt formed when raw mate rial and air are supplied.
  • the operational efficiency of the entire system can thereby be improved in each process step.
  • the matte and the slag should exist separately in at least a part of each furnace, and when furnace efficiency is to be increased to a consid erable extent, this would appear to be restrictive.
  • a separation step is provided subsequent to the first process step, whereby the function of the smelting furnace for the first process step is limited to the smelting of the raw material and absorption of the copper content in a slag formed in the third process step into a matte layer, and the reaction products are all tapped out simultaneously without being separated from each other. After transfer to the subsequent separation step, these reaction products are separated and tapped out individually, thereby further improving the furnace efficiency of the smelting furnace, and ensuring the separation of the matte and the slag more satisfactorily.
  • the present invention has successfully achieved reduction in the copper loss as well as orderly arrangement of the flow path of a melt to facilitate the maintenance and control of the entire system.
  • the present invention may be carried out by properly arranging a furnace for smelting mainly sulfide ore (smelting furnace), a furnace for separating products formed in the smelting furnace into matte and slag (separator), and another furnace for oxidizing iron and sulfur contained in the matte to produce white metal or blister copper (blister furnace), each of which is so designed that the composition, temperature. surface level, and interfacial level of a melt therewithin may be controlled and maintained constant independently of the remaining furnaces, and the furnaces are further connected with each other by means of mutual transfer of the melt therebetween, whereby the entire refining system may be operated in a continuous manner as a whole.
  • smelting furnace a furnace for separating products formed in the smelting furnace into matte and slag (separator)
  • another furnace for oxidizing iron and sulfur contained in the matte to produce white metal or blister copper (blister furnace) each of which is so designed that the composition, temperature. surface level, and interfacial level of
  • a raw material to be smelted which consists principally of a sulfide ore and a flux (hereinafter referred to simply as raw material), is mixed with fuel and air at an appropriate mixing ratio in accordance with predetermined reaction conditions such as the grade of matte to be produced, the composition of slag, furnace temperature, and so forth.
  • the raw material is then fed directly and continuously into a melt bath, which is the reaction products formed in the first process step at a prescribed feed rate per unit time (hereinafter referred to as a raw material feeding rate) and is caused to melt without delay, thereby forming matte and slag.
  • a slag formed in the aforementioned blister furnace (blister furnace slag) is transferred back to the smelting furnace in a substantially continuous manner, and the major portion of the objective metal contained in the blister furnace slag is caused to be absorbed into the smelting furnace mate. Simultaneously, the products formed in the smelting furnace are discharged out of the furnace in a substantially continuous manner, and then transferred to the separator for the second process step.
  • substantially continuous manner designates a transfer system, in which, even if the transfer of the melt is batchwise from the micro-analytical standpoint, the transfer quantity thereof at any one time is so small in comparison with the residence quantity of the melt within the smelting furnace that variations in the reaction conditions for such batch system becomes negligible from the metallurgical standpoint. Furthermore, transfer of the melt from the smelting furnace to the separator is carried out by gravity, utilizing the difference in the surface level between the two furnaces.
  • Second Process Step (Separating Process) In this process step, all kinds of the reaction products formed in the first process step are continuously charged into the separator and caused to stand therewithin for a certain period of time, thereby separating matte from slag, and tapping each of these melts continuously out of the separating furnace.
  • the matte separated in and tapped out of the separator (second process step) is charged into the blister furnace in a substantially continuous manner, while air, flux, and coolant are mixed at an appropriate ratio to be determined in accordance with the raw material feeding rate in the foregoing first process step.
  • This admixture is charged directly and continuously into a melt within the blister furnace consisting of reaction products formed in the third process step so as to produce and separate crude metal and slag (blister furnace slag) without delay, and tap each of these melts out of the blister furnace.
  • the crude metal is then forwarded to a refining process of known type,
  • the rate of production of each melt and the rate of transfer between the respective furnaces are so regulated as to be equilibriated to the rate of feeding of the raw material in the first process step as well as to the rate of feeding of the coolant in the third process step.
  • the composition, temperature, surface level, and interfacial level of the melts in each furnace are controlled independently and maintained constant, thereby producing the intended metal from the corresponding ore in a continuous and highly economical manner.
  • a smelting furnace l accommodating slag 4 and matte S is provided with a lance 6, a burner 7, a melt discharging port 8, a melt overflow weir 10, and a revert slag charging port 22a;
  • a separating vessel (or a separator) 2 accommodating matte 11 and slag 12 is provided with a device 13 for keeping the separator at a required temperature, a charging port 14 for the melts formed in the smelting furnace, a discharging port 15 for a separated slag 12, a matte tapping port 16, and a matte siphon 17', and a blister furnace 3, in which layers of white metal 19, blister copper 20, and slag 21 are held, is provided with a matte charging port 18, a blister furnace slag discharging port 22, a blister copper tapping port 23, a blister copper siphon 24, a blister copper overflow weir 25, and a lance 26.
  • the smelting furnace l a raw material which is principally composed of sulfide ore and a flux such as a silicic ore is mixed with fuel and air in'a ratio suitable for the predetermined reaction conditions, the mixture of which is charged directly and continuously, at a predetermined feed rate, into a melt consisting of the matte 5 and the slag 4 which are the reaction products in the smelting furnace.
  • the raw material is most quickly and efficiently smelted when it is crushed into a powder or granular form and then blown into the melt carried on a gas current through the lance provided in the furnace. A large quantity of the raw material is thus smelted quickly and the generation of dust is prevented.
  • the pressure of the gas supplied is determined automatically by the inner diameter of the lance as well as the position of the tip end thereof in a volume which is sufficiently high to feed the gas current and the raw material directly into the melt.
  • the matte grade may be controlled at any desired level by adjusting the air ratio to the raw material.
  • the air ratio signifies the ratio between the net quantity of air for reaction which is the balance after subtraction of the quantity of air necessary for combustion of the fuel from the total air quantity injected into the furnace. More particularly, when the grade of the matte to be produced is raised.
  • Any kind of fuel having fluidity including solid fuel in a powder form, may be used for the present invention, and, furthermore, the consumption of the fuel to be used for the smelting may be reduced by substituting the whole or a part of air with an equivalent amount of oxygen.
  • Fuel is necessarily fed to the same place in the furnace as that of the raw material. but it is best blown directly into the melt bath in the same manner as the raw material for the significantly increased heat transfer efficiency. As a result, the temperature of the furnace atmosphere and the exhaust gas therefrom can be lowered to a level almost equal to that of the melt with the result that capture and treatment of the exhaust gas is facilitated and the life of the furnace walls is remarkably extended.
  • Fuel may be burnt by a burner 7. in this case, the fuel consumption may be reduced by preheating and/r oxygen-enriching the air for the combustion.
  • melt discharging port 8 All of the products formed in the smelting furnace are tapped out of the furnace through the melt discharging port 8.
  • FIG. 2 which shows an enlarged partial view of the melt discharging port
  • the melt formed in the smelting furnace is tapped out of the furnace through the melt discharging port 8, wherein a sealing damper 9 fitted on the outside of the melt discharging port 8 prevents the furnace gas from escaping or the atmospheric air from infiltrating into the furnace.
  • the slag layer 4 retained within the furnace can be controlled and kept at the required constant thickness by fixing the bottom end 9a of the sealing damper 9 at a certain constant difference in the level which is lower than the melt overflow weir.
  • the sealing damper 9 should be wide enough for closing the melt discharging port 8 and be made movable up and down.
  • the durability of the sealing damper 9 may be further increased by means of a water cooling jacket provided thereon.
  • a water cooling jacket provided thereon.
  • a certain critical value about 100 mm
  • the feeding quantity of the melt into the separator can be equilibriated with the rate of feeding of the raw material into the smelting furnace, whereby a constant feed rate may be maintained.
  • the melt is continuously charged into the separator 2 by way of a launder and through the melt charging port 14, where it is retained for a certain period of time until it is separated into the matte 11 and the slag 12.
  • the slag 12 is then tapped out of the separator through the slag discharging port 15, and dumped as indicated by the arrow 11 either as it is or after it has been retained within a settling furnace to settle the matte particles contained therein.
  • the matte 11 is taken out of the separator through the matte tapping port 16, and then the matte siphon 17, after which it is allowed to overflow from the matte overflow weir I and fed into the blister furnace 3 in a continuous mannet.
  • the separator 2 may be kept at a required temperature by means of a burner (not shown) or an electric heating device 13. Also, as shown in FIG. 3, the separator 2 may be integrated with the smelting furnace 1, thereby simplifying the installation. in this case, by maintaining the level 10a of the melt discharging port 8 of the smelting furnace lower than the level of the slag discharging port 15 of the separator, the liquid surface in both smelting furnace and separator is made common, and the residence quantities of the matte and the slag within the smelting furnace are maintained constant. As shown in H6. 4, the separator 2 may be formed in a shape longitudinally extended in the flow direction of the melt (e.g.
  • the matte particles in the slag can be more perfectly sedimented.
  • the rate of recovery of the copper content in the slag may be further increased by addition of a reducing agent such as pyrite, coke, and so on.
  • the matte separated in the separator and a matte newly produced as the result of extraction of the copper content from the slag by addition of pyrite are tapped out of the furnace 2 together through the matte tapping port 16 and then the matte siphon 17, the entire matte as combined being then fed into the blister furnace 3.
  • each of the matte layer and the slag layer retained in the separator can be kept at a fixed value by maintaining constant heights of the slag discharging port and the matte overflow weir, respectively.
  • the flow rates of the slag and the matte are equilibriated with the feed rate of the melt transferred from the smelting furnace.
  • the matte from the separator 2 is continuously charged into a melt bath in the blister furnace 3 consisting of blister furnace slag 21, white metal 19, and blister copper 20, all of which are reaction products in the third process step, while air and a flux are simulta neously fed in directly and continuously.
  • a coolant (or cold dope) containing the objective metal such as the raw material or scrap to be charged into the melt bath can be fused by the excessive heat generated in this third process step, thereby preventing the furnace temperature from exceeding the ordinary operating temperature, and simultaneously allowing the entire treating capacity of the ore to further increase.
  • These materials are fed into the blister furnace through lance 26 provided in the same manner as in the smelting furnace.
  • the total quantity of the air to be introduced into the blister furnace should be sufficient to convert the total quantities of the matte and the coolant to be charged into the blister furnace slag and a blister copper. and the thickness of a white metal layer residing in the furnace is maintained constant.
  • the blister copper is tapped out of the furnace through the blister copper tapping port 23 and then the blister copper siphon 24. after which it is caused to continuously overflow from the blister copper overflow weir 25, and is forwarded to the refining process of known type.
  • the blister furnace slag is continuously dis charged out of the furnace through the blister furnace slag discharging port 22, the melt transfer passage g, and recycled to the revert slag charging port 22a provided in the smelting furnace in a substantially continu ous manner by a forced transfer.
  • Any practical means such as a bubble pump (airlift), a bucket conveyor operated in a continuous motion, an electromagnetic transfer, and so on may be employed for the forced transfer.
  • Transfer of the blister furnace slag to the smelting furnace is preferably achieved in the molten state, taking advantage of its own temperature.
  • increase in the fuel consumption required for remelting the blister furnace slag is not so large in comparison with what will be required in the event that the matte grade is low and the quantity of the blister furnace slag is large.
  • the level of the melt bath in the separator is kept lower than that in the smelting furnace, and the melt bath level in the blister furnace is kept far lower than that in the separator, whereby the transfer of the matte is carried out by the gravity of the melt, taking advantage of the difference in head among these three furnaces.
  • the transfer of the blister furnace slag is carried out by the gravity thereof, whereas the transfer of the matte f om the separator to the blister furnace may be accomplished by a forced transfer.
  • metal 19 is an intermediate product of the blister making step. which is not tapped out but is maintained in a constant residence quantity by adjusting the reaction conditions.
  • the thickness and residence quantity of each of the melt layers in the blister furnace can be maintained constant by setting the slag discharging port and the blister copper overflow weir 25 at constant levels in the same manner as in the separator.
  • the rates of production of the slag and the blister copper in the blister furnace are controlled by the rate of feeding of the matte (which is governed by the reaction conditions and the rate of feeding of the raw material in the smelting furnace) and the rate of feeding of the coolant into the blister furnace (which is governed by the grade of the matte to be fed into the blister furnace and the reaction conditions therewithin). In this way, the entire reaction system can be controlled under certain constant reaction conditions.
  • the reaction in the blister furnace may also be carried out under the co-existence of the two phases of slag and blister copper only, without the presence of a white metal in the furnace, by charging a greater quantity of air into the furnace than required to oxidize principally the entire quantities of iron and sulfur contained in the matte and the coolant.
  • the sulfur content in the blister copper can be reduced below the saturated concentration thereof by increasing the ratio of air to be supplied to a desired extent. That is, as the ratio of air increases, the copper content in the slag is also increased, whereas the sulfur content in the blister copper is decreased.
  • the air ratio signifies the ratio of air to the total quantities of the matte and cool ant.
  • the copper content in the slag ranges from 2 to 6 percent, whereas the copper content may be increased to a range of from 40 to 50 percent when no white metal is present in the furnace.
  • the matte grade and the reaction conditions in the blister furnace should be set within such a range where the copper content in the slag formed in the blister furnace does not exceed the copper content in the materials fed thereinto, and, further, the flux (particularly lime) fed into the blister furnace does not exceed the amount which is needed in the entire system.
  • silica sand is used as a flux
  • the fluidity of the slag formed can be increased by use of lime or a mixture of lime and silica sand.
  • the third process step may be further divided into two stages to conduct the entire furnace operations in four process steps.
  • the third pro cess step carries out production of white metal and blister furnace slag in the blister furnace 3. More particularly, as shown in FIG. 5, while the matte is being continuously fed into the blister furnace through the matte charging port 18, air and a flux are charged through the lance 26 into the melt which is composed of the blister furnace slag 2] and the white metal 19 formed by the reaction within the furnace. The excess heat generated at this time is utilized for melting the 'coolant in the same manner as in the previous example.
  • Air should be charged at the required feed rate to oxidize principally the entire part ofiron and a part of sulfur contained in the matte and the coolant fed into the furnace, respectively, and to produce a white metal and a slag.
  • the flux used in this case may be silica sand as in the ordinary slag-forming process using a converter.
  • the slag 21 is then caused to flow continuously out of the furnace through the slag discharging port 22, and, as in the previous example. is transferred and recycled into the smelting furnace. It has been confirmed that the copper content in the slag exists principally in the form of white metal particles and metallic copper particles. instead of returning the slag into the smelting furnace in a molten state, it may be crushed and treated by floatation, concentrating the copper content, after which the concentrate may be recycled to the smelting furnace.
  • the white metal 19 is tapped out of the furnace through the tapping port 23 and then the siphon 24, thereafter flowing over the overflow weir 25.
  • the white metal which is principally composed of a single or a plurality of the objective metal sulfides may in some cases be regarded as the final product in this treating process.
  • the white metal is forwarded as it is to an electrolytic process, or transferred to a reducing process after it has been crushed and roasted.
  • the white metal produced from a raw material contains two or more kinds of metals such as copper, nickel, and cobalt in such quantities that none of these metals can be neglected from the economical or technical standpoint.
  • the white metal is then processed to separate the objective metals from each other by such means as, for example, a floatation treatment after it has been slowly cooled.
  • a white metal is principally composed of sulfides of copper
  • the white metal is transferred in its molten state to another blister furnace, wherein the fourth process step is carried out.
  • the blister furnace used in this fourth process step may be an ordinary converter, but is preferably another unit of blister furnace according to the present invention, whereby the white metal can be treated in a continuous manner.
  • the operational process of the fourth process step is exactly the same as that of the third process step in the foregoing first embodiment, except that the ma terial processed is the white metal and the quantity of slag produced is extremely small.
  • the quantity of the slag produced from the white metal is less than l percent by weight of the white metal, normally in a range of from 2 to 6 percent, with the result that transfer of the slag in its molten state back to the smelting furnace becomes somewhat difficult. In this situation, the slag tapped out of the furnace is solidifed and then charged together with the other raw materials into the smelting furnace.
  • a coolant which is not contributive to the slag formation such as a scrap of the objective metal, may be fed into the blister furnace for the fourth process step.
  • the treatment of exhaust gas discharged from this blister furnace can be done in the same manner as in the aforementioned first embodiment.
  • the above-described process according to the present invention has not only the generally known advantages associated with a continuous process such as a lower cost for construction and operations than the batch system, and facilitating the introduction of an automatic control system, but also the following additional features owing to the unique process steps and reaction system thereof.
  • the smelting furnace functions only for reaction (i.e., smelting) of the raw material, while the separation of slag and matte produced in this smelting furnace is carried out in the separator.
  • the agitation of the melt in the smelting furnace can be performed without any restriction and the charges such as the raw material can be fed into the furnace covering the largest possible area of the furnace bed with the result that the furnace efficiency (i.e., smelting rate) is remarkably improved.
  • the thickness of the slag layer formed in the smelting furnace can be decreased and, at the same time, the agitation of the melt can be strengthened, so that the contact between the matte and the slag be comes satisfactory, and the copper content in the revert slag (blister furnace slag) is absorbed quickly and completely into the matte phase until equilibrium is reached.
  • the thickness ofthe slag layer in the smelting furnace according to the present invention could be reduced to as thin as l/lO to 1/20 of that formed in an ordinary rcverberatory furnace.
  • a sufficiently high rate of reaction in the furnace can be achieved, even if the pressure of air to be blown into the melt was low, without immersing the tip end ofthe lance into the melt.
  • This makes for a considerable saving in pot'er consumption and results in the extended life of the lance. in other words, as the air reacts mainly with the matte, and as there is only an extremely thin layer of the slag in the melt bath, the contact between the air and the matte is improved, since the slag layer does not prevent the air from contacting the matte.
  • the reaction rate in the furnace is thereby significantly increased.
  • a reducing agent such as pyrite may be added in the separator to further improve the rate of recovery of copper.
  • the recovered matte is merged into the smelting furnace matte, separated within the separator, and continuously transferred in its entirety into the blister furnace through the one and same flow path, so that the melt flow path can be simplified and furnace control is facilitated. (It is a well-known fact that, when a flowing quantity of the melt in the launder is small, great difficulty is experienced in the transfer operation.)
  • EXAMPLE 1 6,000 kg per hour of a copper concentrate consisting of 24.0 percent of copper, 34.2 percent of iron, 34.2 percent of sulfur, and 3.7 percent of SiO 1,500 kg per hour of silica sand containing 90.0 percent of SiO:, and 500 kg per hour of lime stone containing 53.4 percent of CaO were directly charged into a melt bath which was the reaction product in the smelting furnace together with L500 Nm per hour of air having a gauge pressure of 2 kg per square centimeter through a lance provided in the furnace. By use of another lance, 2,500 Nrn per hour of air having a gauge pressure of 0.8 kg
  • the mixed gas was directly charged into the melt bath in the same manner as was done with the above raw material.
  • the raw material had all been previously classified into granules, each having a diameter of less than l mm, and dried until the water content thereof ranged from I to 2 percent.
  • the separator employed herein was of the type shown in H0. 4, and its capacity to hold the melt was about l0 tons. l50 kg per hour of pyrite containing 45 percent of sulfur and 50 kg per hour of coke breeze were charged into the separator. The thickness of the slag layer and the residence quantities of slag and matte within the separator were kept constant by maintaining a matte overflow weir at a level 120 mm lower than a slag overflow weir also provided in the separator. The slag was caused to flow out of the separator through a slag discharging port provided in the separator and then granulated with water jet.
  • the slag quantity thus produced was 5,600 kg per hour and the composition thereof was controlled to be from 0.4 to 0.6 percent of copper, from 33 to 35 percent of SiO and from 5 to 6 percent of CaO.
  • the matte was continuously tapped out of the furnace through a siphon provided therein and fed into a blister furnace.
  • the grade of the matte thus produced was controlled to contain from 59 to 62 percent copper.
  • the slag thus formed was composed of from 8 to 13 percent of SiOr from 4 to 6 percent of (210, and from 38 to 45 percent of iron (most of the iron b ing composed of Fe O).
  • the slag was then caused to continuously flow out of the furnace through a slag discharging port provided in the furnace, and transferred to the aforementioned smelting furnace by a bucket conveyor being operated in continuous mo tion.
  • the blister copper on the other hand, was caused to flow out of the furnace through a siphon provided LII contiguous to the blister copper tapping port.
  • the rate of production of the blister copper was 1,550 kg per hour, and its composition was from 98 to 99 percent of copper and from 0.2 to 0.3 of sulfur.
  • the slag produced was found to be composed of from 6 to 8 percent of copper, from 12 to l6 percent of Ca(), and from 55 to percent F630,, and the quantity of copper recycled to the smelting furnace was reduced, whereas the surfur content in the blister copper increased to 1 percent and above. Furthermore, it was observed that the fluidity of the slag tended to lower, when the content of calcium oxide (CaO) in the slag was reduced to 5 to 7 percent.
  • CaO calcium oxide
  • the rate of production of the blister furnace slag was approximately l,000 to 1,500 kg per hour. In such case of low rate of production of the slag, a portion of the slag solidifed in the course of its transfer to the smelting furnace, but this in no way adversely affected the operation of the smelting furnace.
  • Sulfur dioxide (S0 contained in the exhaust gas discharged from the blister furnace was from l4 to 16 percent, and the temperature within the furnace was from l,200 to l,270C.
  • the exhaust gas from each furnace was collected and cooled, after which it was delivered to a sulfuric acid production plant.
  • the flue dust contained in the exhaust gas collected in the dust chamber was found from I to 2 percent with respect to the total quantity of the raw material used.
  • EXAMPLE 2 5,000 kg per hour of copper concentrate consisting of 18.9 percent of copper, 33.8 percent of iron, 36.5 percent of sulfur, and L5 percent of silicic acid, 1,400 kg per hour of silica sand containing therein 89 percent of SiOt 570 kg per hour of lime stone containing therein 53.4 percent of CaO together with 200 Nm per hour of air at a gauge pressure of 2 kg per square centimeter were charged into the smelting furnace. The charges were supplied directly into the melt bath composed of reaction products within the furnace through a lance provided therein together with 3,000 Nm per hour of air at a gauge pressure of 0.8 kg per square centimeter and 5 l0 Nm per hour of oxygen gas for industrial use.
  • the rate of feeding of fuel was so adjusted as to maintain the temperature within the furnace in a range offrom 1,220 to l,270C.
  • the exhaust gas discharge from the smelting furnace was found to have contained from 13 to lo percent S
  • the matte overflow weir provided was set at a certain level. which was lower by 70 mm than the level of the slag outlet port also provided therein, whereby the slag layer within the furnace was maintained in a thickness of about 300 mm.
  • the slag thus formed was caused to continuously flow out of the furnace through the slag discharging port. and then water-granulated.
  • the composition of the slag was controlled to have from 32 to 34 percent of SK); and from S to 6 percent of CaO.
  • the slag contained from 0.30 to 0.45 percent of copper and the rate of production thereof was 5,900 kg per hour.
  • the matte thus produced was caused to flow continuously out of the furnace through a siphon provided continguous to the matte tapping port, and then charged into the blister furnace.
  • the matte was controlled to contain from 39 to 42 percent copper.
  • the slag contained from 22 to 24 percent SiO and from 2 to 6 percent copper, and the rate of production thereof was about 2,300 kg per hour according to calculation.
  • the white metal thus produced was caused to continuously flow out of the furnace through a siphon provided contiguous to the white metal tapping port and then forwarded to a copper refining process of known type.
  • the white metal was controlled to contain from 77 to 79 percent of copper.
  • the sulfur content therein was from I) to percent, and the temperature within the furnace was from l,25() to l,300C.
  • the exhaust gas discharged from the furnace contained from 13.5 to 15.0 percent of 80 The exhaust gas from each furnace was treated in the same manner as stated in Example I.
  • a heretoforeknown reverbera' tory furnace or an electric furnace may be employed in place of the abovementioned smelting furnace according to the present invention.
  • a revert slag charging port is provided therein, as the case may be, through which the blister furnace slag is charged into the furnace.
  • a lance may be provided in these substitute furnaces in the same manner as in the foregoing smelting furnace according to the present invention to supply air into a melt bath within the furnace, or the whole or a part of the ore may be roasted beforehand.
  • a heretofore-known flushsmelting furnace or blast furnace may be employed singly or in combination with the smelting furnace according to the present invention.
  • the products formed in these two furnaces are all charged into a separator provided subsequent to the first furnace, whereas the blister furnace slag is charged into the smelting furnace only according to the present invention, whereby treatment of the slag can be done efficiently.
  • which method comprises the steps of:
  • a. continuously smelting in the smelting furnace unit inputs of sulfide copper ores, flux and oxygencontaining gas to yield a lower layer of matte and an upper layer of slag;
  • both rates of transferring the blister copper and the slag produced in said oxidizing furnace unit being balanced to the rate of feeding said matte, flux and oxygencontaining gas to said oxidizing furnace unit by retaining in said oxidizing furnace unit a constant thickness of the slag layer and a constant thickness of the blister copper layer, and the rates of transferring said blister copper and said slag out of said oxidizing furnace unit thereby being balanced to the rate of transferring said matte and slag in admix ture out of the smelting furnace unit to the separator furnace unit.
  • a white metal which is a sulfide of a metal selected from the group consisting of nickel, cobalt, copper, and mixtures thereof from the corresponding sulfide metal ore in a smelting furnace unit, a separator furnace unit and an oxidizing furnace unit, each controllable in operation independently of the other as to compositions of melts therein, temperatures, levels of free surfaces of corresponding melts, and the thickness ofthe layers of the individual melts in the separator furnace unit and the oxidizing furnace unit including the corresponding slag therein, wherein the rates of production of slag and matte and white metal, the rate of transfer of the matte from the separator furnace unit to the oxidizing furnace unit to be converted into white metal, and the rates of transfer of the white metal and slag out of the oxidizing furnace unit are maintained in constant equilibrium with the rate of transferring smelted inputs from the smelting furnace unit to the separator furnace unit, which method comprises the steps of:
  • a. continuously smelting in the smelting furnace unit inputs of sulfide ores, flux and oxygen-containing gas to yield a lower layer of a matte and an upper layer of slag;

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  • Organic Chemistry (AREA)
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Cited By (20)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3980470A (en) * 1974-03-30 1976-09-14 National Research Institute For Metals Method of spray smelting copper
US4036636A (en) * 1975-12-22 1977-07-19 Kennecott Copper Corporation Pyrometallurgical process for smelting nickel and nickel-copper concentrates including slag treatment
US4144055A (en) * 1976-03-12 1979-03-13 Boliden Aktiebolag Method of producing blister copper
US4211556A (en) * 1977-12-30 1980-07-08 Mitsubishi Kinzoku Kabushiki Kaisha Reverberatory smelting of non-ferrous metal sulfide ores
US4300949A (en) * 1980-03-07 1981-11-17 Ushakov Konstantin I Method for treating sulfide raw materials
EP0053594A1 (en) 1980-12-01 1982-06-09 Boliden Aktiebolag The manufacture of lead from sulphidic lead raw material
EP0487031A1 (en) * 1990-11-20 1992-05-27 Mitsubishi Materials Corporation Process for continuous copper smelting
US5178818A (en) * 1990-11-20 1993-01-12 Mitsubishi Materials Corporation Metallurgical furnace installation
AU641572B2 (en) * 1990-11-20 1993-09-23 Mitsubishi Materials Corporation Apparatus for continuous copper smelting
TR25981A (tr) * 1991-12-17 1993-11-01 Mitsubishi Materials Corp KONTINü BIR SEKILDE BAKIRI TASFIYEETMEK ICIN PROSES.
WO1996000802A1 (en) * 1994-06-30 1996-01-11 Mount Isa Mines Limited Copper converting
WO1999041420A1 (en) * 1998-02-12 1999-08-19 Kennecott Utah Copper Corporation Process and apparatus for the continuous refining of blister copper
US6210463B1 (en) 1998-02-12 2001-04-03 Kennecott Utah Copper Corporation Process and apparatus for the continuous refining of blister copper
US20050155457A1 (en) * 2002-02-12 2005-07-21 Peter Monheim Method and device for the continuous production of steel using metal charge material
US20080202644A1 (en) * 2007-02-23 2008-08-28 Alotech Ltd. Llc Quiescent transfer of melts
WO2010034085A1 (en) * 2008-09-23 2010-04-01 Georgi Atanasov Gyurov Method for recycling of slag from copper production
US20100116453A1 (en) * 2007-02-23 2010-05-13 Grassi John R Integrated quiescent processing of melts
USRE44850E1 (en) 2004-04-07 2014-04-22 Outotec Oyj Process for copper converting
US9745643B2 (en) 2013-06-21 2017-08-29 Mitsubishi Materials Corporation Method for treating combustible material and installation
CN113151631A (zh) * 2021-04-21 2021-07-23 山东鑫华特钢集团有限公司 一种转炉合金成分精准冶炼控制方法

Families Citing this family (7)

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JPS5640879Y2 (zh) * 1976-12-15 1981-09-24
DE2807964A1 (de) * 1978-02-24 1979-08-30 Metallgesellschaft Ag Verfahren zur kontinuierlichen konvertierung von ne-metallsulfidkonzentraten
JPS5798975A (en) * 1980-12-11 1982-06-19 Nippon Glass Seni Kk Mat for bag type separator
CA1190751A (en) * 1982-06-18 1985-07-23 J. Barry W. Bailey Process and apparatus for continuous converting of copper and non-ferrous mattes
FI84368B (fi) * 1989-01-27 1991-08-15 Outokumpu Osakeyhtioe Foerfarande och anlaeggning foer framstaellning av nickelfinsten.
JPH0657609U (ja) * 1990-12-07 1994-08-09 有限会社本荘鉄工所 陶磁器生素地成型製品の弓切装置
DE102022122729A1 (de) * 2022-09-07 2024-03-07 Sms Group Gmbh Vorrichtung zur Kupferproduktion mit verbesserter CO2-Billanz

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US728701A (en) * 1901-02-07 1903-05-19 Garretson Furnace Company Method of matte or pyritic smelting.
US1351877A (en) * 1919-02-05 1920-09-07 Int Nickel Co Method of separating nickel and copper from copper-nickel mattes or materials
US2438911A (en) * 1945-04-21 1948-04-06 Falconbridge Nickel Mines Ltd Process for recovering metal values from slags
US3725044A (en) * 1968-12-07 1973-04-03 Mitsubishi Metal Corp Method of continuous processing of sulfide ores

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US2735759A (en) * 1956-02-21 Process of smelting copper sulfide ores
US2264740A (en) * 1934-09-15 1941-12-02 John W Brown Melting and holding furnace
DE1558749B2 (de) * 1967-03-23 1976-06-10 Ministerstvo cvetnoj metallurgii, Moskau Anlage zum roesten, schmelzen und sublimieren von nichteisenmetalle enthaltenden erzen oder konzentraten

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US728701A (en) * 1901-02-07 1903-05-19 Garretson Furnace Company Method of matte or pyritic smelting.
US1351877A (en) * 1919-02-05 1920-09-07 Int Nickel Co Method of separating nickel and copper from copper-nickel mattes or materials
US2438911A (en) * 1945-04-21 1948-04-06 Falconbridge Nickel Mines Ltd Process for recovering metal values from slags
US3725044A (en) * 1968-12-07 1973-04-03 Mitsubishi Metal Corp Method of continuous processing of sulfide ores

Cited By (27)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3980470A (en) * 1974-03-30 1976-09-14 National Research Institute For Metals Method of spray smelting copper
US4036636A (en) * 1975-12-22 1977-07-19 Kennecott Copper Corporation Pyrometallurgical process for smelting nickel and nickel-copper concentrates including slag treatment
US4144055A (en) * 1976-03-12 1979-03-13 Boliden Aktiebolag Method of producing blister copper
US4211556A (en) * 1977-12-30 1980-07-08 Mitsubishi Kinzoku Kabushiki Kaisha Reverberatory smelting of non-ferrous metal sulfide ores
US4300949A (en) * 1980-03-07 1981-11-17 Ushakov Konstantin I Method for treating sulfide raw materials
EP0053594A1 (en) 1980-12-01 1982-06-09 Boliden Aktiebolag The manufacture of lead from sulphidic lead raw material
EP0487031A1 (en) * 1990-11-20 1992-05-27 Mitsubishi Materials Corporation Process for continuous copper smelting
US5178818A (en) * 1990-11-20 1993-01-12 Mitsubishi Materials Corporation Metallurgical furnace installation
US5217527A (en) * 1990-11-20 1993-06-08 Mitsubishi Materials Corporation Process for continuous copper smelting
AU641572B2 (en) * 1990-11-20 1993-09-23 Mitsubishi Materials Corporation Apparatus for continuous copper smelting
US5398915A (en) * 1990-11-20 1995-03-21 Mitsubishi Materials Corporation Apparatus for continuous copper smelting
TR25981A (tr) * 1991-12-17 1993-11-01 Mitsubishi Materials Corp KONTINü BIR SEKILDE BAKIRI TASFIYEETMEK ICIN PROSES.
WO1996000802A1 (en) * 1994-06-30 1996-01-11 Mount Isa Mines Limited Copper converting
US5888270A (en) * 1994-06-30 1999-03-30 Mount Isa Mines Ltd. Copper converting
WO1999041420A1 (en) * 1998-02-12 1999-08-19 Kennecott Utah Copper Corporation Process and apparatus for the continuous refining of blister copper
US6210463B1 (en) 1998-02-12 2001-04-03 Kennecott Utah Copper Corporation Process and apparatus for the continuous refining of blister copper
US8172922B2 (en) 2002-02-12 2012-05-08 Sms Siemag Aktiengesellschaft Method and device for the continuous production of steel using metal charge material
US7897100B2 (en) * 2002-02-12 2011-03-01 Sms Siemag Aktiengesellschaft Method and device for the continuous production of steel using metal charge material
US20110126672A1 (en) * 2002-02-12 2011-06-02 Sms Siemag Aktiengesellschaft Method and device for the continuous production of steel using metal charge material
US20050155457A1 (en) * 2002-02-12 2005-07-21 Peter Monheim Method and device for the continuous production of steel using metal charge material
USRE44850E1 (en) 2004-04-07 2014-04-22 Outotec Oyj Process for copper converting
US20080202644A1 (en) * 2007-02-23 2008-08-28 Alotech Ltd. Llc Quiescent transfer of melts
US20100116453A1 (en) * 2007-02-23 2010-05-13 Grassi John R Integrated quiescent processing of melts
US8303890B2 (en) 2007-02-23 2012-11-06 Alotech Ltd. Llc Integrated quiescent processing of melts
WO2010034085A1 (en) * 2008-09-23 2010-04-01 Georgi Atanasov Gyurov Method for recycling of slag from copper production
US9745643B2 (en) 2013-06-21 2017-08-29 Mitsubishi Materials Corporation Method for treating combustible material and installation
CN113151631A (zh) * 2021-04-21 2021-07-23 山东鑫华特钢集团有限公司 一种转炉合金成分精准冶炼控制方法

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ZA732837B (en) 1974-03-27
CA1015943A (en) 1977-08-23
AU475965B2 (en) 1976-09-09
ZM8273A1 (en) 1974-01-21
JPS5143015B2 (zh) 1976-11-19
PH10591A (en) 1977-07-12
FI64189B (fi) 1983-06-30
DE2322516A1 (de) 1973-11-22
AU5508573A (en) 1974-11-07
BE800346A (fr) 1973-09-17
FR2187925B1 (zh) 1975-12-26
FI64189C (fi) 1983-10-10
FR2187925A1 (zh) 1974-01-18
BR7303200D0 (pt) 1974-06-27
DE2322516C2 (de) 1986-07-31
GB1406153A (en) 1975-09-17
JPS493812A (zh) 1974-01-14
PH12382A (en) 1979-01-29

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