WO1997032047A1 - Four de fusion/affinage ferme hermetiquement - Google Patents

Four de fusion/affinage ferme hermetiquement Download PDF

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Publication number
WO1997032047A1
WO1997032047A1 PCT/IB1996/000156 IB9600156W WO9732047A1 WO 1997032047 A1 WO1997032047 A1 WO 1997032047A1 IB 9600156 W IB9600156 W IB 9600156W WO 9732047 A1 WO9732047 A1 WO 9732047A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
furnace
chamber
electrode
ore
smelting
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/IB1996/000156
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Peter George Dunkel
Original Assignee
Peter George Dunkel
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
Application filed by Peter George Dunkel filed Critical Peter George Dunkel
Priority to PCT/IB1996/000156 priority Critical patent/WO1997032047A1/fr
Publication of WO1997032047A1 publication Critical patent/WO1997032047A1/fr

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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
    • C22B4/00—Electrothermal treatment of ores or metallurgical products for obtaining metals or alloys
    • C22B4/08—Apparatus
    • 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
    • C22B25/00—Obtaining tin
    • C22B25/02—Obtaining tin by dry processes
    • 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
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F27—FURNACES; KILNS; OVENS; RETORTS
    • F27B—FURNACES, KILNS, OVENS, OR RETORTS IN GENERAL; OPEN SINTERING OR LIKE APPARATUS
    • F27B14/00—Crucible or pot furnaces
    • F27B14/06—Crucible or pot furnaces heated electrically, e.g. induction crucible furnaces with or without any other source of heat
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F27—FURNACES; KILNS; OVENS; RETORTS
    • F27B—FURNACES, KILNS, OVENS, OR RETORTS IN GENERAL; OPEN SINTERING OR LIKE APPARATUS
    • F27B17/00—Furnaces of a kind not covered by any preceding group

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to an electric furnace which is sealed when smelting and refining ores.
  • a method for obtaining refined metals using this electric furnace is also included.
  • the smelting furnace according to the invention allows, under closed conditions, to work at high temperatures of e.g. 3600°C and to process metallic and non-metallic ores with a surprisingly low energy consumption.
  • the smelting of ores has an overriding significance m the industrialised world because it provides the elementary and refined metals which are indispensable for manufacturing corresponding metal parts of any kind for a whole variety of sectors of the manufacturing industry.
  • the best known smelting methods are involving the production of, among others, iron, copper, tin, aluminium and lead from their corresponding ores.
  • the respective metallic elements are usually m their oxidised form present in their corresponding ores, e.g. as oxides or sulphides, and need to be liberated therefrom by a reduction of the oxidised form to the elementary metal.
  • the method to obtain the elementary metal involves high temperatures and a reductive agent like for instance coal or carbon monoxide, so that the metal, once formed, can be removed from the furnace as a distinct phase, usually as a liquid.
  • the above smelting methods differ essentially in the temperature range at which they are operated. For example when it comes to the smelting of tin-containing ores, most smelting methods involve operational temperatures ranging between 1000 to 1200°C. -The electric furnace smelting method, however, allows to achieve higher temperatures of up -to 3500°C, thus increasing the reaction rate for the reduction, shifting the equilibrium to the side of the unoxidised metal products and diminishing the viscosity of the slag which is formed during the smelting method. Of further importance is that the electric conductivity of the slag is increasing at higher temperatures which facilitates the electron transfer from the electrode in an electric arc process to the oxidised metal within the molten slag.
  • the Australian Patent 502, 603 discloses an example of a method for manufacturing pure tin metal, whereby tin concentrates are mixed with a carbonaceous reducing agent and a lime flux by means of an electric smelting furnace.
  • One major drawback of traditional electric smelting furnace methods is the fact that they are considered to be energy-intensive, which renders the method itself only possible at places where cheap and abundant electric energy supply is available.
  • Another characteristic of traditional smelting methods is the fact that the obtained metal is more or less impure so that an ensuing energy intensive and time consuming refining step turns out to be inevitable in order to obtain a high quality material.
  • the furnace for smelting and refining metallic and non-metallic ores is manifested by the features that it comprises a chamber for processing said ore and an electric heating means arranged in said chamber wherein said chamber is hermetically cioseable.
  • the method is manifested by the steps of placing the ore in a chamber in said furnace and heating electrically said chamber, wherein the method comprises at least one reaction step of hermetically enclosing said ore in said chamber while heating said chamber.
  • the loss of metal by evaporation or sublimation can be prevented, due to the possibility of sealing the chamber of the Bis furnace.
  • the Bissch furnace was found to have an actual energy consumption far lower than traditional smelting methods to achieve the smelting of a given quantity of a metallic or non-metallic ores.
  • the furnace comprises preferably a steel made housing, whereby at least one of the top, surrounding and bottom walls is convex bulging outwards.
  • the furnace can comprise a chamber with an inner surface lined with suitable refractories, whereby the chamber can be closed by means of a suitable cover.
  • the inventive furnace is preferably heated by electric energy in the form of an electric current which is passing through an electrode which is comprising carbon.
  • the carbon electrode is preferably extending between two walls of said chamber, preferably in a horizontal position in order to heat a metallic or non- metallic ore placed inside the chamber of the furnace.
  • Figure 1 displays a side view of the smelting furnace according to the invention.
  • Figure 2 displays a front view of the smelting furnace according to the invention.
  • Figure 3 displays a top view of the smelting furnace according to the invention.
  • Figure 4 displays a cross-section- of the smelting furnace according to the invention.
  • the figures show a furnace that can be used for smelting metallic and non-metallic ores. It comprises a steel made housing whereby at least one of the surrounding wall 1 and bottom wall 7 is convex, i.e. bulging outwards, whereby the inner surface is lined with suitable refractories 8, e.g. based on silicon. For the purposes of this application a cylindrical shape, such as the one of the surrounding walls, is considered to be convex.
  • the furnace is mounted on supports 3 by means of a collar 4 which assures the possibility of tilting the inventive smelting furnace about a horizontal axis by mechanical means.
  • the housing encloses a chamber 9 that can be sealed hermetically by securing a cover 2 which is substantially convex bulging outwards and which is on top of the furnace.
  • a carbon electrode 5 is horizontally extending across the chamber 9, i.e. between two points 11 and 12 on the wall of chamber 9 and is provided with the terminal 6 serving as a connection to a power supply.
  • a first end of the electrode 5 is electrically connected to the grounded housing and the second end of the electrode 5 is connected to a voltage supply by means of a terminal 6.
  • the voltage supply generates a voltage between terminal 6 and the housing.
  • the electrode 5 which comprises carbon is a carbon electrode, preferably it is a carbon rod, most preferred is a graphite rod.
  • the furnace according to the present invention and the ore which is placed inside the inventive furnace is heated by means of an electric current which is passing through the carbon electrode 5.
  • the current in the carbon electrode 5 substantially exceeds any current in the ore to be processed.
  • the current is generated by a voltage applied over the electrode 5 whereas no voltage is applied to the ore to be processed.
  • the carbon electrode 5 can be positioned in order to extend entirely through the furnace under any angle, i.e. with a tilted, a vertical or a horizontal longitudinal axis. The most preferred position is, however, the horizontal position, i.e. the carbon electrode 5 is preferably positioned horizontally within the furnace.
  • the inventive furnace is suitable for smelting and refining metallic as well as non-metallic ores.
  • the metallic ores are preferably selected from the group comprising iron-, copper-, nickel-, zinc-, tin-, lead-, manganese-, cobalt- containing ores or mixtures thereof.
  • the tin containing ores are particularly preferred and cassiterite is most preferred.
  • the heating procedure is divided into a preheating period, whereby the cover 2 of the furnace is removed and the furnace stays open, and a reaction heating period whereby the furnace is loaded and hermetically closed.
  • the empty furnace is undergoing first a preheating period, whereby the cover is removed, and thereafter the chamber of the furnace is loaded with the ore and the furnace is hermetically closed and then heated again by passing an electric current through the carbon electrode 5. Afterwards, the furnace is left to cool down sufficiently, so that the cover 2 can be removed and the furnace is tilted to remove the slag on the surface and, if desired, also the tin metal. Thereafter the reloading procedure can be performed and the next operational run can be carried out.
  • the preheating or reheating periods of the unloaded or loaded chamber of the furnace at open conditions are ranging between 0.5 to about 4 hours, preferably about 2 hours.
  • reaction heating periods of the loaded chamber of the furnace at closed conditions is ranging between at about 1 and 6 hours, preferably between 1.5 and 3 hours, most preferred are 2 hours.
  • the furnace is heated by electric energy by means of the carbon electrode 5 which is fed with currents of between about 0.5 and about 600 amps, and voltages of between about 0.5 and about 72 volts, depending on the ore to be refined. Temperatures ranging between about 2800°C and about 3800°C are being realised, preferably between about 2900°C and about 3700°C.
  • the steel made smelting furnace has a silicon based insulating material forming the inner lining 8 of chamber 9.
  • the horizontally placed graphite rod is 15 cm in diameter and 3 m in length.
  • the employed ore is cassiterite, a typical composition of which is containing the following metallic ions and oxides:
  • the empty and open furnace is preheated to about 500°C prior to be loaded with cassiterite ore for about two hours by passing a current through the graphite rod. Thereafter, cassiterite ore is placed into the furnace through the opening and the furnace is completely sealed. Then, the temperature within the furnace is gradually increased to about 3000°C by passing again a current through the graphite rod for two more hours. After said two hours, during which the smelting process was taking place, the furnace is cooled down in a two stage process. Stage 1 is for 4 hours with the Bis furnace closed and step 2 is for another 4 hours with the furnace open. After this cooling process the slag on the surface can be run off by tilting the furnace by mechanical means.
  • the loading step 7) is preceded by the two stage cooling steps 4) and 5) .
  • the reheating step 8) under open conditions takes 2 hours, as did the preheating step 1) in the very beginning.
  • steps 7) , 8) and 9) follow.
  • steps 7), 8) and 9) are followed by steps 4) to 7) .

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Organic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Materials Engineering (AREA)
  • Metallurgy (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
  • General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Geochemistry & Mineralogy (AREA)
  • Geology (AREA)
  • Vertical, Hearth, Or Arc Furnaces (AREA)

Abstract

Four de fusion destiné à la fusion et à l'affinage de minerais et procédé d'obtention de métal à l'aide dudit four. Le four de fusion de l'invention permet de travailler à des températures élevées d'environ 3000 °C et de traiter des minerais métalliques et non métalliques avec une consommation d'énergie étonnament faible.
PCT/IB1996/000156 1996-03-01 1996-03-01 Four de fusion/affinage ferme hermetiquement WO1997032047A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PCT/IB1996/000156 WO1997032047A1 (fr) 1996-03-01 1996-03-01 Four de fusion/affinage ferme hermetiquement

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PCT/IB1996/000156 WO1997032047A1 (fr) 1996-03-01 1996-03-01 Four de fusion/affinage ferme hermetiquement

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO1997032047A1 true WO1997032047A1 (fr) 1997-09-04

Family

ID=11004409

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/IB1996/000156 WO1997032047A1 (fr) 1996-03-01 1996-03-01 Four de fusion/affinage ferme hermetiquement

Country Status (1)

Country Link
WO (1) WO1997032047A1 (fr)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN103884182A (zh) * 2014-04-16 2014-06-25 江苏藤仓亨通光电有限公司 一种回收铜头装置及其使用方法
CN104964561A (zh) * 2015-07-31 2015-10-07 苏州市玄天环保科技有限公司 一种电热高效熔炼炉
CN105758180A (zh) * 2016-03-03 2016-07-13 上海卡贝尼精密陶瓷有限公司 一种大跨度低拱顶电加热陶瓷烧结窑炉

Citations (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3737554A (en) * 1971-04-14 1973-06-05 Tanabe Kakoki Co Electric smelting furnace of closed-type having dust removing means fixed to exhaust gas vent pipes thereof
US4027095A (en) * 1974-02-21 1977-05-31 Nisshin Steel Co., Ltd. Hermetically sealed arc furnace
SU266214A1 (ru) * 1968-04-16 1977-10-25 Всесоюзный научно-исследовательский институт твердых сплавов Герметична автоматизированна электрическа печь
JPS56105439A (en) * 1980-01-24 1981-08-21 Penarroya Miniere Metall Recovery of metal contained in oxidized lead and zinc compounds
US4564950A (en) * 1983-07-28 1986-01-14 Bbc Brown, Boveri & Company Limited Guard arrangement for a bottom electrode of a direct-current arc furnace
AU5745086A (en) * 1985-05-14 1986-11-20 Laser-Tech Australia Ltd. Plasma reduction of ores, esp. tin
JPH01162732A (ja) * 1987-12-18 1989-06-27 Ushida Mitsuharu 強酸に溶解しない金属の精錬及び合金方法
WO1991011658A1 (fr) * 1990-01-29 1991-08-08 Noel Henry Wilson Destruction de dechets a l'aide de plasma
RU2006341C1 (ru) * 1992-04-29 1994-01-30 Вениамин Константинович Гребешков Устройство для управления заливкой и дозированием расплавленного металла

Patent Citations (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
SU266214A1 (ru) * 1968-04-16 1977-10-25 Всесоюзный научно-исследовательский институт твердых сплавов Герметична автоматизированна электрическа печь
US3737554A (en) * 1971-04-14 1973-06-05 Tanabe Kakoki Co Electric smelting furnace of closed-type having dust removing means fixed to exhaust gas vent pipes thereof
US4027095A (en) * 1974-02-21 1977-05-31 Nisshin Steel Co., Ltd. Hermetically sealed arc furnace
JPS56105439A (en) * 1980-01-24 1981-08-21 Penarroya Miniere Metall Recovery of metal contained in oxidized lead and zinc compounds
US4564950A (en) * 1983-07-28 1986-01-14 Bbc Brown, Boveri & Company Limited Guard arrangement for a bottom electrode of a direct-current arc furnace
AU5745086A (en) * 1985-05-14 1986-11-20 Laser-Tech Australia Ltd. Plasma reduction of ores, esp. tin
JPH01162732A (ja) * 1987-12-18 1989-06-27 Ushida Mitsuharu 強酸に溶解しない金属の精錬及び合金方法
WO1991011658A1 (fr) * 1990-01-29 1991-08-08 Noel Henry Wilson Destruction de dechets a l'aide de plasma
RU2006341C1 (ru) * 1992-04-29 1994-01-30 Вениамин Константинович Гребешков Устройство для управления заливкой и дозированием расплавленного металла

Non-Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
DERWENT ABSTRACTS, Accession No. 78-54225A/30, Class M22, P53; & SU,A,266 214 (SOLID ALLOYS RES IN), 28 October 1977. *
DERWENT ABSTRACTS, Accession No. 81-72859D/4U, Class M25; & JP,A,56 105 439 (SOC. MINIERE METAL PENNAR), 21 August 1981. *
DERWENT ABSTRACTS, Accession No. 89-225442/31, Class M25; & JP,A,01 162 732 (USHIDA), 27 June 1989. *
DERWENT ABSTRACTS, Accession No. 94-261816/32, Class P53; & RU,C,2 006 341 (GREBESHKOV VK), 29 April 1994. *

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN103884182A (zh) * 2014-04-16 2014-06-25 江苏藤仓亨通光电有限公司 一种回收铜头装置及其使用方法
CN103884182B (zh) * 2014-04-16 2015-08-19 江苏藤仓亨通光电有限公司 一种回收铜头装置及其使用方法
CN104964561A (zh) * 2015-07-31 2015-10-07 苏州市玄天环保科技有限公司 一种电热高效熔炼炉
CN105758180A (zh) * 2016-03-03 2016-07-13 上海卡贝尼精密陶瓷有限公司 一种大跨度低拱顶电加热陶瓷烧结窑炉

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