Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B22—CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
  • B22C—FOUNDRY MOULDING
  • B22C9/00—Moulds or cores; Moulding processes
  • B22C9/08—Features with respect to supply of molten metal, e.g. ingates, circular gates, skim gates
  • B22C9/082—Sprues, pouring cups
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B22—CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
  • B22D—CASTING OF METALS; CASTING OF OTHER SUBSTANCES BY THE SAME PROCESSES OR DEVICES
  • B22D5/00—Machines or plants for pig or like casting
  • B22D5/02—Machines or plants for pig or like casting with rotary casting tables
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B22—CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
  • B22D—CASTING OF METALS; CASTING OF OTHER SUBSTANCES BY THE SAME PROCESSES OR DEVICES
  • B22D25/00—Special casting characterised by the nature of the product
  • B22D25/02—Special casting characterised by the nature of the product by its peculiarity of shape; of works of art
  • B22D25/04—Casting metal electric battery plates or the like
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B22—CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
  • B22D—CASTING OF METALS; CASTING OF OTHER SUBSTANCES BY THE SAME PROCESSES OR DEVICES
  • B22D35/00—Equipment for conveying molten metal into beds or moulds
  • B22D35/04—Equipment for conveying molten metal into beds or moulds into moulds, e.g. base plates, runners
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B22—CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
  • B22D—CASTING OF METALS; CASTING OF OTHER SUBSTANCES BY THE SAME PROCESSES OR DEVICES
  • B22D37/00—Controlling or regulating the pouring of molten metal from a casting melt-holding vessel

Definitions

• the invention relates to an arrangement for casting metal anodes in an anode casting plant according to the preamble of claim 1.
• the invention relates to a conducting system for conducting molten metal from a smelting furnace to an anode casting mold.
• the invention relates especially to casing copper anodes in an anode casing plant to be further processed in an electrolytic refining process, but the invention can also be used for casing metal anodes of other metals such as zinc anodes of zinc.
• the copper process includes a step where blister copper is cast in a casting device into copper anodes for the electrolytic purification of copper.
• copper is conducted and dosed to an anode casting mold by means of a system comprising chutes and troughs.
• the chutes the exterior shells of which are made of steel, are lined with a fire-resistant material, and they are either open or provided with lids.
• the chutes are installed with a suitable inclination, in order to allow the flowing of molten copper be carried out by gravity.
• troughs for example a settling trough, in which the molten copper is poured from the smelting furnace, and where the motion of the molten copper is calmed down before conducting it to the chutes.
• a dosing trough the task of which is to dose molten copper into an anode casting mold, as well as an intermediate trough for feeding molten copper into the dosing trough.
• the drawback with current arrangements is that the chute for feeding molten copper into the intermediate trough is arranged permanently in the conducting system, so that the chute is located partly above the intermediate trough, in order to feed molten copper to the intermediate trough.
• the replacing of the intermediate trough is difficult, because the intermediate trough cannot be lifted directly upwards.
• the lifting of the intermediate trough is only possible by breaking apart the chute located above the intermediate trough, and this is a time-consuming step that leads to a long interruption in the anode casting process.
• the chute ends or end leading to the casting trough must be placed so far up from the intermediate trough that the intermediate trough can be replaced.
• the object of the invention is to solve the above mentioned problems.
• the object of the invention is achieved by an arrangement according to the independent claim 1.
• the chute arrangement comprises a movable chute element for feeding molten metal into the intermediate trough, that part of the chute arrangement that is located above the intermediate trough, i.e. the movable chute element, can in an embodiment according to the invention be moved, for example turned away from above the intermediate trough, in order to allow the intermediate trough to be lifted upwards for replacing said intermediate trough with another, or for maintenance operations.
• An additional advantage that is achieved by an embodiment according to the invention is that it makes it possible to bring that side of the chute arrangement that is on the side of the intermediate trough near the intermediate trough, more precisely to bring that end of the movable chute element that is located on the side of the intermediate trough near the intermediate trough.
• the intermediate trough and that end of the chute arrangement that is located on the side of the intermediate trough can in an embodiment according to the invention be located near to each other, because the chute arrangement comprises a movable chute element, and space is thus not needed in between the intermediate trough and the chute arrangement for the maintenance or replacing of the intermediate trough, as is the case in prior art arrangements.
• the passage of the molten copper from the end of the chute arrangement to the intermediate trough is short, and this reduces the oxidation and cooling of the molten copper, when the molten copper is fed to the intermediate trough.
• the end of the chute arrangement can be located near the intermediate trough, and therefore an embodiment according to the invention also allows for a partial or complete covering of the intermediate trough with a lid, which further reduces the oxidation and cooling of the molten copper during the passage of the molten copper from the smelting furnace to a casting mold.
• Figure 1 illustrates part of an anode casting plant
• Figure 2 is a side-view illustration of an embodiment where a movable chute element is fitted in an intermediate trough provided with a lid
• Figure 3 is a side-view illustration of an embodiment where a movable chute element is in a position where said movable chute element is partly placed in the intermediate trough
• Figure 4 is a top-view illustration of an arrangement provided with two turnable chute elements that are turnable to be placed partly to above the intermediate trough, and that are turnable away from above the intermediate trough, and
• Figure 5 is a top-view illustration of an arrangement provided with a linearly movable chute element that can be shifted to be placed partly to above the intermediate trough, and that can be shifted away from above the intermediate trough.
• the arrangement presented in the figures and next in greater detail is an arrangement for casting copper anodes in an anode casting plant, wherein the metal is copper and the molten metal is molten copper.
• the arrangement could be an arrangement for casting zinc anodes in an anode casting plant, wherein the metal is zinc and the molten metal is molten zinc.
• Figure 1 illustrates part of an anode casting plant for producing metal anodes in the form of copper anodes, which anode casting plant comprising a smelting furnace 1, such as an anode furnace that can be tilted on an axis for smelting and processing metal which in the ecample illustrated in figure 1 is copper, anode casting molds 2 for casting copper anodes (not illustrated), and a conducting system 3 for conducting molten metal, which in the ecample illustrated in figure 1 is molten copper, from the smelting furnace 1 to anode casting molds 2.
• a smelting furnace 1 such as an anode furnace that can be tilted on an axis for smelting and processing metal which in the ecample illustrated in figure 1 is copper
• anode casting molds 2 for casting copper anodes (not illustrated)
• a conducting system 3 for conducting molten metal, which in the ecample illustrated in figure 1 is molten copper, from the smelting furnace 1 to
• the anode casting plant illustrated in Figure 1 comprises two smelting furnaces 1.
• the conducting arrangement 3 comprises a casting trough 4 for dosing molten copper into anode casting molds 2.
• the anode casting molds 2 are arranged on two rotary casting tables 5, on which the anode casting molds 2 are turnable to in front of the casting trough 4, so that the casting trough 4 could dose molten copper to the anode casting mold 2.
• the conducting arrangement 3 comprises an inte ⁇ nediate trough 6 for feeding molten copper into the casting trough 4.
• the conducting system 3 illustrated in the drawings comprises a settling trough 7, in which molten copper is poured from the casting hole 8 of the smelting furnace, and where the motion of the molten copper is calmed down 7 prior to conducting it to the chute arrangement 9.
• the conducting arrangement 3 also comprises a chute arrangement 9 for feeding molten copper from the settling trough 7 to the intermediate trough 6.
• the chute arrangement 9 comprises a movable chute element 10 for feeding molten copper to the intermediate trough 6.
• the movable chute element 10 can be shifted to a first position, where the movable chute element 10 is placed partly above the intermediate trough 6, and where molten copper can be fed from the movable chute element 10 to the intermediate trough 6. Moreover, the movable chute element 10 can be shifted to a second position, where the movable chute element 10 is shifted away from above the intermediate trough 6.
• the movable chute element 10 can be such that in addition to said first and second positions, it can also be shifted to other positions.
• the intermediate trough 6 can be tilted on a tilting axis 1 1 for feeding molten copper to the casting trough 4 by means of a pouring spout 12 arranged in the intermediate trough 6.
• the movable chute element 10 is arranged to feed molten copper to the intermediate trough 6 at a point that is located directly above the tilting axis 1 1 of the intermediate trough 6.
• the intermediate trough 6 has a downstream end 13 provided with a pouring spout 12 for feeding molten copper to the casting trough 4, and at the opposite end an upstream end 14.
• the movable chute element 10 is arranged to feed molten copper to the intermediate trough 6 at the upstream end 14 of the intermediate trough 6, or at least at such point of the intermediate trough 6 that is located nearer to the upstream end 14 of the intermediate trough 6 than to the downstream end 13 of the intermediate trough 6.
• the movable chute element 10 is movable to a first position, where the movable chute element 10 is located partly in the intermediate trough 6.
• the intermediate trough 6 comprises a lid 15.
• the lid 15 and/or the intermediate trough 6 is provided with an aperture 16, in which the movable chute element 10 can be fitted for feeding molten copper from the movable chute element 10 to the intermediate trough 6. It is also possible that the aperture 16 is completely in the intermediate trough 6, or that part of the aperture 16 is arranged in the lid 15, and that part of the aperture 16 is arranged in the intermediate trough 6.
• the lid 15 reduces the oxidation and cooling of molten copper.
• the movable chute element 10 has an upstream end 17, to which molten copper can be fed through the chute 20, and a downstream end 18 for feeding molten copper from the movable chute element 10 to the intermediate trough 6.
• the upstream end 17 of the movable chute element 10 comprises a reception cup 19 for receiving molten copper from the chute 20 of the chute arrangement 9.
• the movable chute element 10 has an upstream end 17, to which molten copper can be fed from the chute 20, and a downstream end 18 for feeding molten copper from the movable chute element 10 to the intermediate trough 6.
• the movable chute element 10 is turnable with respect to a turning point 21 of the chute 20, which turning point is located at the upstream end 17 of the movable chute element 10.
• Figure 4 illustrates an arrangement comprising two turnable i.e. movable chute elements 10, through which molten copper can be fed to the intermediate trough 6.
• one (i.e. upper) movable chute element 10 is in the second position, i.e. turned away from above the intermediate trough, and the other (i.e. lower) movable chute element 10 is in the first position, i.e. partly above the intermediate trough, in a position where molten copper can be fed from the movable chute element 10 to the intermediate trough 6.
• the movable chute element 10 is linearly movable between the first position and the second position. In Figure 5, the movable chute element 10 is in the first position. In Figure 5, molten copper can be conducted to the movable chute element 10 from two smelting furnaces 1 (not illustrated in Figure 5), in similar way as in Figure 1.
• the arrangement illustrated in Figure 1 includes two smelting furnaces 1. From each smelting furnace 1 , molten copper can be poured to its own specific settling trough 7, and from the specific settling trough, there leads a chute 20, through which molten copper can be fed to one movable chute element 10.
• the movable chute element 10 is, preferably but not necessarily, detachably fitted in the chute arrangement 9. This kind of arrangement allows for replacing the movable chute element 10, when necessary, by another movable chute element 10.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Manufacture And Refinement Of Metals (AREA)
• Electrolytic Production Of Metals (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=38951644

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Cited By (8)

Citations (5)

• 2007
  • 2007-12-21 FI FI20075949A patent/FI20075949L/fi not_active Application Discontinuation
• 2008
  • 2008-11-19 WO PCT/FI2008/050667 patent/WO2009080871A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2008-12-18 PE PE2008002128A patent/PE20091518A1/es not_active Application Discontinuation

Patent Citations (5)

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