Kinetics of the reactions in the smelting furnace of the Mitsubishi process

In this paper, the authors present the results of theoretical calculations on the rates at which copper concentrate particles and silica particles dissolve in the matte in the smelting furnace of Mitsubishiprocess. Those calculations indicate that the concentrate particles dissolve rapidly in matte, in less than 1 ms, whereas silica particles dissolve at a much slower rate, and they dissolve mainly in the bulk matte in the smelting furnace. Some advantages of bath smelting over flash smelting are given. For more information, contact Zenjiro Asaki, Mitsubishi Materials Corporation, Central Research Institute, 1-297 Kitabukuro-cho, Omiya, Saimtama, 330-8508, Japan.     

Control aspects of the mitsubishi continuous process

The Mitsubishi process for the continuous smelting and converting of copper holds many advantages over conventional processes, where reactions must be conducted in numerous steps and melts must be tapped frequently from the furnaces. The furnaces operate like steady-state reactors with constant melt volume, composition, and temperature. Therefore, optimal control of the process is straightforward, with one operator controlling smelting and converting simultaneously. Recent improvements in temperature control by using newly developed sensors have extended furnace campaign life, and enhanced control over melt compositions has helped further stabilize operations. Applications of the environmentally clean smelting technology are increasing internationally. Moto Goto earned his Dr. Eng. in metallurgical engineering at Tokyo University in 1984. He is currently senior managing director at Mitsubishi Materials Corporation. Dr. Goto is also a member of TMS. Eiki Oshima earned his M.S. in metallurgical engineering at Tohoku University in 1968. He is currently general manager of the Naoshima smelter at Mitsubishi Materials Corporation. Mr. Oshima is also a member of TMS. Mineo Hayashi earned his M.S. in metallurgical engineering at Tohoku University in 1971. He is currently general manager of the process and technology department, International Copper Project Division, Mitsubishi Materials Corporation. Mr. Hayashi is also a member of TMS.     

Numerical analysis on fluid flow and heat transfer in the smelting furnace of mitsubishi process for Cu refining

To understand complex behavior in the smelting furnace of Mitsubishi continuous process for copper refining, comprehensive 3-D numerical simulation and field experiment were performed. The numerical simulation results showed that strong and complex velocity fields of gas, matte and slag were generated in the furnace and large amounts of matte and slag were splashed into the gas area. Temperature measurements at the lance during field operation revealed that wide range of temperature variation appeared depending on the injection condition of concentrates. Numerical simulation results provided good agreements with experiments results and showed that the chemical reaction induces temperature increase during gas injection period. On the other hand, lance temperature is decreasing because of cold concentrates during gas and particles injection period. From the FFT analysis results, the fluctuations of matte and slag volume fraction near the lance induce temperature fluctuations of the lance. Through these experimental and simulation results, it was revealed that the lances in the smelting furnace were exposed to severe conditions such as high temperature, repeated large temperature change and cyclic change of large temperature gradient across the thickness.     

基于数值模拟的闪速连续炼铜炉型结构研究

分析4种闪速连续炼铜炉型的本质特性,提出将闪速连续炼铜过程视为由相对独立的闪速造锍熔炼过程和连续吹炼造铜过程构成,分别建立闪速造锍熔炼多相平衡数学模型和连续吹炼造铜局域平衡数学模型,并通过中间物料的传递将两模型有机结合,从而构建完整的闪速连续炼铜过程热力学模型。运用此模型,考察炉型结构对闪速连续炼铜过程的粗铜生成条件、Fe3O4行为、铜在渣中损失以及铜直收率等因素的影响。结果表明：相对于其他3种炉型,甩渣吹炼双烟道D型炉是比较理想的连续炼铜炉体;对于闪速连续炼铜,造锍熔炼段和铜锍吹炼段宜在相对独立的分区进行,各自炉渣和烟气也应分开排出炉体。     

铜复杂资源熔炼过程中杂质锑脱除的热力学模拟（英文）

研究铜冶炼过程Sb的反应机理,分析Sb在4种典型铜冶炼工艺中多相分配差异。建立富氧底吹铜冶炼工艺的多相平衡模型,研究原料中Cu、S和Sb含量对Sb多相分配比的影响。同时,应用该模型研究铜锍品位、富氧浓度、熔炼温度和氧矿比(标准状态下氧气流量与精矿加料速率之比)等工艺参数对Sb分配行为的影响。结果 表明,计算数据与实际生产结果和文献数据吻合良好。提高精矿中Cu含量、降低S和Sb含量,提高铜锍品位、富氧浓度和氧矿比,同时适当降低冶炼温度,有利于Sb向炉渣中定向富集。模拟结果可为复杂资源清洁高效处理及伴生元素综合回收提供理论指导。     

The direct electrorefining of copper matte

Direct electrorefining of copper matte would be a desirable alternative to copper converting and its associated troublesome sulfur dioxide emissions. After more than 100 years of study, however, no commercial process has been developed, even though an analogous process for the direct electrorefining of nickel matte anodes has been operating successfully for several decades. The unique difficulties associated with copper matte electrorefining are related to the properties of the matte’s decomposition products.     

Intelligent prediction model of matte grade in copper flash smelting process

Due to the importance of detecting the matte grade in the copper flash smelting process, the mechanism model was established according to the multi-phase and multi-component mathematic model. Meanwhile this procedure was a complicated production process with characteristics of large time delay, nonlinearity and so on. A fuzzy neural network model was set up through a great deal of production data. Besides a novel constrained gradient descent algorithm used to update the parameters was put forward to improve the parameters learning efficiency. Ultimately the self-adaptive combination technology was adopted to paralleled integrate two models in order to obtain the prediction model of the matte grade. Industrial data validation shows that the intelligently integrated model is more precise than a single model. It can not only predict the matte grade exactly but also provide optimal control of the copper flash smelting process with potent guidance.     

金锑精矿提金工艺的改进

在简要介绍我国金锑精矿鼓风炉挥发熔炼-贵锑电解工艺的基础上,重点阐述了锑锍处理、金银合金提纯、贵锑和贵铅富集金等工序改造的相关内容.将锑锍处理由原来的焙烧法改为选矿法,将金银合金处理工艺由电解改为溶解萃取,贵锑和贵铅富集金由电解改为控制电位选择性氯化浸出.这些工序的改进不仅保证了原有生产工艺的正常进行,提高了各种金属的直收率,而且缩短了工艺流程,减少了环境污染.     

ISACONVERT™—Continuous converting of nickel/PGM matte with calcium ferrite slag

The ISASMELT? process is a top submerged lance (TSL) bath smelting technology which has been developed and optimized over the last 25 years. By the end of 2011, the total installed capacity of the ISASMELT technology will exceed 9,000,000 tonnes per year of feed materials in copper and lead smelters around the world. Commercial plants, operating in Belgium and Germany, are also batch converting copper materials in ISASMELT furnaces. This TSL technology is equally effective for continuous converting processes, whereupon it is called ISACONVERT?. Xstrata Technology (XT) has recently patented a new ISACONVERT process for the continuous converting of nickel/platinum group metal (PGM) mattes using the calcium ferrite slag system. This paper outlines the development of this new process and presents a conceptual flowsheet for how it can be integrated into an existing nickel/PGM smelter.     

氧气底吹铜熔池熔炼过程的机理及产物的微观分析

对氧气底吹熔炼过程气体喷吹行为、造锍熔炼化学反应机理及熔炼炉内热工作状态进行理论分析及水模型实验和取样分析验证。结果表明,氧气底吹气流能使熔体形成均匀的扩散区,实现熔体的搅拌,在气体连续相区和液体连续相区,气液、液液之间的相互作用强烈,为炉内化学反应及传热传质提供了良好的动力学条件;氧气底吹熔炼过程在零配煤的情况下能达到自热熔炼,在节能减排方面,该工艺具有很强的优势;获得了铜渣、冰铜和蘑菇头中各组分的形貌,确定了铜渣、冰铜和蘑菇头的物相组成,渣样主要由冰铜相、磁铁矿相、铁橄榄石相和玻璃体相组成,熔炼内的氧势和硫势分布有利于反应的进行,能有效抑制Fe3O4的形成以及降低渣含铜。     

Mathematical model of pyritic smelting process for copper-nickel mineral in oxygen top-blown furnace

1　INTRODUCTIONTheideaofrefiningcopperandnickelwithpyriticsmeltingprocessinoxygentop blownfurnacehascomeintobeingforitsachievementinoxygen converterofsteelmaking processfrom 196 0s.Thefirstpyriticsmeltingfurnacewithoxygentop blownsmeltingnickelhadbeenputintoproductionatNorthNickelCo .ofRussianin 1986 .Nowadays ,thistech nologyhasbeenimportedandemployedinJinchuanNonferrousMetalCo .ofChina .Inthepastdecades ,theutilizationofflashsmeltingfurnaceinnonferrous makinghasgotextensivedevelopmen…     

EFFECTS OF TEMPERATURE ON DISTRIBUTION BEHAVIORS OF MINOR ELEMENTS IN COPPER FLASH SMELTING──COMPUTER SIMULATION

ＥＦＦＥＣＴＳＯＦＴＥＭＰＥＲＡＴＵＲＥＯＮＤＩＳＴＲＩＢＵＴＩＯＮＢＥＨＡＶＩＯＲＳＯＦＭＩＮＯＲＥＬＥＭＥＮＴＳＩＮＣＯＰＰＥＲＦＬＡＳＨＳＭＥＬＴＩＮＧ──ＣＯＭＰＵＴＥＲＳＩＭＵＬＡＴＩＯＮ￥ＴａｎＰｅｎｇｆｕ；ＺｈａｎｇＣｈｕａｎｆｕ（Ｄｅ...     

Chemical Degradation Mechanisms of Magnesia–Chromite Refractories in the Copper Smelting Furnace

Magnesia–chromite refractory has been extensively used in the copper-making industry. It is necessary to understand the degradation mechanisms of the current refractory to develop new refractories. In the present study, post mortem refractories from a smelting furnace were analyzed and compared with the results of static corrosion tests on magnesia–chromite refractories in the laboratory at high temperatures. The microstructure and phase composition were carefully investigated by electron probe x-ray microanalysis to understand the degradation mechanisms of the magnesia–chromite refractory in copper smelting conditions. The degradation mechanisms between the magnesia–chromite refractory and the copper smelting slag and CuO transformed from matte are discussed based on the analysis of the post mortem refractory samples and laboratory tests. These results will enable optimization of the industrial process and development of new refractories for copper smelting furnaces.     

Matte Entrainment by SO2 Bubbles in Copper Smelting Slag

JOM - The attachment of copper matte by bubbles in slags, during the copper smelting process, plays a key role in the copper loss. This paper aims to provide an in-depth insight into the copper...     

汽车尾气催化剂中铂族金属回收工艺概述

我国铂族金属资源稀缺,从二次资源中回收铂族金属,对于实现可持续发展和环境保护都具有重要意义.综述了目前从报废汽车尾气净化催化剂中回收铂族金属的研究进展,包括预处理、富集和精炼与分离过程.预处理作用是打开废催化剂的包裹或增大与溶液的接触面积.富集是最回收废催化剂最为关键的步骤,湿法富集过程繁琐,周期较长、废水量较多,回收...     

IRON MAKING IN ANCIENT CHINA

<正> 中国的钢铁冶炼具有悠久的历史。解放后十余年来,在全国各地大规模地进行各种建设工程的过程中,出土了大批的古代铁器,陆续发现了重要的冶铁遗址。这些都对研究中国古代的冶铁技术提供了非常丰富和重要的资料。近年来对出土的古代铁器进行了一些金相检验和分析,对中国古代史籍有关冶铁技术的文献也作了系统的整理和研究。这样,关于中国古代冶铁技术达到的水平,人们已经得到一个大致的了解;对于它的发展途径,也可以作出一些推断。     

Flash smelting copper concentrates

Flash smelting is a comparatively new method of smelting copper and nickel sulfide concentrates. It takes place when the concentrate, with or without additional fuel, is suspended in gases containing oxygen whereby the heat of oxidation reactions bring the suspended particles to a smelting temperature. From the suspended state the hot particles are separated and molten slag and matte are deposited on the furnace hearth.     

Copper smelting mechanism in oxygen bottom-blown furnace

The SKS furnace is a horizontal cylindrical reactor similar to a Noranda furnace, however, the oxygen enriched air is blown into the furnace from the bottom. Mechanism model of the SKS process was developed by analyzing the smelting characteristics deeply. In our model, the furnace section from top to bottom is divided into seven functional layers, i.e., gas layer, mineral decomposition transitioning layer, slag layer, slag formation transitioning layer, matte formation transitioning layer, weak oxidizing layer and strong oxidizing layer. The furnace along the length direction is divided into three functional regions, that is, reaction region, separation transitioning region and liquid phase separation and settling region. These layers or regions play different roles in the model in describing the mechanism of the smelting process. The SKS smelting is at a multiphase non-steady equilibrium state, and the oxygen and sulfur potentials change gradually in the length and cross directions. The smelting capacity of the SKS process could be raised through reasonably controlling the potential values in different layers and regions.     

Making improvements in smelting capacity at Onsan copper smelter

The Onsan copper smelter of LG Metals Corporation started operation in 1979 with an installed copper smelting capacity of 80,000 t/y. Utilizing Outokumpu flash-smelting technology, the smelter has expanded capacity since its start-up; in 1997, it is expected that the tonnage of smelted concentrate will be more than twice the original design capacity. Furthermore, a new smelting line based on the Mitsubishi continuous process will be commissioned in early 1998 with a capacity of 160,000 t/y of copper. This article describes the modifications and improvements made to increase the smelting capacity. Y.-C. Kang earned his B.S. in metallurgy from Hanyang University in 1979. He is currently general manager of the smelting team at LG Metals Corporation. S.-S. Park earned his B.S. in metallurgy from Hanyang University in 1991. He is currently manager of the smelting team at LG Metals Corporation.