Flash smelting and converting furnaces: A 50 year retrospect

1999 marked the 50th anniversary of the Outokumpu flash-smelting process. Originating during the post-World War II energy crisis, flash smelting is a high-intensity process developed to attain ever-increasing throughputs and intensities. Many innovations and continuous development ensued during the next 50 years before today’s state-of-the-art copper-making process chain and environmental benchmarking technology (e.g., Outokumpu flash smelting, Kennecott-Outokumpu flash converting, and flash technology) became possible. This article reviews how Outokumpu flash furnace design, especially cooling for higher heat loads, has improved over the years. For more information, contact I.V. Kojo, Outokumpu Engineering Contractors Oy, P.O. Box 862, FIN-02201 Espoo, Finland; telephone 358-9-4211; fax 358-9-421 3973; e-mail ilkka.kojo@outokumpu.com.