60 METALLURGY

UDK 669.053.4.001

Contribution of FGUP GINTSVETMET Institute into Development and Integration of Autogenous Smelting
V.M. Paretsky FGUP Institute GINTSVETMET)

The autogenous smelting of sulphide concentrates, ores, and middlings is still the main direction for improving the technology for heavy nonferrous metal production. However, the unique potential of these processes has not properly been used at the smelters around the world. This is explained by the fact that until recently the problems of one-stage raw material smelting into the white matte (crude metal) and obtaining the nonferrous metal waste slag have not been properly studied. A large volume of recent researches conducted by Gintsetmet (among others), as well as the domestic and foreign practice of developing autogenous processes, including conversion, enables to conclude that a significant scientific and technical progress has been achieved in this field. The recent theoretical researches conducted in CIS have indicated that: 1) In case of any type of autogeneous smelting sulphides are oxidized only in the melted condition; 2) The oxides with the minimal valency are formed during such oxidation; 3) Oxidation is effected through the oxysulphide formation stage; 4) The melt is metallized during such oxidation; 5) The electron-ions are exchanged in the molten pool at a high rate; 6) The component dynamics shall be analyzed in the slag and matte system subject to the composition and partial pressure of gas phase components; 7) The elemental sulphur is assimilated with slag and matte, especially with the metallized matte, at a high rate; 8) The temperature when the elemental sulfur begins to interact depends on the sulfidizing agent lattice energy.

These theoretical points have led to a number of process-related studies at a new technical level. Below are the results of these studies conducted recently for various types of autogeneous smelting.
Oxygen and Flare Melting of Copper Concentrates into White Matte (Crude Copper)

In case of one-stage white matte (crude copper) production, it is quite beneficial to do melting with highly basic slags, especially oxide melts of FeOFe2O3SiO2 system. The advantage of this system is homogeneity at melting temperatures of 1,2001,400 in the specific Ca/Fe range under high partial oxygen pressure which is typical for melting to the white matte (crude copper). Besides, the slag is easily depleted to the waste condition in terms of the content of nonferrous metals at considerably lower costs. The ferrite calcic or high calcium slags may be used in the ferrous industry and as a raw material to produce cement. The technology for melting copper sulfide concentrates into the white matte (crude copper) and producing ferriferous calcic silicate slags was developed for the oxygen and flare process (OFP). Due to specifics of this process, it is most suitable for melting with highly basic slags. The semi-industrial tests were conducted at the pilot plant with max. capacity 50 t of the charge per day to melt copper concentrates of the following composition, %: 18.524.0 u, 27-32 Fe, 3035.5 S, 46 SiO2 and 0.5 . The concentrate is pre-dried to the residual moisture content of < 1%. The process was conducted by ramping the copper content in the matte from the white matte to the crude copper. The quick lime and limestone were used as a flux. No melt sponging was observed. The furnace was

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operating in the autogenous mode at the slag temperature of 1,290 1,350 . The following substances were received as the result of the tests: The matte containing 7579.5% u and crude copper containing 95% u, 2.65% S, 0.07% Fe, and 0.53% O2; The slag containing 23% u; The gas containing 4575% SO2,7 10% O2, 220% O2 and 1530% N2. At a certain calcium oxide / silicon dioxide ratio, the slags self-slaking when cooled in the air have been obtained. The following has been obtained when floating these slags at the pilot plant: the concentrate containing 11-20% u and tails containing 0.27-0.5% u. This technology was recommended for several smelters, including two foreign ones.
Processing Nickel Matte in OFP Furnace

sulfidizing.
Melting and Converting when Processing Crude Copper and Copper-Zinc in Vanyukovs Furnace (VF)

The studies have been conducted with highly aggressive metallized nickel matte containing 1218% Ni, obtained by pit-type reduction smelting of the oxidized nickel ore. When processing this type of matte, the lining of the standard converter is kept max. for 1015 days. Naturally enough, it is easier, more cost effectively and efficiently to use continuous matte conversion. OFP enables to do the process by forming ferrite and calcic or combined slags. In such case limestone is used as a flux, and no extra fuel is added to the process to provide high oxidization and temperature potentials. The melting technology and equipment were tested on a semi-industrial scale. As the result of pilot smelts, the Bessemer matte containing 68.875.0% Ni and 0.481.0% and ferrite and calcic slag containing 1.48.4% Ni and 0.160,56% were obtained. When smelted, nickel converts mainly into the Bessemer matte, and cobalt into the slag. The depletion of the slag in the electric furnace enables to extract even more nickel and cobalt and obtain the dump-grade slag (0.03% Ni; 0.02 o). This technology is promising for nickel smelters processing oxidized ores through

The belit-based melting of copper concentrates containing 1518% u, 3035% S, 25-29% Fe in a semi-industrial VF in a molten pool with combined slags enabled to obtain a matte containing over 70% u. The researche related to developing a technology for Ural copper-zinc concentrates enabled to design VFs for North-Ural Copper Melter (NRCM). The studies included the experiments with various modes of melting copper-zinc concentrates to a rich matte and white matte to form silicate slags. It was demonstrated that in case of one-stage melting of crude copper-zinc and production of a matte which is similar in terms of composition to the white matte, in contrast to melting crude copper only, VF process does not require any main flux. In such case, the zinc oxide is used as the homogenizing agent for the slag under high partial oxygen pressures. The melting of combined copper-zinc concentrates containing 8.8-15.1% u and 4.612.6% Zn enabled to obtain a matte containing 70-78% Cu and slags containing 0.7-9.93% Cu. Zinc converts into the slag 9394% and then extracted by fuming. When processing pyrite concentrates containing 0.2-0.8% u, a poor matte was obtained containing 2-10% Cu and slags containing 0.6-0.17% Cu. Their processing in a separate bubble unit and dry granulation of waste slags could be one of the optimal options for depleting the slag.
Flux-free Oxygen and Converter Technology for Processing Crude Copper-Zink

High-temperature flux-free oxidization of an iron-bearing matte and melt metallization demonstrated that it is efficient for processing crude copper-zinc. At Gintsvetmet a 5-t converter was used to test a copper-zinc matte containing 19.0-36.6% u and 2.9-5.4% Zn and copper-zinc concentrates containing 14.0-16.1% Cu and 5.89.0 Zn. The matte was fused in an ore smelting

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furnace and poured into the converter preheated to 1,150 with natural gas and oxygen supplied through the top tuyere. The blowing was performed at the melt temperature of 1,5001,600 by an oxygen-containing gas with concentration 7595% O2 under pressure (610) 105Pa. Zinc quickly releases immediately after the oxygen-containing mix is blown to the melt surface. The zinc distillation rate came to 150200 kg/(m2hr) and was increasing as the degree of flare integration into the melt grew. To compare, zinc is distillated during fuming at the rate of ~ 70 kg/(m2h). The residual content of zinc in melting waste products came to 0.41.3%. The content of zinc in the matte containing 5774% Cu came to 0.27-0.7% after blowing. Since the amount of the dust forming during conversion does not exceed 13%, the zinc oxide content in distillation products is 6590%.
Flare and Bubble Melting (FBM) of Various Types of Crude Sulfides

In this process one system combines flux-free melting of the dried concentrate in the vertical oxygen flare and the following post-oxidation of the oxide and sulfide melt in the bubbling pool installed immediately under the flare and fluxes added to such pool. It renders a totally different effect which enables to intensify all the metallurgical process stages and selectively extract nonferrous metals, precious metals, and sulphur into commercial products when processing various crude materials. FBM makes use of all the advantages of heterogeneous-flare and bubble-emulsion processes. The option of distributing oxygen between the flare and bubbling area enables to control the process: to achieve the required degree of desulfuration, ensure virtually complete oxygen assimilation, distribution thermal and gas flows in required ratios, obtain slags with low content of magnetite close to the equilibrium composition in the wide range of melt homogeneity subject to high partial oxygen pressure.

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Reactions in flare Tuyer

Reactions in melt

Equipment Configuration and Essence of FBM Process

The figure shows the diagram of main interactions in FBM process. A special furnace with charged capacity of 50 t/day was used to conduct semi-industrial tests to melt copper and copper-zinc concentrates. The following substances were obtained as the result of such melting: A matte in the flare and bubbling area containing 77-83% u; Process gases containing, %: 16-56 SO2, 1530 O2, 1-6 O2; The slags before depletion containing, %: 0.7-1.3 u, 22-26 SiO2, 10-12 CaO, 41-44 Fe, 0.35-0.9 S. When depleting the slag in the depleting

area of the furnace with a clinker mix obtained in the course of zinc and pyrite concentrate production with 2:1 ratio and bubbling the pool with an oxygen-enriched air, slags containing 0.30.4% u and poor matte containing 2239% u are obtained. The phased electron probe analysis of the samples of the melt formed in the flare before it reaches the pool and the slag from the bubbling area before and after depletion demonstrated that no magnetite is formed in the flare as the content of magnetite in the bubbling oxidizing area is 67%, and in the slag after depletion 13%.

The test showed that the combination of flare melting and bubbling principles in the oxidizing area enables to: 1) Intensify the white matte production (crude copper) by expanding the reaction zone by the furnace height, distributing the supplied oxygen, and extracting sulfur dioxide from the gas phase; 2) Ensure uniform temperature distribution in the reaction zone volume; 3) perform flux-free melting in the flare at high temperatures to reduce the content of magnetite in the slag with no risk of damaging the furnace lining and obtaining the slag of the required composition in the bubbling zone from ferriferous-silicate to ferrite-calcic at the melt temperatures which are standard for bubbling processes; 4) Reduce the size of the combining zone. Some comparative data on melting crude copper-zinc by different methods are given below as an example (the basic technical and economic indicators): Flare and Bubbling Melting:
Annual production of crude copper, thous. t Amount of zinc sublimates, thous. t Content of zinc in sublimates, % Through extraction of copper into crude copper (excluding burning-out), % Through extraction of zinc into sublimates, % Content in waste slags, % copper zinc Extraction of sulphur into melting gases, % Through extraction of sulphur into metallurgical gases, % Total volume of gases, thous. nm3/h Content of sulphurous anhydrides in gases, % 93.9 68.9 49.5 99.06 90.0 0.25 1.0 70.0 95.2 120.0 11.8

With this technology, Gintsvetmet and Giprotsvetmet Institutes prepared the project for reconstructing Almalyksky Copper Smelter (Republic of Uzbekistan) with the capacity of 120 thous. t of copper per year and process regulation for creating the first Ukrainian copper smelter with the capacity of 20 thous. t of crude oil per year. The development work of Gintsvetmet in the field of improving autogenous smelting described above is quite relevant today and ready to be implemented. Gintsvetmet Institute together with the leading design institute Giprotsvetmet are prepared to provide process solutions to integrate the latest developments into the global practice of producing heavy nonferrous metals.

Use of VFs in Combination with Other Systems at Same Production Volume

Through extraction of copper, % Through extraction of zinc, % VF electric furnace 98.8 73.0 VF fuming furnace 94.0 85.9

The technology provides waste-free production, high environmental performance, fuel and energy savings, and the option of melting complex raw materials, lump reverts, and secondary raw materials.