High-pressure injection of air into a peirce-smith copper converter

Abstract

Plant trials have been conducted at the Tacoma Smelter of ASARCO to assess the effect on tuyere blockage and refractory erosion at the tuyere line, of increasing the injection pressure of air into a Peirce-Smith converter. Four tuyeres each having an ID of 19.1 mm (0.75 inch) were installed toward one end of the tuyere line of the No. 4 converter. Air and oxygen-enriched air were injected at 414 kPag (60 psig) through these tuyeres and at the usual 83 kPag (12 psig) through the remainder of the tuyeres in an otherwise normal converter campaign. The test campaign consisted of 88 charges and lasted for 89 days. During this period, punching of the high-pressure tuyeres was found to be unnecessary; and when, as a precaution, the tuyeres were cleaned by hand at the end of a charge, they were always open. Also, it was observed that the flow of high-pressure air remained constant. Accretion formation around the tip of the high-pressure tuyeres varied from charge to charge and was influenced by the matte grade and the level of oxygen enrichment.