Abstract
During the pyrometallurgical extraction of copper, a significant fraction of this metal is lost with discard slag, which decreases profits and overall copper recovery. These copper losses can be reduced by using a settling furnace, in which suspended droplets containing copper separate from slag under the influence of gravity. An industrial trial was conducted in a settling furnace to increase the knowledge of the effect of temperature and settling time on the copper content of slag, and thus enhance the settling process to increase copper recovery. Slag samples were collected from four sample points: the ingoing and outgoing slag stream, within the furnace during settling, and the granulated slag. The chemical composition of the slag samples was analyzed and compared between batches with different temperatures and settling times. The appearance of copper and its associated phases were analyzed using a scanning electron microscope with an energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy detector (SEM-EDS). The results indicated that the outgoing slag copper content increased with an increase in temperature, and it was also concluded to be influenced by the attachment of copper to spinels and gas bubbles. The results indicate that regulating the settling furnace temperature to a lower interval could increase copper recovery.
Highlights
Copper losses to slag limit overall recovery and, decrease the profit and efficiency of raw material usage during pyrometallurgical copper extraction
The settling of copper-containing phases in reduced iron silicate slag was examined in an industrial trial in a settling furnace
The trial was conducted to increase the knowledge of the effect on the slag copper content of the process parameters of temperature and settling time
Summary
Copper losses to slag limit overall recovery and, decrease the profit and efficiency of raw material usage during pyrometallurgical copper extraction. The copper in slag is either dissolved or mechanically entrained as matte or metallic droplets. Slag generated in a smelting furnace often has a copper content of 1–2 wt% [1], which can be partly recovered by slag-cleaning operations. The copper content in discarded slag is still often higher than that of sulfidic copper ores. The investigation of copper losses to slag can help to reduce these losses and is, a task of high practical significance. Challenges during slag-cleaning operations involving a settling furnace include predicting the settling time of entrained copper and the optimal conditions for the maximum settling rate
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