Abstract
The primary production of sulfide concentrates includes smelting to copper matte or blister copper, conversion of matte to blister copper, and refining to copper. Smelting, converting, and fire-refining can use a limited amount of secondary materials. Molten copper can effectively dissolve many metals, from valuable noble metals to harmful impurities such as bismuth. However, some of the impurity metals in copper are valuable in other applications. In this paper, we outline the main material flows in copper smelting and electrorefining and describe how minor metals can be recovered from secondary raw materials using copper as a carrier material. We will use a system integrated approach to define the factors that affect the recovery of different metals and copper quality. Metals typical in copper production are used as examples, like noble metals, As, Bi, Se, and Te, including metals in the EU critical raw materials list like PGM and Sb.
Highlights
The refinery production of copper in 2015 was estimated to be 22.9 million tonnes [1]
Fire refining is done by first blowing air through molten copper to oxidise impurities and reduce the sulphur level
The main reasons to recycle scrap in primary copper production are the control of internal home scrap flows, need of cold material for converter cooling, and recovery of noble metals from old scrap, especially from waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE)
Summary
The refinery production of copper in 2015 was estimated to be 22.9 million tonnes [1]. Copper uses can be classified, for example, into electrical, electronics and communications, construction, transportation, industrial machinery and equipment, and consumer and general products [1]. Less pure copper scrap is smelted in a primary or secondary smelter and refined. Alloy scrap is usually recycled directly to make a new alloy, as there is no advantage to smelt and refine it to pure copper [6]. The CEN/TS 13388 describes 13 different copper scrap grades with maximum impurity levels and sources. The CEN/TS 13388 describes 11 different brass scrap grades and six alloy grades originating from heat exchangers. The ISRI scrap grades are defined using material and its source, and most of the descriptions include minimum copper levels and sometimes maximum impurity levels. The traditional smelting, converting, and electrorefining route for primary copper production and some material flows of impurities and valuable by-products will be discussed
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