Three Versions of Copper Matte Converters:
In the past three decades, the three modifications of Matte
converting process have been worked out by the Copper Technological Engineers,
in order to make the process more roburt, cleansd, productive, energy efficient
and commercially viable.
1) Peirce Smith Converters:
Such a converter is a horizontal barrel lined with refractory
material inside. A hood for the purpose of the charging and discharging operations
is located on the upper side of the converter. Two belts of tuyeres come
along the axis on either sides of the converter.
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This
high temperature process of roasting allows oxygen in the air to convert the
Sulfide compounds in the minerals. These oxidized sulfur compounds such as
Sulfur trioxide leave with exhaust gases out of the converter as a noxious
acidic vapors, along with other dangerous volatile elements such as arsenic
trioxide, are carefully captured and dispatched to the cleaning and extracting system
for the byproducts as sulfuric acid of various strength and others.
Video
# 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wZumvsqV1w
The above type of copper Matte converters ( which
can also be seen in the video # 2) is being employed in various countries like,
Canada, South Africa, Iran etc.
2) Copper Top Blown Rotary Smelting Converter:
Jhagadia Copper
Limited , largest copper recycling unite in India, which has been operating
successfully since the year 2004 ,comprising of Copper Top Blown Rotary
Smelting Converter (Kaldo furnace from Sweden) and a Copper refinery from
Australia with annual capacity of 50,000 MT of Copper cathodes confirming to
London Metal Exchange Grade ‘A’.
The
above Matte converter is similar to top blown Oxygen converters, used for
steelmaking in which the pure Oxygen is
blown instead of Air to convert the Copper Matte which has proved to be more
efficient and productive than air blown Peirce
Smith Converters.
3) Flash Smelting Copper Matte Converter: (The processes of converting copper matte to blister copper ).
The flash smelting technology has
experienced the continuous improvement; as such both technology and equipments
have been perfected. This flash technology has replaced the old Reverberatory
and Blast furnace smelting of copper concentrate in
which fossil fuels were used. Today, more than 50% of the copper
matte worldwide is produced with the flash smelting process. Now they
use the Flash Oxygen Blowing at the stages of Smelting and Converting processes
both as explained below.
