Three Versions of Copper Matte Converters:

 

Three Versions of Copper Matte Converters:

 

Aqil Khan

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.

 . Molten sulfide material, referred to as Matte, is charged through the hood into the converter during the operation of loading. Air is blown and distributed to tuyeres from the two tuyere collectors which are located on opposite sides of the converter.

 

 

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.

 

 All of the above efforts have brought more than tripled capacity, considerable improvement for productivity, great reduction of energy consumption and sound environmental protection.