Melting furnace equipment

Abstract

The utility model relates to smelting furnace equipment which comprises a first smelting furnace (15a) and a second smelting furnace (15b), the first smelting furnace (15a) and the second smelting furnace (15b) comprise a reaction tower end and an ascending tower end, the reaction tower end comprises reaction tower end walls (16a and 16b), the ascending tower end comprises ascending tower end walls (21a and 21b), the reaction tower end wall (16a) of the first smelting furnace (15a) is located at the position with the distance (X) from the reaction tower end wall (16b) of the second smelting furnace (15b), and the ascending tower end wall (21a and 21b) is located at the position with the distance (X) from the reaction tower end wall (16b) of the second smelting furnace (15b). And wherein the distance (X) is less than 20 m.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to a furnace device and also relates to a method for using the furnace device. Background Art

[0002] Conventional methods for conversion of copper-containing concentrates generally include flash smelting and flash converting.

[0003] The process typically involves oxidizing the concentrate in a flash smelting furnace (FSF) to produce matte. The matte can then be sent to a flash converting furnace (FCF) where it is further oxidized to produce a blister shell. The furnaces are typically placed in different building sections and are therefore very far from each other.

[0004] In this process, slag is formed in both the FSF and the FCF. The slag usually contains a large amount of metal and should therefore be recycled back to one or several furnaces for further processing, thereby increasing the yield of the process.

[0005] Furthermore, dust, material to be reduced, solidified matte and solidified slag are formed in the waste gas lines, launders or ladles and furnaces. These components also contain a large amount of metal and should therefore be recycled back to one or more furnaces for further treatment in order to increase the yield of the process. In addition, dust mainly consists of oxides or sulfates, which lead to endothermic reactions in the furnace.

[0006] The recycling of slag consumes many resources, as the slag is usually granulated by water spraying, stored in silos and sent to dryers before being sent back to the furnace. The granulation of slag consumes a lot of water, as the water is mainly used to cool the slag and break it into smaller particles. This leads to steam loss and particle contamination of the granulation water, which requires further treatment before the water can be reused. When the slag is sent to the furnace to which it is to be recycled, energy is required to heat the slag again to a temperature sufficient to melt the slag. The slag granulation water needs to be cooled by a secondary cooling water circuit, which further consumes energy and water.

[0007] Furthermore, it is important that the recycled slag is thoroughly mixed with the suspension in the furnace in order to allow as much metal as possible to be exchanged from the slag to the products of the furnace.

[0008] Due to the long distances between the furnaces, the recycling of dust, material to be reduced, solidified matte and solidified slag is cumbersome. The materials must be transported between the building sections and may be contaminated en route.

[0009] Another disadvantage of conventional furnace plants is that the supply environment for flux, dust, material to be reduced, solidified matte, solidified slag and concentrate is dusty due to the dryness and fineness of the materials, thus creating HSE problems. Since the furnaces are in different building sections and far from each other, several supply stations are required.

[0010] Furthermore, in conventional methods, dust from several furnaces (i.e. FSF and FCF) is sent to silos from which the dust can be recirculated back to the furnaces. Therefore, the quality and composition of the dust in the silos is unknown, as, for example, FSF and FCF dusts differ greatly from each other. This results in insufficient control of the dust recovery system. This is also a problem in shutdown situations, as the dust is usually dumped into the silos and solidifies there.

[0011] Therefore, there is a need for improved furnace apparatus and methods that allow molten slag to be recycled between furnaces and allow good mixing of slag and furnace products. There is also a need for improved furnace apparatus and methods that allow dust, flux, material to be reduced, solidified matte, solidified slag and concentrate to be easily and safely recycled and / or fed to the furnace. In particular, dust recycling should be improved to obtain better control of recycling and an improved system for shutdown situations. Utility Model Content

[0012] According to a first aspect, a furnace device is provided, which includes a first furnace (15a) and a second furnace (15b), wherein the first furnace and the second furnace (15a, 15b) include a reaction tower end and a rising tower end, the reaction tower end includes a reaction tower end wall (16a, 16b), and the rising tower end includes a rising tower end wall (21a, 21b), wherein the reaction tower end wall (16a) of the first furnace (15a) is located at a distance (X) from the reaction tower end wall (16b) of the second furnace (15b), and wherein the distance (X) is less than 20m.

[0013] According to a second aspect, a method for producing a bulb shell in a suspension furnace installation is provided, the method comprising:

[0014] i. supplying the concentrate to the first smelting furnace (15a),

[0015] iii. forming matte in a first melting furnace (15a),

[0016] iv. transporting at least a portion of the matte from the first melting furnace (15a) to the second melting furnace (15b) via the second transport device (123), and

[0017] vi forming a bulb in the second melting furnace (15b),

[0018] The first melting furnace and the second melting furnace (15a, 15b) include a reaction tower end and a rising tower end, the reaction tower end includes a reaction tower end wall (16a, 16b), and the rising tower end includes a rising tower end wall (21a, 21b), wherein the reaction tower end wall (16a) of the first melting furnace (15a) is located at a distance (X) from the reaction tower end wall (16b) of the second melting furnace (15b), and wherein the distance (X) is less than 20m. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the present invention and constitute a part of this specification. The accompanying drawings illustrate embodiments of the present invention and together with the specification help explain the principles of the present invention. In the accompanying drawings:

[0020] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of a furnace device according to a first embodiment of the utility model.

[0021] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of a furnace equipment according to the first embodiment of the utility model, wherein a first conveying device (222) extends from a first discharge outlet (111b) of a second furnace (15b) to a supply device (120a) of the first furnace (15a), and a second conveying device (123) extends from a second discharge outlet (112a) of the first furnace (15a) to a burner (2b) for burning concentrate or matte of the second furnace (15b).

[0022] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of a furnace apparatus according to a first embodiment of the utility model, wherein solids (24a, 24b) are recycled from an ascending tower (10b) of a second furnace (15b) to a first furnace (15a) and from an ascending tower (10a) of a first furnace (15a) to a second furnace (15b).

[0023] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of a furnace apparatus according to a first embodiment of the utility model, wherein the first and second furnaces (15a, 15b) include a common supply device (18, 17a, 17b) for supplying flux, solidified matte, solidified slag and / or material to be reduced. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] It is obvious to those skilled in the art that, with the advancement of technology, the basic idea of ​​the present invention can be implemented in various ways. Therefore, the present invention and its embodiments are not limited to the examples described below, but can be varied within the scope of the claims.

[0025] Furnace equipment

[0026] According to the first aspect and Figure 1As shown in the figure, a furnace device is provided, which includes a first furnace (15a) and a second furnace (15b), wherein the first furnace and the second furnace (15a, 15b) include a reaction tower end and a rising tower end, the reaction tower end includes a reaction tower end wall (16a, 16b), and the rising tower end includes a rising tower end wall (21a, 21b), wherein the reaction tower end wall (16a) of the first furnace (15a) is located at a distance (X) from the reaction tower end wall (16b) of the second furnace (15b), and wherein the distance (X) is less than 20m.

[0027] The distance (X) may be 2 to 20 m, or 4 to 17 m, or 7 to 13 m, or 9 to 11 m.

[0028] The first melting furnace (15a) may be located vertically below the second melting furnace (15b), for example, 1 to 7 m, or 2 to 5 m, or 3 to 4 m, or 1 m below.

[0029] The inventors have found that the above distance (X) allows material to be fed between furnaces in an efficient manner, as further explained below.The vertical distance of the furnaces increases the use that gravity can make of transporting material between furnaces.

[0030] The first melting furnace (15a) according to the first aspect may be a suspension melting furnace, and / or the second melting furnace (15b) according to the first aspect may be a suspension melting furnace.

[0031] The first suspension smelting furnace (15a) may be a flash smelting furnace (FSF), and the second suspension smelting furnace (15b) may be a flash converting furnace (FCF).

[0032] The first and second melting furnaces (15a, 15b) may include:

[0033] i. a reaction tower (4a, 4b) provided with a burner (2a, 2b) for burning concentrate or matte and feeding the concentrate or matte into the reaction tower (4a, 4b) to form a jet of at least partially oxidized suspension (3a, 3b) in the reaction tower (4a, 4b),

[0034] ii. A settler (19a, 19b) connected to the lower end of the reaction tower (4a, 4b), wherein the settler (19a, 19b) has an internal space (6a, 6b), a reaction tower end wall (16a, 16b) at one end of the settler (19a, 19b) and a riser end wall (21a, 21b) at the opposite end of the settler (19a, 19b), and a landing area (5a, 5b) below the lower end of the reaction tower (4a, 4b) for spraying the oxidation suspension (3a, 3b) in the internal space (6a, 6b) of the settler (19a, 19b), and wherein the settler (19a, 19b) extends from the landing area (5a, 5b) in two opposite directions so that The settler (19a, 19b) comprises a reaction tower settler portion (14a, 14b) on the reaction tower (4a, 4b) side of the landing zone (5a, 5b) and a riser tower settler portion (13a, 13b) on the riser (10a, 10b) side opposite to the landing zone (5a, 5b), wherein the settler (19a, 19b) is configured to receive at least partially oxidized suspension (3a, 3b) from the reaction tower (4a, 4b) in the landing zone (5a, 5b) and to form a matte layer or a bubble shell layer (7a, 7b) in the inner space (6a, 6b) of the settler (19a, 19b) and a slag layer (8a, 8b) on top of the matte layer or the bubble shell layer (7a, 7b).

[0035] iii. a supply device (120a, 120b) for supplying molten material (20a, 20b) to the furnace, wherein the supply device (120a, 120b) is connected to a settler (19a, 19b) in a settler section (14a, 14b) of the reaction tower above the slag layer (8a, 8b) when in use,

[0036] iv. a first discharge port (111a, 111b) arranged in the reaction tower settler portion (14a, 14b) or the riser settler portion (13a, 13b) for discharging slag (11a, 11b) from the slag layer (8a, 8b) in the inner space (6a, 6b) of the settler (19a, 19b), and

[0037] v. a second discharge outlet (112a, 112b) arranged in the riser settler section (13a, 13b) for discharging matte or bubble shells (12a, 12b) from the matte layer or bubble shell layer (7a, 7b) in the inner space (6a, 6b) of the settler (19a, 19b),

[0038] The first discharge outlets (111a, 111b) are arranged at a height above the second discharge outlets (112a, 112b) in the vertical direction.

[0039] Before the concentrate or matte is fed to the concentrate or matte burner (2a, 2b) it may be dried to a moisture content of 0-1%, preferably in a steam or rotary dryer or matte grinder. This consumes fuel in the form of steam or natural gas or fuel oil.

[0040] The burners (2a, 2b) for burning the concentrate or matte may be designed to symmetrically mix the feed and the oxygen-enriched gas. The oxygen-enriched gas may be air or oxygen-enriched air. In one embodiment, the reaction tower (4a, 4b) provides means for delivering natural gas or fuel oil to the reaction tower fuel burners (2a, 2b). When burned in the reaction tower (4a, 4b), the natural gas or fuel oil provides additional heat, which assists in the melting of the concentrate or matte fed thereto.

[0041] If the furnace is an FSF, the concentrate may be fed into the furnace (1a). If the furnace is an FCF, the matte may be fed into the furnace (1b). Similarly, if the furnace is an FSF, the settler (19a) may be configured to receive at least partially oxidized suspension (3a) from the reaction tower (4a) at a landing zone (5a), and to form a matte layer (7a) and a slag layer (8a) on top of the matte layer (7a) in the interior space (6a) of the settler (19a). Conversely, if the furnace is an FCF, the settler (19b) may be configured to receive at least partially oxidized suspension (3b) from the reaction tower (4b) at a landing zone (5b), and to form a blister layer (7b) and a slag layer (8b) on top of the blister layer (7b) in the interior space (6b) of the settler (19b).

[0042] The jet of at least partially oxidized suspension (3a, 3b) may be heated to a temperature sufficient to completely melt the concentrate or matte. The jet of at least partially oxidized suspension (3a, 3b) may be heated to a temperature of 1100-1600°C, or 1250-1450°C, for example 1300-1300°C. It has been found that heating the jet of at least partially oxidized suspension (3a, 3b) to these temperatures ensures complete melting of the suspension and that the viscosity of the slag is suitable for separation of the two phases (i.e. slag and matte or shell).

[0043] Concentrate may refer to a concentrated ore that is a product of a metal mine. Specifically, the concentrate may include a copper concentrate, which contains copper and iron in the form of copper-iron sulfides. The exact composition of the concentrate may vary depending on the geographical origin of the metal ore. In one embodiment, the concentrate is fed to the reaction tower in a solid state as fine particles.

[0044] At least partially oxidized may refer to at least 60%, 70%, 80%, 90% or 100% by weight of the iron present in the furnace feed being in an oxidized state. The oxidized state may refer to the elemental iron being present in the form of an oxidized compound, and the wt% refers to the percentage of iron present in the furnace feed being in an oxidized state. It is particularly advantageous to form a jet in which at least 70% by weight of the iron is in an oxidized state, as this reduces the oxidation requirements which would otherwise be performed further downstream in the production line.

[0045] The term "communication" means that there is open space between the components in question such that the components share the open space and such that material can freely exchange between the components.

[0046] The settler (19a, 19b) may further include two side walls, a bottom and a top extending between the reaction tower end wall and the riser end wall (16a, 16b, 21a, 21b) structure. The reaction tower end wall and the riser end wall (16a, 16b, 21a, 21b) structure may have a square or rectangular form, so that the side walls, the bottom and the top extend from the periphery of one end wall to the periphery of the other end wall, thereby forming a closed space between the end walls, the bottom, the top and the side walls. When the device is in use, the reaction tower (4a, 4b) can be located at the top, and the slag layer and the matte layer or the bubble shell layer (8a, 8b, 7a, 7b) can be placed on the bottom. The bottom can be inclined downwardly towards the first and / or second discharge outlet (111a, 112a, 112b), for example in an inclined and / or curved manner, to facilitate the discharge of the slag and / or matte or bubble shell (11a, 12a, 12b).

[0047] In one embodiment, the reaction tower end wall (16a) of the first melting furnace (15a) faces the reaction tower end wall (16b) of the second melting furnace (15b).

[0048] In one embodiment, the internal space (6a, 6b) of the settler (19a, 19b) is connected to the lower end of the reaction tower (4a, 4b) at a point of the settler (19a, 19b) that is closer to the middle of the settler (19a, 19b) than one end of the settler (19a, 19b).

[0049] The settler (19a, 19b) may have an elongated configuration. In one embodiment, the settler (19a, 19b) has a rectangular parallelepiped shape. The settler may be 12-30 m long, 4-12 m wide, and 1-3 m high.

[0050] The inventors have found that the configuration of the settlers (19a, 19b) has many advantages. For example, the riser end (13a, 13b) of the settlers (19a, 19b) has a lower dust content because the gas and dust are sucked toward the riser (10a, 10b) together with the waste gas through the gas phase of the settler end (13a, 13b) of the riser. This lower dust content creates a relatively dust-free atmosphere for the supply device (12a, 120b). This relatively dust-free atmosphere is conducive to minimizing the dust discharged from the furnace through the supply device (120a, 120b). In addition, the reaction tower section (14a, 14b) of the settlers (19a, 19b) has a lower pressure than the riser settler section (13a, 13b) because the gas and dust are sucked toward the riser (10a, 10b) together with the waste gas through the gas phase of the settler section. This lower pressure is advantageous in minimizing the emission of SO2 from the furnace through the supply means.

[0051] The furnace (15a, 15b) may include a partition baffle for preventing oxidized dust generated in the furnace from entering at least a portion of the reaction tower settler section (14a, 14b). The partition baffle may extend downward from the top of the reaction tower settler section (14a, 14b) into the reaction tower settler section (14a, 14b). The partition baffle may further minimize dust content and reduce pressure in the riser settler section (13a, 13b).

[0052] For example, in conventional suspension smelters, such as the one disclosed in Finnish Patent No. 22694, the ends of the settler walls near the reaction towers are subject to great wear due to the proximity to the reaction towers, which are the hottest parts of the settlers. In the smelter according to the present invention, the reaction tower end walls (16a, 16b) of the settlers (19a, 19b) are located at a distance from the hottest parts of the settlers (19a, 19b), so wear will not be a problem.

[0053] In one embodiment, the furnace includes a reducing agent supply device for supplying a reducing agent to at least one of the matte layer or bubble shell layer and the slag layer (7a, 7b, 8a, 8b) in the reaction tower settler section (14a, 14b). The reaction tower settler section (14a, 14b) may also include a burner for generating a reducing atmosphere in at least a portion of the reaction tower settler section (14a, 14b), for example, by consuming oxygen present in the reaction tower settler section (14a, 14b) during a combustion process. This further reduces the oxygen content in the reaction tower settler section.

[0054] The supply device (120a, 120b) may be located closer to the reaction tower end wall structure (16a, 16b) in the reaction tower settler portion (14a, 14b) than the middle of the settler (19a, 19b). In one embodiment, the supply device (120a, 120b) is located in the reaction tower end wall (16a, 16b) of the furnace. Alternatively, the supply device (120a, 120b) is located at the top of the settler (19a, 19b) or in the side wall of the settler (19a, 19b) in the reaction tower end (14a, 14b) of the settler, and the distance from the end wall (16a, 16b) is less than 2m, for example, the distance between the supply device and the end wall structure may be 0.2 to 2m, or 0.4 to 1.8m, or 0.6 to 1.6m.

[0055] The supply device (120a, 120b) may include a flow channel (6a, 6b) for guiding the molten material, which extends from the end wall structure (16a, 16b) or the side wall or the top of the settler (19a, 19b) into the internal space of the settler. The flow channel can guide the molten material so that the molten material does not directly contact the end wall structure or the side wall or the top of the settler (19a, 19b). In this way, the internal structure of the settler will not be worn due to continuous contact with the newly introduced hot molten material.

[0056] If the furnace is an FCF, the first discharge outlet (111b) can be located in the reaction tower end wall (16b). Alternatively, the first discharge outlet (111b) can be located in the side wall of the settler (19b) in the settler section (14b) of the reaction tower, at a distance of less than 2m from the end wall (16b). These locations are advantageous because solid copper scrap can be fed to the FCF between the reaction tower (4a) and the riser (10b) without interfering with process control. Since the copper scrap is in solid form, discharging the slag from near the solid feed may cause the copper content of the slag to fluctuate and increase the difficulty of slag discharge. Discharging the FCF liquid slag from the FCF reaction tower end (14b) forces the copper-containing scrap to move through the suspension from the reaction tower (4b), which forces mixing with the rest of the melt.

[0057] Scrap may refer to copper-containing material originating from downstream processes.

[0058] If the furnace is a FSF, the first discharge outlet (111a) may be located in the end wall (21a) of the riser. Alternatively, the first discharge outlet (111a) may be located in the side wall of the settler (19a) in the settler section (13a) of the riser, at a distance of less than 2 m from the end wall (21a).

[0059] The apparatus according to the first aspect may comprise a first conveying device (222) between the first and second melting furnaces (15a, 15b) for conveying the first material (22) from the second melting furnace (15b) to the first melting furnace (15a), preferably wherein the first material (22) is conveyed as a melt.

[0060] The apparatus according to the first aspect may comprise a second conveying device (123) between the first and second furnaces (15a, 15b) for conveying the second material (23) from the first furnace (15a) to the second furnace (15b), preferably wherein the second material (23) is conveyed as granules.

[0061] The first material (22) according to the first aspect may comprise slag and / or the second material (23) may comprise matte.

[0062] In one embodiment, the first material (22) comprises at least 60 wt%, or at least 80 wt%, or 100 wt% slag.

[0063] In one embodiment, the second material (23) comprises at least 60 wt%, or at least 80 wt%, or 100 wt% matte.

[0064] like Figure 2 As shown, the first conveying device (222) can extend from the first discharge port (111b) of the second smelting furnace (15b) to the supply device (120a) of the first smelting furnace (120a). The second conveying device (123) can extend from the second discharge port (112a) of the first smelting furnace (15a) to the burner (2b) for burning concentrate or matte of the second smelting furnace (15a).

[0065] In one embodiment, the first conveying device (222) includes a launder for introducing molten material continuously or in batches. Alternatively, the first conveying device (222) may include a tank or ladle for supplying molten material in batches. The molten material can be supplied to the first furnace (15a) by gravity. This has the additional utility that no energy is required to transport the molten material. In one embodiment, the temperature of the molten material is 1000-1450°C, or 1220-1320°C, such as 1270°C. It has been found that these temperatures are high enough to keep slag, such as molten material, in liquid form, but low enough not to damage the equipment used.

[0066] In one embodiment, the matte is supplied as fine particles in a solid state to the reaction tower (4b) of the second melting furnace (15b). Therefore, the matte from the first melting furnace (15a) may need to be cooled and granulated before the matte is supplied to the second melting furnace (15b). The matte is usually cooled and granulated by water spraying, crushed into fine particles using a grinder, stored in a silo and supplied to a dryer before being supplied back to the furnace. The matte can be pneumatically conveyed to the reaction tower of the second melting furnace (15b).

[0067] The mill can use natural gas or steam as fuel. The furnace arrangement makes it possible to locate the matte discharge in the riser end (13a) of the first furnace (15a). The location of the matte discharge port (112a) in the riser end (13a) of the furnace is advantageous because it forces the matte to always move through the length of the furnace, which also brings heat to the riser (10a) of the furnace (15a), which reduces solidification of the melt at the riser (10a) of the furnace (15a).

[0068] The location of the matte discharge outlet (112a) in the rising tower end (13a) of the FSF is also advantageous because the distance from the reaction tower (4a) to the matte discharge outlet (112a) is the same for each discharge outlet (if there are multiple discharge outlets), which produces a more uniform copper concentration in the discharged matte, which is beneficial for process control in the second furnace.

[0069] It has been found that when molten material (particularly slag) is fed into the settler (19a) above the slag layer (8a) and in the settler section (14a) of the reaction tower and the slag is discharged from the riser end wall (21a) or the side wall of the riser end (13a), the slag is forced to move through the suspension from the reaction tower (4a). The reason is that the reaction tower product is discharged from the furnace from the opposite side of the settler compared to the feed device. As a result, the molten material (e.g. slag) mixes with the suspension, which aids oxidation of the melt and produces a homogeneous mixture, which has a positive effect on the yield of metal recovered from the process.

[0070] It has also been found that the furnace arrangement disclosed herein is particularly advantageous. Namely, because molten material (e.g. slag) can be supplied between the furnaces (15a, 15b) in molten form without consuming energy to heat the material during transport. It has also been found that due to the proximity of the furnaces, transport of both the first and second materials (22, 23) is facilitated. Moreover, due to the arrangement of the invention, the furnaces can be placed in the same building section, which is not possible with conventional furnace arrangements.

[0071] The slag according to the first aspect may include copper oxides, iron oxides, and flux.

[0072] The slag may contain 5-30 wt %, or 10-25 wt %, or 15-20 wt % copper.

[0073] The flux may be a compound comprising silicon dioxide and / or calcium. In one embodiment, silicon dioxide is used as a flux when the furnace is FSF, and lime, calcium carbonate or calcium oxide is used as a flux when the furnace is FCF. The flux may be supplied to the reaction tower (4a, 4b). The flux reduces the viscosity of the slag, which facilitates the discharge of the slag from the furnace and minimizes the formation of the material to be reduced. In one embodiment, the weight ratio of iron to silicon dioxide in the FSF slag is 0.9-2.0, or 0.7-1.8, for example 1.0-1.5. Silicon dioxide, lime, calcium carbonate or calcium oxide are particularly suitable for use as fluxes because they are relatively cheap while still being able to obtain the desired result of reducing the viscosity of the slag.

[0074] The matte according to the first aspect may include copper matte.

[0075] Matte may refer to the product of FSF that has been fed with concentrate and oxygen. Specifically, copper matte may contain iron and copper sulfides, and the copper content of the matte may be 40-75 wt%, or 45-70 wt%, or 50-65 wt%.

[0076] The apparatus according to the first aspect may comprise a solid conveying device (124a, 124b) between the first and second furnaces (15a, 15b) for conveying solid material (24a, 24b) from the first furnace (15a) to the second furnace (15b) and / or from the second furnace (15b) to the first furnace (15a).

[0077] The solid material (24a, 24b) according to the first aspect may include dust.

[0078] The furnace (15a, 15b) may include an ascending tower (10a, 10b) for directing process gas (9a, 9b) from the furnace via the ascending tower (10a, 10b), wherein the ascending tower (10a, 10b) has a lower end connected to a settler (19a, 19b) in a settler section (13a, 13b) of the ascending tower.

[0079] The process gas may include sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide, water, metal-containing steam, nitrogen and some reaction tower products in the form of unsettled suspended particles. Specifically, the unsettled suspended particles as dust may contain copper compounds.

[0080] The process gas may be directed to a heat exchanger to cool the process gas, followed by gas-solid separation. The heat exchanger is typically, but not necessarily, a steam boiler, which cools the gas by evaporating water into steam. Dust may be separated from the gas in the gas-solid separation. In one embodiment, the gas-solid separator is an electrostatic precipitator, which collects and separates dust from the gas. In one embodiment, the dust is recycled back to the burner of the reaction tower of the furnace. The heat from the cooling may be recovered and used as electricity.

[0081] The dust can be recycled from the riser (10a, 10b) of the same furnace (FSF or FCF) via a heat exchanger and solid separation to the burner (2a, 2b) of the same furnace (15a, 15b), or from another furnace (15a, 15b) to the burner (2a, 2b) of the furnace (15a, 15b).

[0082] For example, the dust can be recycled from the riser (10b) of the FCF to the burner (1a) of the FSF via a heat exchanger and solid separation and / or recycled from the riser (10a) of the FSF to the burner (2b) of the FCF via a heat exchanger and solid separation. Figure 3 Shown in.

[0083] In one embodiment, dust from the first and second melting furnaces (15a, 15b) is fed to separate dust bins, from which the dust can be fed to the first and / or second melting furnaces (15a, 15b).

[0084] Recycling the dust increases the yield of copper in the final product, since some copper is still present in the dust. In addition, the inventors have found that recycling dust between furnaces as described above is particularly beneficial, since dust from different furnaces has different compositions and qualities. For example, it is common practice to recycle a portion of the second furnace dust to the first furnace. However, due to the difference in chemical analysis between the dust from the two furnaces, process control is very sensitive to the exact amount of dust from the second furnace. Thus, the flexibility of directing dust between furnaces improves control of the process.

[0085] Furthermore, the inventors have found that recycling dust between furnaces as described above is particularly beneficial because it eliminates the problem of dust hardening during furnace downtime. For example, in the unplanned event of a furnace downtime, the dust bin can be emptied to another furnace.

[0086] It is also beneficial that the dust feeders are located adjacent to each other. The feeder environment is dusty, and by arranging the feeders in the same area, only one dusty environment is required for both furnaces instead of several. Dusty environments are a health, safety and environmental hazard.

[0087] The apparatus according to the first aspect may comprise a supply device (18, 17a, 17b) for supplying flux, solidified matte, solidified slag and / or material to be reduced to the first and / or second furnace (15a, 15b), wherein the supply device (18, 17a, 17b) is identical for the first and second furnace (15a, 15b). Figure 4 As shown in FIG. 1 , the supply device (18, 17a, 17b) for supplying flux, solidified matte, solidified slag and / or material to be reduced can be adapted to supply the material to the first and second furnaces simultaneously. The supply device (18, 17a, 17b) for supplying flux, solidified matte, solidified slag and / or material to be reduced can be adapted to supply the material to the first furnace and the second furnace respectively.

[0088] In one embodiment, the concentrate (1a) and the matte (1b) are also fed to the first or second smelting furnace (15a, 15b) via a common feeding device (18, 17a, 17b).

[0089] The material to be reduced can be recycled from the outlet of the furnace (15a, 15b) to the inlet of the same furnace (15a, 15b), or recycled from another furnace (15a, 15b) to the inlet of the furnace (15a, 15b). For example, the material to be reduced can be recycled between the FSF and the FCF. The material to be reduced can refer to any reaction tower product that has accumulated in the exhaust gas pipeline, launder or ladle and furnace. The material to be reduced can be fed into the furnace by mixing it with the main feed or by a separate feeder.

[0090] In one embodiment, solidified slag refers to slag produced in the furnace (15a, 15b), which has been discharged via the first discharge port (111a, 111b) and solidified. For example, the slag can be discharged from the FCF and recycled to the FSF, or vice versa. The slag can also be discharged from the same furnace (15a, 15b) to which it is recycled. Before being supplied to the furnace (15a, 15b), the slag can be solidified and granulated using water and / or air and / or nitrogen.

[0091] The solidified slag and the reduced material generally contain a large amount of metal, and by recycling these to the furnace the remaining metal can be recovered.

[0092] Alternatively, when the furnace is FCF, no flux is supplied to the burners (2a, 2b). The copper present in the matte can be oxidized to convert part of the copper into copper oxide. The presence of copper oxide in the slag helps to liquefy the slag. It may be desirable to oxidize the copper to obtain at least 30% by weight of oxidized copper in the slag, which accounts for the total weight of the slag. The desired ratio can be obtained by injecting an oxygen-containing reaction gas through the burners (2a, 2b) to obtain a partial pressure (pO2) of 1-100Pa, or 2-70Pa, or 10-30Pa. In one embodiment, the concentration of oxidized copper in the slag is 30-90% by weight, or 35-70% by weight, or 40-60% by weight of the total weight of the slag. Therefore, the copper-containing material can be converted into blister copper without using conventional flux. The required temperature of the burners (2a, 2b) may depend on the required concentration of oxidized copper in the converter slag. The temperature is typically at least 1200°C to ensure that the slag is in a molten phase and an acceptable copper yield is obtained. When there is a lower concentration of copper oxide in the slag, a higher temperature may be required. The temperature is, for example, 1220 to 1450°C, or 1250 to 1400°C, or 1300 to 1380°C.

[0093] The supply device (18, 17a, 17b) may comprise a number of silos (18) and chutes or pipes (17a, 17b).

[0094] The inventors have found that it is beneficial to feed the above materials to one or both of the furnaces (15a, 15b) by the same feed device (18, 17a, 17b). For example, using the same feed device (18, 17a, 17b) for the material to be reduced from the second furnace provides additional precision for heat balance control, because the type of reduced material is always known, while the prior art mixes different reduced materials from the two furnaces before the feed device (18, 17a, 17b), which then produces an unknown mixture of reduced materials discharged from the feed device (18, 17a, 17b) to the furnace. In particular, the feed material to be reduced produces an endothermic reaction in the furnace, and by adjusting the known amount of reduced material to the different furnaces, a more accurate heat balance control is allowed in the two furnaces.

[0095] Furthermore, the inventors have found that it is beneficial to feed the above materials to the furnaces (15a, 15b) from the same feed area. For example, because the feed environment is dusty, and by locating the feed means in the same area, only one dusty environment is needed for both furnaces (15a, 15b) instead of several. Dusty environments are a health, safety and environmental hazard. The arrangement and proximity of the furnaces (15a, 15b) allows the use of a common feed means.

[0096] method

[0097] The description related to the above-mentioned furnace apparatus is applicable to the furnace in the description related to the following method.

[0098] According to a second aspect, there is provided a method for producing a bulb shell in a suspension furnace installation, comprising:

[0099] i. supplying the concentrate (1a) to the first melting furnace (15a),

[0100] iii. forming matte in a first melting furnace (15a),

[0101] iv. transporting at least a portion of the matte from the first melting furnace (15a) to the second melting furnace (15b) via the second transport device (123), and

[0102] vi forming a bulb in the second melting furnace (15b),

[0103] The first melting furnace and the second melting furnace (15a, 15b) include a reaction tower end and a rising tower end, the reaction tower end includes a reaction tower end wall (16a, 16b), and the rising tower end includes a rising tower end wall (21a, 21b), wherein the reaction tower end wall (16a) of the first melting furnace (15a) is located at a distance (X) from the reaction tower end wall (16b) of the second melting furnace (15b), and wherein the distance (X) is less than 20m.

[0104] The first melting furnace (15a) according to the second aspect may be a suspension melting furnace and / or the second melting furnace (15b) according to the second aspect may be a suspension melting furnace.

[0105] The matte according to the second aspect may include sulfides of iron and copper.

[0106] The method according to the second aspect may further comprise: vii. transporting the slag from the second melting furnace (15b) to the first melting furnace (15a), preferably wherein the slag is transported as a melt via a first transport device (222).

[0107] The slag according to the second aspect may include copper oxides, iron oxides, and flux.

[0108] The method according to the second aspect may further include: vii or viii. transporting the solid (24a, 24b) from the second suspension furnace (15b) to the first suspension furnace (15a) and / or from the first suspension furnace (15a) to the second suspension furnace (15b), wherein the solid (24a, 24b) is transported via a solid transport device (124a, 124b).

[0109] The solid (24a, 24b) according to the second aspect may include dust.

[0110] The bulb according to the second aspect may comprise a copper bulb.

[0111] The bulb may contain at least 60 wt % or 80 wt % or 100 wt % copper bulb. The copper bulb may contain copper, iron and sulfur. In one embodiment, the bulb contains 96-99.5 wt % copper and 0.01-0.5 wt % iron.

[0112] The method according to the second aspect may further comprise supplying flux, solidified matte, solidified slag and / or material to be reduced to the first and / or second melting furnace (15a, 15b) via a supply device (18, 17a, 17b), wherein the supply device (18, 17a, 17b) is the same for the first and second melting furnaces (15a, 15b).

Claims

1. A furnace device, comprising a first furnace (15a) and a second furnace (15b), wherein: The first melting furnace (15a) and the second melting furnace (15b) include a reaction tower end and a rising tower end, the reaction tower end includes a reaction tower end wall (16a, 16b), and the rising tower end includes a rising tower end wall (21a, 21b), characterized in that the reaction tower end wall (16a) of the first melting furnace (15a) and the reaction tower end wall (16b) of the second melting furnace (15b) are separated by a distance (X), and wherein the distance (X) is less than 20m.

2. The furnace equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first melting furnace (15a) is a suspension melting furnace, and / or wherein the second melting furnace (15b) is a suspension melting furnace.

3. The furnace equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The furnace equipment comprises a first conveying device (222) between the first furnace (15a) and the second furnace (15b), the first conveying device being used to convey a first material (22) from the second furnace (15b) to the first furnace (15a).

4. The furnace equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that: The furnace equipment comprises a second conveying device (123) between the first furnace (15a) and the second furnace (15b), the second conveying device being used for conveying a second material (23) from the first furnace (15a) to the second furnace (15b).

5. The furnace equipment according to claim 4, characterized in that: The first material (22) comprises slag and / or the second material (23) comprises matte.

6. The furnace equipment according to claim 5, characterized in that: The slag includes copper oxides, iron oxides and flux.

7. The furnace equipment according to claim 5, characterized in that: The matte includes copper matte.

8. The furnace equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The furnace equipment comprises a solid conveying device (9a, 9b) between the first furnace (124a) and the second furnace (124b), the solid conveying device being used to convey solid material (24a, 24b) from the first furnace (15a) to the second furnace (15b) and / or from the second furnace (15b) to the first furnace (15a).

9. The furnace equipment according to claim 8, characterized in that: The solid material (24a, 24b) includes dust.

10. The furnace equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The furnace arrangement comprises a supply device (18, 17a, 17b) for supplying flux, solidified matte, solidified slag and / or material to be reduced to a first furnace (15a) and / or a second furnace (15b), wherein the supply device (18, 17a, 17b) is the same for the first furnace (15a) and the second furnace (15b).

11. The furnace equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first material (22) is delivered as a melt.

12. The furnace equipment according to claim 4, characterized in that: The second material (23) is delivered as granules.

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