Copper Bullion Refining Antimony Arsenic Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional metallurgical processes struggle to effectively extract valuable metals from copper bullion containing high amounts of antimony and arsenic, leading to impurity build-ups and environmental issues.
Innovation Solution
A two-step process involving the formation of a fayalite slag to remove elements with high affinity to antimony and arsenic, followed by oxidation and binding of these elements in a lead oxide-based slag, facilitates the efficient removal of antimony and arsenic from copper bullion, allowing for the extraction of valuable metals using conventional methods.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional metallurgical processes are used to extract valuable metals from copper bullion containing high amounts of antimony and arsenic, then the extraction process becomes difficult or impossible, but using alternative complex processes increases device complexity and processing difficulty
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the refining process into two distinct sequential steps: first forming a fayalite slag to remove elements with high affinity to antimony and arsenic, then forming a lead oxide-based slag to oxidize and remove the remaining antimony and arsenic. This segmentation allows each step to target specific impurities effectively, making the overall process reliable while managing complexity through clear separation of functions
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the chemical parameters of the slag system by sequentially introducing different slag-forming compositions (first calcium-based fayalite slag, then lead oxide-based slag). This parameter change approach allows optimal removal of different impurity groups at different stages, achieving high extraction reliability without requiring a single overly complex process
2Object-generated harmful factors
If copper bullion with high antimony and arsenic content is processed, then impurity build-up occurs in the refining process, but removing these impurities completely increases processing steps and time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous removal of impurities through sequential slag formation steps, where the fayalite slag step continuously removes elements with high affinity to antimony and arsenic, followed by the lead oxide slag step that continuously oxidizes and removes remaining antimony and arsenic. This continuous action prevents impurity build-up without requiring excessive processing time
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts harmful impurities (antimony and arsenic) from the copper bullion by transferring them into separate slag phases. The first extraction removes affinity elements into fayalite slag, and the second extraction removes antimony and arsenic into lead oxide slag, effectively eliminating impurity build-up in the copper phase while maintaining efficient processing
3Object-affected harmful factors
If antimony and arsenic are not properly removed from copper bullion, then environmental problems occur in the refining process, but implementing comprehensive removal processes increases operational complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful presence of antimony and arsenic into a benefit by using their chemical properties to form separate slag phases. The antimony and arsenic, which are problematic impurities, are transformed into removable slag components through oxidation and affinity reactions, eliminating environmental harm while maintaining operational simplicity through straightforward slag formation and removal steps
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This process significantly reduces antimony and arsenic content in copper bullion, enabling the extraction of valuable metals and minimizing environmental impact, with the antimony content being reduced from 10% to below 1% and arsenic from 12% to 1.5% in a single iteration, and further to 0.5% with repeated steps.
Implementation Method 1
elements with high affinity to antimony and/or arsenic, are removed from the copper bullion by selective conversion of these elements and by binding these elements in a fayalite slag
Implementation Method 2
antimony and/or arsenic are oxidized and bound in a lead oxide based slag
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure relates to a process for refining of copper bullion comprising arsenic and/or antimony in order to enable extraction of the metal values bound in the copper bullion. The process comprises two separate metallurgical process steps wherein the first step comprises selective conversion of elements having high affinity to arsenic and antimony and the second step comprises oxidation of arsenic and/or antimony to a lead oxide based slag.