Copper Slag Recycling via Electrical Furnace Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current copper smelting methods using flash converter furnaces and MI continuous smelting methods do not effectively utilize slag generated during the process, leading to inefficiencies and increased costs, as the slag often contains high copper grades that are not fully recovered.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the generation of blister copper from slag by oxidizing copper matte in a smelting furnace, followed by reduction in an electrical furnace using reductants like coke, iron grains, or pig iron, allowing for the recycling of slag as flux or steel raw material, thereby optimizing copper recovery and reducing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If slag is discarded after water granulating, then waste removal is simplified, but copper resource is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the discarding and recovering principle by transforming the discarded slag into a valuable resource. The slag, which previously contained approximately 20% copper and was simply discarded after water granulating, is now fed back into the flash smelting furnace or continuous copper smelting furnace as a charging material. This allows copper to be recovered from the slag while maintaining process efficiency, as the slag serves dual purposes: waste removal and copper resource recovery.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements self-service by having the slag serve multiple functions within the system. Instead of being merely waste to be removed, the slag becomes a charging material that contributes to the smelting process. The slag is reused in the flash smelting furnace or continuous copper smelting furnace, where it participates in the copper concentration process, thereby serving the system's own needs and reducing external resource requirements.
2Productivity
If slag is reused as charging material, then copper recovery is improved, but process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by making the slag multi-functional. The slag serves both as waste material to be removed and as a valuable charging material for copper recovery. By feeding the slag back into the flash smelting furnace or continuous copper smelting furnace, it becomes an integral part of the production process, contributing to copper concentration and reducing the need for additional raw materials, thereby improving overall productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the discarded slag into a recoverable resource. Instead of simply discarding the slag after water granulating, the system recovers copper from the slag by feeding it back into the smelting furnaces. This approach improves copper production efficiency by extracting valuable copper that would otherwise be lost, while the process complexity is managed through integrated design.
3Quantity of substance
If copper concentrate is charged into flash smelting furnace, then copper matte is generated, but slag with copper is produced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the discarding and recovering principle by capturing and reprocessing the copper-containing slag. Instead of discarding the slag generated in the flash smelting furnace, the system feeds it back into the same or another flash smelting furnace for further copper recovery. This ensures that copper matte yield is maximized while minimizing copper loss in the slag, as the slag is continuously processed to extract remaining copper.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements continuity of useful action by creating a closed-loop system where slag is continuously fed back into the flash smelting furnace. This continuous recycling process ensures that copper extraction is ongoing and maximized, transforming what would be a waste stream into a continuous source of copper matte production, thereby improving overall copper yield while minimizing losses.
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 method achieves a copper grade of 98% or more in blister copper and reduces the copper grade of slag to 0.8% or less, enabling the reuse of slag as steel raw material and improving the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the copper smelting process.
Implementation Method 1
a first refining step of refining another blister from the slag by reduction in an electrical furnace
Implementation Method 2
a generating step of generating blister and slag from copper matte by charging the copper matte into a smelting furnace and oxidizing the copper matte
Data Source
AI summary
A method of smelting copper includes: a generating step of generating blister and slag from copper matte by charging the copper matte into a smelting furnace and oxidizing the copper matte; a first refining step of refining another blister from the slag by reduction in an electrical furnace; and a charging step of charging the slag into one of the smelting furnace or another smelting furnace for treating copper concentrate and generating matte as repeating flux if copper grade of slag generated in the first refining step is higher than 0.8 weight %.