Flash smelting furnace

Process Description

During flash smelting the copper containing raw material, together with aggregates, is added to the furnace chamber; in addition, an oxygen-rich gas is also fed into the chamber. A strongly exothermic reaction leads to melting of the feed material in the lower half of the furnace. The copper containing raw material is largely transformed to “copper matte" with a copper content of 55-60%. Flash smelting is currently the most commonly used method for the processing of primary copper.    

Gas Application  

Oxyfuel Process

The smelting furnaces used in the process are comprised of single burners or burner field systems for auxiliary firing operated with air, oxygen-enriched air or oxygen as an oxidising agent.

In the oxyfuel process, the combustion processes are carried out by means of an oxygen burner (oxyfuel burner) which is operated with pure oxygen or oxygen-enriched air as an oxidising agent. Messer has developed the family of Oxipyr burners for this purpose.  

In comparison to burners which use air as an oxidant, Oxipyr burners provide a range of process technology advantages: 

• Higher combustion efficiency
• Higher melting rate
• Faster heating-up times
• Lower fuel consumption
• Higher processing temperatures possible
• Faster reaction speeds
• Lower exhaust gas levels
• Less dust
• Lower emissions
• Lower production costs

Oxygen Enrichment

The oxidising agent fed to the combustion process is enriched with oxygen, with the flow of oxygen being carefully regulated.

Messer Solution

In addition to the gases required for your process, Messer offers a variety of equipment for its optimisation under the brand names Oxipyr and Oxijet. 

In order to select the optimum system, experts from Messer first carry out a comprehensive process analysis. Following calculations and basic engineering, suggestions are made for optimisation and further procedures.

Oxipyr – Burner Technology

The characteristics of the burner types are multi-faceted and range from low to high momentum burners, oxyfuel to oxygen/air mixing burners and burners for different fuels or fuel combinations. The systems are controlled manually, semi- or fully automatically following compositions or temperature.   

Oxipyr- IPC (internal post-combustion) 

The combustion ratio of fuel and oxidising agent is selectively altered, with the oxygen flow regulated as a function of exhaust gas parameters. As a result, through the post-combustion of pollutants in the exhaust gas, high-quality fuels can be relieved especially of the burden of volatile organic components (VOC).  Messer developed the Oxipyr-IPC process for this purpose. When using the Oxipyr-IPC process, oxygen and fuel requirements are controlled automatically.  Oxygen is always supplied via Oxipyr burners; with Oxijet oxygen lances used for certain types of furnace. 

Advantages:

• Lower fuel consumption
• Reduces post-combustion burden
• Reduction in production costs