Sponsored by: EPD Copper, Nickel, Cobalt Committee
Program Organizers: Norbert L. Piret, Piret & Stolberg Partners, Im Licht 12, D-47279 Duisburg, Germany; Ivan M. Santos Moraes, Caraiba Metais, Dias D'Àvila, Bahia, Brazil
Tuesday, AM Room: A11-12
February 6, 1996 Location: Anaheim Convention Center
Session Chairpersons: G.A. Eltringham, Magma Copper, P. O. Box M., San Manuel, AZ 85631; H. J. König, Lurgi Metallurgie GmbH, Lurgi Allee5, D-60295 Frankfurt am Main
8:30 am Invited
RECENT OPERATION OF THE ACID PLANT AT HUELVA COPPER SMELTER: Patricio Barrios, (Vice President Copper Operations), J. L. Bonaño, (Smelter Superintendent), J. A. Suàrez (Process Metallurgist), Rio Tinto Metal, S.A., Apartado de Correos 110, 21080 Huelva/Spain
The Rio Tinto Metal (RTMetal) copper smelter, located 5 km from Huelva, Spain, began operations in 1970. Since then a series of expansions and modifications have allowed a progressive increase in copper production. Environmental consideration having become increasingly important, environmental protection has come to represent an important aspect of the investments in production. As a result, modifications have been carried out in the two existing acid plants: Modification of the RTM 1 gas cleaning section to closed circuit; Substitution of cascade filters and acid lines; Modification of the RTM 1 plant to double absorption. The Expansion and Environmental Improvement Project, completed end 1995, will allow 270,000 t Cu and 800,000 t H2SO4 to be produced yearly, at the same time achieving a decrease in specific and overall emissions. RTMetal's goal is to be an efficient smelter, withthe avowed intention of respecting the environment and adopting the best available technologies.
9:00 am
HERNAN VIDELA LIRA SMELTER'S PROMISING FUTLIRE OF THE S02ABATEMENT PROGRAM: German Richter, Jorge Del Castillo, Enami, Chile, Hernán Videla Lira Smelter, Casilla 483, Copiapó, Chile
To comply to the Chilean EPA regulations and ambient air quality requirements, the Hernán Viidela Lira Custom Smelter, having to cope with a wide variety of concentrates, has developed a two-step modernization plan; a second acid plant of 80,000 Nm3/h to be implemented in 1996 will increase the sulfur capture from 40% to 70%, in association with the replacement of the Hoboken Converter by a second PS-Converter, thereby lowering operating problems due to treating high grade matte. Oxygen enrichment, to be incorporated in 1998 in the Teniente and P. S. Converters, in association with tuyere injection of dry concentrates, will result in capturing 90-93% of the sulfur input. By this program, sulfur emissions will be decreased from today 40,000 tpy to less than 8,000 tpy and the environmental performance monitored.
9:25 am
SULFUR DIOXIDE EMISSION REDUCTION BY THE POLISH COPPER INDUSTRY: Jan Garbaczewski, KGHM Polska Miedz S.A., 59-301 Lubin, Poland, ul, M.C. Sklodowskiej 48
Polish Copper Industry, located in the Legnica- Glogow region and operated since the 1970's, includes four mines and two smelters, "Legnica" and "Glogow", the latter consisting of Glogow I and II both having different technologies. The "Legnica" and the "Glogow 1" smelters using shaft furnaces, sulfur elimination largely takes place during batchwise converting, resulting in fluctuating S02-concentrations between less than 1 % up to 10 % in the converter gases to the sulfuric acid plants. The ensuing difficulties of the past have now largely been overcome. Introduction of flash smelting at "Glogow ll", with subsequent acid making by double SO2conversion from the stable process gas, contributed significantly to further reduction of S02-emission. In 1994 a new double conversion sulfuric acid plant was installed at "Glogow 1" as well as a "Solinox" desulfurisation plant at "Legnica", further reducing SO2 emissions considerably. The next step towards this goal under consideration is a semi-dry desulfurisation system for the "Glogow 1" power station. SO2-abatement measures by KGHM and the results thereby achieved are presented.
9:50 am
ECONOMICS OF GAS AND DUST COOLING IN COPPER PRODUCTION FROM SULFIDES: Kurt A. Westerlund, Hannu Holopainen, Ahlstrom Corporation, Ahlstlrom Pyropower, POB 5, FIN 00441 Helsinki/Finland
All known applied gas cooling methods are outlined. The criteria that should be considered when choosing the best gas cooling methods for each case are discussed. The bottlenecks on production caused by undersizing and undermaintaining the gas cooling equipments are economically compared to the incremental cost and earning from increased production. Dust sulfating energy and its effect on cooling equipment and ESP-availability are examined. The operating window for the fast cooling Fluxflow fluid bed cooler to avoid sulfating is thermodynamically analyzed and kinetically explained.
10:15 am BREAK
10:35 am
SULFUR OXIDE CONTROL AT KENNECOTT'S UTAH COPPER SMELTER: David B. George, Kennecott Smelter/Refinery Modernization Project, PO Box 10, Magna, UT 84044; Ray J Gottling, Chris J. Newman, Technical Services, Kennecott Utah Copper, PO Box 329, Magna, UT 84044
The Modernized Kennecott Utah Smelter utilizes Outokumpu flash smelting and Kennecott-Outokumpu Flash Converting in conjunction with advanced acid plant and gas cleaning technology to achieve over 99.9 % capture of input sulfur. Sulfur oxide emissions are less than 3 kg/Tonne of copper.
11:05 am
ARSENIC CONTROL IN THE SULFURIC ACID PLANT BY THE PURIFICATION SYSTEM OF CARAÍBA METAIS: Esther Carrera Martinez, Process Engineer, Caraiba Metais S.A, Via do Cobre no 3700, A l.O. COPEC, Dias D-Avila, Bahia, Brasil.
Caraíba Metais is the sole Brasilian Copper Custom-Smelter. The sulfur present in the various concentrates processed is recovered as sulfuric acid and oleum which are sold in the local market. For quality assurance purposes, a study was carried out in order to determine how to control the arsenic content in the acid, allowing the continuous processing of concentrates with high levels of this impurity. The study was based on the process parameters of the Washing Towers and Mist Precipitators. Other process variables were investigated and their effects were used in support to confirm the results. After many analyses performed, some interventions to improve the quality of the acid were implemented in the plant, which proved to be successful even by using a conventional purification system.
11:30 am Invited
COPPER SMELTER ACID PRODUCTION: Ian C. Knight, Head of Metallurgy Group, CRU International, 31 Mount Pleasant, London WC1X OAD Great Britain
The paper will review the current levels of by-product acid production at
copper smelters on a regional basis, and look at the possible changes in the
future. There will be increasing pressure to close or modify copper smelters
that currently either have no sulfur capture or have sulfur capture levels well
below the minimum level of around 95 %, a level that is considered the minimum
acceptable in developed countries. The plans for technology changes at smelters
achieving low capture will be considered, and the effect of these smelter
changes on future levels of acid production will be identified.
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