Authors: Imris, I.; Rebolledo, S.; Sanchez, M.; Castro, G.; Achurra, G.; Hernandez, F.

Source: Canadian Metallurgical Quarterly, Volume 39, Number 3, 2000 , pp. 281-290(10)

Publisher: Maney Publishing

Abstract:

The current El Teniente Pyrometallurgical Process for copper concentrate was commissioned at Caletones Smelter during the period 1988 - 1991 following an intensive research and development program that led to several improvements to the original process developed during the seventies. The Caletones Smelter production capacity is 370,000 tons of cast copper annually related to a concentrate smelting capacity of 1,250,000 tons per year.

Several industrial applications of the process, in Chile and abroad, have shown its capability to treat copper concentrates in a wide range of chemical and mineralogical compositions. The main operational parameters that determine the performance of the process are oxygen enriched air flow rate, degree of oxygen enrichment, moisture content of the solid materials processed, molten material levels inside the vessel, frequency of molten materials tapping, bath temperature and copper losses in slags. The copper losses in the slags from the El Teniente Pyrometallurgical Process, predicted by calculation from thermodynamic data, have been compared with those determined by microscopic examination and quantitative electron microprobe analysis of the slag samples and by flotation tests of finely ground slag.

Au cours de la periode 1988-1991, on a mis en service a la fonderie Caletones le procede pyrometallurgique actuel El Teniente pour le concentre de cuivre, suite a un programme intensif de R & D qui a conduit a plusieurs ameliorations du procede original developpe dans les annees 70’s. La capacite de production de la fonderie Caletones est de 370,000 t de cuivre coule annuellement, en relation avec une capacite de fonte de concentre de 1,250,000 t par année.Plusieurs applications industrielles du procede, au Chili et a l’etranger, ont montre sa capacite a traiter des concentres de cuivre couvrant une grande gamme de compositions chimiques et mineralogiques. Les principaux parametres operationnels, qui determinent la performance du procede, incluent le taux d’ecoulement d’air enrichi a l’oxygene, le degre d’enrichissement en oxygene, le contenu en humidite des materiaux solides traites, le niveau de materiel fondu a l’interieur du reacteur, la frequence de recolte des materiaux fondus, la temperature du bain et la perte de cuivre dans les scories. On a compare les pertes de cuivre dans les scories par le procede pyrometallurgique El Teniente, predites par les calculs a partir des donnees thermodynamiques, avec celles determinees par examen microscopique et par analyse quantitative par microsonde electronique des echantillons de scories ainsi que par des tests de flottation de scories pulverisees finement.

Document Type: Research Article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1179/000844300794256783

Publication date: 2000-01-01

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