The effect of copper smelting technology on the dissolution of anodes at the Sarcheshmeh copper electrorefining plant

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, School of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, Collage of Engineering, University of Tehran,Tehran, Iran,

2 Head of Hydrometallurgy Department at R&D center of Sarcheshmeh Copper Complex, Sarcheshmeh, Kerman, Iran.

Abstract

A recent smelting technology change at Sarcheshmeh Copper Complex, from the reverberatory furnace to the Outotec flash smelting furnace has affected the chemical analysis of the produced copper anodes. This is most likely due to change in the analysis of the smelting dust. The flash smelter flue dust,whichis high in concentration of minor elements, selenium and tellurium, is captured in the electrostatic filters and is recycled back into the flash furnace. The analysis result of 285 anodes in this study showed the rise in concentration of selenium, tellurium, arsenic, antimony, bismuth, lead and iron by 37%, 216%, 18%, 62%, 104%, 185% and 45%, respectively.The likelihood of anodic dissolution is decreased by increasing the impurity content of the anode. Flash smelting flue dust bleed and its hydrometallurgical treatment was suggested as a solution to overcome the decline in anodic dissolution at the refinery plant of Sarcheshmeh.Laboratory scale atmospheric leaching of the flue dust resulted in higher than 90% copper leaching recovery.This is also helping the existing heap leach/SX/EW facility to reach its nominal capacity using the PLS produced from the leaching of the flash smelter flue dust.

Keywords

References

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History

  • Receive Date: 09 March 2020
  • Revise Date: 07 June 2020
  • Accept Date: 08 June 2020

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