Distribution and Control of Arsenic during Copper Converting and Refining

Abstract

Arsenic content in copper concentrates is continuously increasing worldwide. It is desirable to remove arsenic from copper in the earlier stages of copper making due to the deposition of arsenic to cathode copper during the electrorefining process. Effects of temperature, flux, and oxygen on the distribution of arsenic during copper converting and fire refining processes were studied using FactSage 8.2. The results showed that arsenic can be effectively removed by proper selection of converting and refining slags. The decrease in Fe/SiO2 or Fe/CaO ratio in the converting slag is favorable for arsenic distributed to slag. CaO is more effective than SiO2 in decreasing the liquidus temperature of the slag and arsenic content in the blister copper during the converting process. Na2O or CaO as a flux is effective to remove arsenic in the fire refining process.

Control of Copper Content in Flash Smelting Slag and the Recovery of Valuable Metals from Slag—A Thermodynamic Consideration

“…However, other valuable metals such as Mo, Ni, and Zn in slags remain unclear during the recovery process. FactSage thermodynamic software contains powerful databases of optimized solutions, pure substances, and matte, and has been successfully used in the processing of copper concentrates [17], as well as the recovery of valuable metals from solid wastes [18].…”