Industrial use of thermodynamic simulations in pyrometallurgy

Abstract

Abstract. Mastering slag chemistry and fluxing is the key of an effective smelting operation. Today, the requirements of resource efficiency and in particular the recoveries of metal values at the lowest possible use of fossil fuels indicate that the problem is multidimensional. It needs flexible and the best possible tools for analyzing various possibilities and alternatives. The use of computational thermodynamics allows evaluation of fluxing practices in industrial multicomponent slags, due to the availability of extensive and internally consistent databases for use with appropriate advanced thermochemical packages. This approach unlocks new options for optimising smelting and refining operations and unit processes, and the able use of increasingly complex raw materials of the future.