Transport Phenomena in Copper Bath Smelting and Converting Processes – A Review of Experimental and Modeling Studies

Abstract

Bath smelting and converting technologies for copper production have been improved, resulting in higher production efficiency and less polluting emissions. Reported studies on experimental and computational modeling approaches are reviewed in this paper, focusing on adjustable variables and flow details, for a thorough understanding of the complex flow phenomena of the high-temperature reactors used. Results from water models and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations indicate that the transport phenomena in different reactors should be analyzed separately, as flow behavior exhibits significant differences in different gas injecting regimes and furnace structures. Mixing behavior and further optimization for most furnaces are presented in this review, showing a considerable degree of agreement between experiments and computational simulations. In general, a deeper nozzle or tuyere level with a higher gas flow rate are factors in the majority of copper bath smelting and converting cases. However, the dynamic parameters cannot be infinitely increased, but should be maintained within an appropriate range to provide relatively high mixing efficiency while preventing refractory corrosion due to splashing. Research on detailed flow phenomena including bubbles and surface waves is relatively scarce. It is suggested that the most efficient reaction areas for furnaces in jetting and bubbling regimes are totally different, due to the differences in bubble behavior. Concerning the bath surface, the behavior of transversal standing waves and longitudinal waves has been preliminarily revealed using water models, suggesting that standing waves tend to disappear in particular ranges of bath height and gas flow rate.

Cfd Modeling of the Multiphase Flow in an Sks Furnace - the Effect of Melt Density and Viscosity

“…A quantified low velocity region volume fraction for different melt density is displayed in Fig. 6(d), showing that in the simulated 0-30 s, the volume fractions of the low velocity regions for a density of 4000 kg/m 3 and 5000 kg/m 3 are interlaced, and the volume fraction for a density of 3000 kg/m 3 is mostly below that of the density 5000 kg/m 3 .…”

“…Therefore, some adjustments do not always result in smooth operation, and once the practical requirements are not met, for instance, when the lining refractories are subjected to strong impact and erode unexpectedly, extra furnace operation costs are incurred. Scientific SKS furnace modeling research is necessary to achieve better operation [3]. To support the industrial demand for better furnace operating performance, CFD modeling studies have been widely conducted and reported [4][5][6][7][8][9].…”

Development of Bottom-Blowing Copper Smelting Technology: A Review

“…Mixing behaviour [45][46][47][48][49][50][51], surface wave [52,53], plume eye [54], bubble behaviour [55][56][57][58], fluctuating behaviour [59] were studied by water model to simulate the molten bath in BBF. Lance arrangement [60][61][62], gas-liquid multi-phase flows [63][64][65], flow and mixing behaviour [66] and multiphase interface behaviours [67,68] in the BBF were studied by the CFD method.…”

Depletion of converter slags to waste in the Vanyukov furnace during pyrometallurgical copper production at JSC Almalyk MMC

“…In the pyrometallurgical production of copper, one of the important points when melting sulfide copper concentrates in smelting furnaces is the reduced content of magnetite in the waste slag. For example, in a reverberatory furnace, magnetite in an amount of 2-9% can be supplied with the concentrate [[17, [18], [19], [20]].…”