Method for the production of blister copper

Abstract

The invention relates to a method to produce blister copper or high grade matte in a smelting reactor directly from a sulfidic copper concentrate containing material and/or finely ground copper matte, whereby oxygen-containing gas, copper concentrate and/or finely ground copper matte are fed into the reactor. According to the invention CaO and SiO 2 containing flux is fed into the smelting reactor along with oxygen-containing gas, copper concentrate and/or copper matte, and part of the copper in the concentrate and/or in the matte is oxidized in order to form a slag in which the CaO/SiO 2 ratio is higher than 1.5, and in which the copper content is in oxidized form, and in which the lime content calculated in a CaO+SiO 2 +FeO x =100 system is higher than 20%.

1 . A method to produce blister copper or high grade matte in a suspension smelting reactor directly from a sulfidic copper concentrate containing material and/or finely ground copper matte, comprising feeding oxygen-containing gas, copper concentrate and/or finely ground copper matte into the reactor, feeding CaO and SiO 2  containing flux into the smelting reactor along with oxygen-containing gas, copper concentrate and/or copper matte, and oxidizing part of the copper in the concentrate and/or in the matte is oxidized in order to form a slag in which the CaO/SiO 2  ratio is higher than 1.5, and in which the copper content is in oxidized form, and in which the lime content calculated in a CaO+SiO 2 +FeO x =100 system is higher than 20%.  
     
     
         2 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the copper content in the slag in oxidized form is at least 6 weight percent.  
     
     
         3 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein the activity of lime in the slag formed is high in order to increase the slagging of arsenic and antimony.  
     
     
         4 . A method according to  claim 1  wherein the activity of silica in the slag formed is high in order to eliminate lead from the blister copper.  
     
     
         5 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the method is carried out in a smelting unit using oxygen-containing gas.  
     
     
         6 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein in that the method is carried out in a suspension smelting furnace.