PILOT TESTING OF A PROCESS DEVELOPED FOR TREATMENT OF NI-CONTAINING COPPER CONCENTRATE AFTER HIGH-GRADE MATTE SEPARATION RESULTING IN BLISTER COPPER PRODUCTION IN TWO-ZONE VANIUKOV FURNACE

摘要

Gipronickel Institute, JS is developing a process of continuous converting of Ni-containing copper matte and concentrates resulting in the production of blister copper and fluid NiO-containing slag in a two-zone Vaniukov furnace. The process under development is an alternative for the existing technology of blister copper production in converters, the latter being characterized with insufficient sulphur utilization, low direct copper recovery and the production of inconvenient for further processing solid slag on the basis of NiO and NiFe_2O_4. The results of pilot testing on processing of copper concentrate obtained from high-grade matte (HGM) separation in the two-zone Vaniukov furnace with the hearth area of 11.4 m~2 are presented.