1314663 Process metallurgy NORANDA MINES Ltd 19 April 1971 [29 Dec 1970] 24959/71 Addition to 1183715 Heading C7D In a continuous process for smelting and converting copper concentrates to metallic copper, the concentrates are fed into the furnace in the form of pellets so that a substantial portion of the surface area of the liquid bath is covered with a uniformly disposed thin layer of pellets, consequently masses of unsmelted material are not formed, and oxidizing gas is introduced into the furnace, the feeding of the pellets and the injection of the gas being so controlled as to provide smelting rates of between about one hundred pounds and about three hundred pounds per square foot of bath surface per hour. The pellets may incorporate at least some of the flux (silica flux) required for smelting. The pellets may be dried prior to feeding, or may be fedwet. The pellets may be fed from a variable slinger belt and may have an average size of between # inches and ¢ inch, and contain about 9% by weight of moisture.
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