Hydrometallurgical Leaching of Copper Flash Furnace Electrostatic Precipitator Dust for the Separation of Copper from Bismuth and Arsenic

Flash furnace electrostatic precipitator dust (FF-ESP dust) is a recycle stream in some primary copper production facilities. This dust contains high amounts of copper. In some cases, the FF-ESP dust contains elevated levels of bismuth and arsenic, both of which cause problems during the electrorefining stages of copper production. Because of this, methods for separation of copper from bismuth and arsenic in FF-ESP dust are necessary. Hydrometallurgical leaching using a number of lixiviants, including sulfuric acid, sulfurous acid, sodium hydroxide, and water, were explored. Pourbaix diagrams of copper, bismuth, and arsenic were used to determine sets of conditions which would thermodynamically separate copper from bismuth and arsenic. The data indicate that water provides the best overall separation between copper and both bismuth and arsenic. Sodium hydroxide provided a separation between copper and arsenic. Sulfurous acid provided a separation between copper and bismuth. Sulfuric acid did not provide any separations between copper and bismuth or copper and arsenic.

Assessment of the Harmfulness of the Slags from Copper Smelting Processes, in an Aspect of their Management

There are two methods to produce primary copper: hydrometallurgical and pyrometallurgical. Copper concentrates, from which copper matte is melted, constitute the charge at melting primary copper in the pyrometallurgical process. This process consists of a few stages, of which the basic ones are roasting and smelting. Smelting process may be bath and flash. Slag from copper production, on the end of process contain less 0,8%. It is treat as a waste or used other field, but only in a few friction. The slag amount for waste management or storage equaled 11 741 – 16 011 million tons in 2011. This is a serious ecological problem. The following slags were investigated: slag originated from the primary copper production process in the flash furnace of the Outtokumpuja Company in HM Głogów 2 (Sample S2): the same slag after the copper removal performed according the up to now technology (Sample S1): slag originated from the primary copper production process in the flash furnace of the Outtokumpuja Company in HM Głogów 2, after the copper removal performed according the new technology (Sample S3). In practice, all tested slags satisfy the allowance criteria of storing on the dumping grounds of wastes other than hazardous and neutral.

Reagents Activity in a Copper Droplets / Post-Processing Slag Suspension

The suspension of the copper droplets in the post-processing slag taken directly from the KGHM-Polska Miedź S.A. Factory (from the direct-to-blister technology as performed in the flash furnace) was subjected to the special treatment with the use of the one of the typical industrial reagent and with the complex reagent newly patented by the authors. This treatment was performed in the BOLMET S.A. Company in the semi-industrial conditions. The result of the CaCO3, and Na2CO3 chemicals influence on the coagulation and subsequent sedimentation of copper droplets on the crucible bottom were subjected to comparison with the sedimentation forced by the mentioned complex reagent. The industrial chemicals promoted the agglomeration of copper droplets but the coagulation was arrested / blocked by the formation of the lead envelope. Therefore, buoyancy force forced the motion of the partially coagulated copper droplets towards the liquid slag surface rather than sedimentation on the crucible bottom. On the other hand, the complex reagent was able to influence the mechanical equilibrium between copper droplets and some particles of the liquid slag as well as improve the slag viscosity. Finally, the copper droplets coagulated successfully and generally, were subjected to a settlement on the crucible bottom as desired / requested.

Influence Of Temperature On The Rate Of Copper Recovery From The Slag Of The Flash Direct-To-Blister Process By A Solid Carbon Reducer

The aim of the work was to investigate the influence of temperature on the rate of copper removal from the obtained slag from the flash direct-to-blister process by means of a carbon reducer. The slag used in this work was taken from the direct-to-blister Outokumpu flash furnace at the smelter in Głogów, and graphite penetrators were used as the slag reducers. The experiment was carried out at 1573 K, 1623 K and 1673 K. It was found that the rate of the de-coppering process of the “Głogów” slag increased with the increase of temperature.