Research on the reduction of cooper slag using an alternative coal range

Abstract

Blister copper smelting in a flash furnace results in the generation of slag with a Cu content greater than 15 percent. In the process of reduction in an electric furnace, coke or coke breeze is used as a carbon-bearing material. The presented work shows the results of studies on the reduction of the slag with a carbon flotoconcentrate as a substitute for coke breeze. The microstructure, chemical composition and phase composition of slag samples were analyzed. Based on the results of chemical composition of the Cu-Pb-Fe alloy and the post-reduction slag, it was shown that carbon flotoconcentrate might be considered as an alternative for currently used reducers.

Keywords

• flash furnace
• Cu-Pb-Fe
• copper slag
• carbon flotoconcentrate
• reduction