Sensors (Jun 2018)

Flash Smelting Copper Concentrates Spectral Emission Measurements

  • Luis Arias,
  • Sergio Torres,
  • Carlos Toro,
  • Eduardo Balladares,
  • Roberto Parra,
  • Claudia Loeza,
  • Camilo Villagrán,
  • Pablo Coelho

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/s18072009
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 18, no. 7
p. 2009

Abstract

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In this paper, we report on spectral features emitted by a reaction shaft occurring in flash smelting of copper concentrates containing sulfide copper minerals such as chalcopyrite (CuFeS2), bornite (Cu5FeS4) and pyrite (FeS2). Different combustion conditions are addressed, such as sulfur-copper ratio and oxygen excess. Temperature and spectral emissivity features are estimated for each case by using the two wavelength method and radiometric models. The most relevant results have shown an increasing intensity behavior for higher sulfur-copper ratios and oxygen contents, where emissivity is almost constant along the visible spectrum range for all cases, which validates the gray body assumption. CuO and FeO emission line features along the visible spectrum appear to be a sensing alternative for describing the combustion reactions.

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