Method for smelting non-ferrous metal sulfides in a suspension smelting furnace and suspension smelting furnace

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for smelting non-ferrous metal sulfides (13) in a suspension smelting furnace and to a suspension smelting furnace. The suspension smelting furnace comprises at least one injection means (18) for injecting at least one of fluid (19) and pulverous matter (20) into a settler (2) of the suspension smelting furnace from at least one of a first side wall structure (8) and a second side wall structure (9) of the settler (2) so that fluid (19) and/or pulverous matter (20) is injected into the settler (2) above a top surface (16) of a layer of melt (15) in the settler (2).

Claims

1. Method for smelting non-ferrous metal sulfides in a suspension smelting furnace, wherein the method includes using a suspension smelting furnace comprising a reaction shaft-, a settler -in communication with the reaction shaft via a first communication point that is formed between a lower end of the reaction shaft and the settler, and an uptake shaft in communication with the settler via a second communication point that is formed between the settler and a lower end of the uptake shaft, wherein said settler comprises a bottom structure, a top wall structure, a first side wall structure and a second side wall structure between the bottom structure and the top wall structure, and a first end wall structure at one end of the settler and a second end structure at the opposite end of the settler, a feeding step for feeding by means of a concentrate burner non-ferrous metal sulfides and reaction gas into the reaction shaft to have non-ferrous metal sulfides and reaction gas to react together in the reaction shaft to produce melt, a collecting step for collecting melt in the settler so that a layer of melt having a top surface is be formed in the settler, and a gas removing step for removing process gases from the suspension smelting furnace via the uptake shaft, characterized by an arranging step for arranging at least one injector configured to inject at least one of fluid and pulverous matter into the settler from at least one of the first side wall structure and the second side wall structure of the settler so that fluid and/or pulverous matter is injected into the settler by means of said at least one injection means above the top surface of the layer of melt in the settler, by an injecting step for injecting fluid and/or pulverous matter into the settler by means of said at least one injection means, by injecting fluid and/or pulverous matter in the injecting step into the settler by means of said at least one injection means in a direction parallel or almost parallel with the top surface of the layer of melt, and by injecting fluid and/or pulverous matter in the injecting step into the settler by means of said at least one injection means into process gases present in the settler above the top surface of the layer of melt in the settler.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized by arranging injection means at both the first side wall structure and the second side wall structure in the arranging step.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized by arranging the injection means in the arranging step in an unaligned configuration so that the injection means at the first side wall structure points at the opposite second side wall structure and so that the injection means at the second side wall structure points at the opposite first side wall structure.

4. The method according claim 1, characterized by arranging at least one injection means in the arranging step in at least one of the first side wall structure and the second side wall structure of the settler in a region of the settler that is between the first communication point that is formed between the reaction shaft and the settler and the second communication point between the settler and the uptake shaft.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized by injecting fluid and/or pulverous matter in the injecting step into the settler by means of said at least one injection means above the top surface of the layer of melt in the settler.

6. Suspension smelting furnace comprising a reaction shaft, a concentrate burner for feeding non-ferrous metal sulfides and reaction gas into the reaction shaft to have non-ferrous metal sulfides and reaction gas to react together in the reaction shaft to produce melt, a settler in communication with the reaction shaft via a first communication point that is formed between a lower end of the reaction shaft and the settler, wherein the settler is adapted for receiving melt from the reaction shaft so that a layer of melt having a top surface is formed in the settler wherein the settler comprises a bottom structure, a top wall structure, a first side wall structure and a second side wall structure between the bottom structure and the top wall structure, and a first end wall structure at one end of the settler and a second end structure at the opposite end of the settler, and an uptake shaft for removing process gases from the suspension smelting furnace via the uptake, wherein uptake shaft is in communication with the settler via a second communication point that is formed between the settler and a lower end of the uptake shaft characterized by at least one injector configured to inject at least one of fluid and pulverous matter into the settler from at least one of the first side wall structure and the second side wall structure of the settler so that fluid and/or pulverous matter is injected into the settler above the top surface of the layer of melt in the settler, by said at least one injection means for injecting fluid and/or pulverous matter into the settler is configured for injecting fluid and/or pulverous matter into the settler in a direction parallel or almost parallel with the top surface of the layer of melt, and by said at least one injector configured to inject at least one of fluid and pulverous matter into the settler is configured for injecting fluid and/or pulverous matter is injected into process gases present in the settler above the top surface of the layer of melt in the settler.

7. The suspension smelting furnace according to claim 6, characterized by injection means being arranged at both the first side wall structure and at the second side wall structure.

8. The suspension smelting furnace according to claim 7, characterized by the injection means being arranged at the first side wall structure and at the second side wall structure in an unaligned configuration so that the injection means at the first side wall structure points at the opposite second side wall structure and so that the injection means at the second side wall structure points at the opposite first side wall structure.

9. The suspension smelting furnace according to claim 6, characterized in by at least one injection means being arranged in at least one of the first side wall structure and the second side wall structure at a region of the settler that is between the first communication point that is formed between the lower end of the reaction shaft and the settler and the second communication point between the settler and the lower end of the uptake shaft.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) In the following the invention will described in more detail by referring to the figures, which

(2) FIG. 1 is a principle drawing of a suspension smelting furnace according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, and

(3) FIG. 2 shows the suspension smelting furnace shown in FIG. 1 as cut along line A-A in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(4) The invention relates to a method for smelting non-ferrous metal sulfides in a suspension smelting furnace and to a suspension smelting furnace.

(5) The figures shows an example of a suspension smelting furnace according to a preferred embodiment of the invention

(6) First the method for smelting non-ferrous metal sulfides such as sulfidic copper concentrate, sulfidic nickel concentrate, sulfidic zinc concentrate, or sulfidic matte, for example sulfidic copper matte, sulfidic nickel matte, or sulfidic zinc matte, in a suspension smelting furnace will be described in greater detail.

(7) The method includes using a suspension smelting furnace comprising a reaction shaft 1, a settler 2 in communication with the reaction shaft 1 via a first communication point 3 that is formed between a lower end of the reaction shaft 1 and the settler 2, and an uptake shaft 4 in communication with the settler 2 via a second communication point 5 that is formed between the settler 2 and a lower end of the uptake shaft 4. The settler 2 comprises a bottom structure 6, a top wall structure 7, a first side wall structure 8 and a second side wall structure 9 between the bottom structure 6 and the top wall structure 7, and a first end wall structure 10 at one end of the settler 2 and a second end structure 11 at the opposite end of the settler 2.

(8) The method included a feeding step for feeding by means of a concentrate burner 12 non-ferrous metal sulfides 13 and reaction gas 14 such as air, oxygen-enriched air or oxygen and possible also flux and/or fine dust into the reaction shaft 1 to have non-ferrous metal sulfides 13 and reaction gas 14 to react together in the reaction shaft 1 to produce melt (not shown or marked with a reference numeral).

(9) The method includes also a collecting step for collecting melt from the reaction shaft 1 in the settler 2 so that a layer of melt 15 having a top surface 16 is be formed in the settler 2.

(10) The method includes also a gas removing step for removing process gases 17 from the suspension smelting furnace via the uptake shaft 4.

(11) The method includes additionally an arranging step for arranging at least one injection means 18 for injecting at least one of fluid 19, such as liquid for example small water droplets and/or gas for example technical oxygen, and pulverous matter 20 for example pulverized coal or coke into the settler 2 from at least one of the first side wall structure 8 and the second side wall structure 9 of the settler 2, so that at least one of fluid 19 and pulverous matter 20 injected into the settler 2 by means of said at least one injection means 8 will enter the settler 2 above the top surface 16 of the layer of melt 15 in the settler 2.

(12) The method includes additionally an injecting step for injecting at least one of fluid 19 and pulverous matter 20 into the settler 2 by means of said at least one injection means 18.

(13) In a preferred embodiment of the method the injecting step includes injecting at least one of fluid 19 and pulverous matter 20 into the settler 2 by means of at least one injection means 18 a direction parallel or almost or substantially parallel with the top surface 16 of the layer of melt 15. By doing so, mixing of fluid 19 and/or pulverous matter 20 fed by means of said at least one injection means 18 with the layer of melt 15 in the settler 2 can more effectively be avoided, because the risk that a jet containing fluid 19 and/or pulverous matter 20 hits the top surface of the layer of melt 15 is in this embodiment reduced.

(14) In another preferred embodiment of the method the injecting step constitutes of injecting at least one of fluid 19 and pulverous matter 20 into the settler 2 by means of at least one injection means 18 a direction parallel with the top surface 16 of the layer of melt 15.

(15) In a preferred embodiment of the method the arranging step includes arranging injection means 18 at both the first side wall structure 8 of the settler 2 and the second side wall structure 9 of the settler 2. In this preferred embodiment of the method, the arranging step included preferably, but not necessarily, arranging the injection means 18 in the arranging step in an unaligned configuration so that the injection means 18 at the first side wall structure 8 points at the opposite second side wall structure 9 and so that the injection means 18 at the second side wall structure 9 points at the opposite first side wall structure 8 as is shown in FIG. 2. In other words, in this preferred embodiment of the method, the arranging step included preferably, but not necessarily, arranging the injection means 18 in the arranging step so that the injection means 18 are not aligned in such manner that the injection means 18 at the first side wall structure 8 would points at the injection means 18 at the opposite second side wall structure 9 and vice versa. By arranging the injection means 18 in such unaligned configuration, the possibility that fluid 19 and/or pulverous matter 20 injected by means of injection means 18 at the first side wall structure 8 will collide in the middle of the settler 2 with fluid 19 and/or pulverous injected by means of injection means 18 from the opposite second side wall structure 9 is lower, and this leads to an evener distribution of fluid 19 and/or pulverous matter 20 injected by means of injection means 18 in the settler 2.

(16) In a preferred embodiment of the method the arranging step includes arranging at least one injection means 18 at a region of the settler 2 between the first communication point 3 that is formed between the lower end of the reaction shaft 1 and the settler 2 and the second communication point 5 between the settler 2 and a lower end of the uptake shaft 4.

(17) In a preferred embodiment of the method fluid 19 and/or pulverous matter 20 is in the injecting step injected into the settler 2 by means of said at least one injection means 18 above the top surface 16 of the layer of melt 15 in the settler 2.

(18) In a preferred embodiment of the method fluid 19 and/or pulverous matter 20 is in the injecting step injected into the settler 2 by means of said at least one injection means 18 into process gases 17 present in the settler 2 above the top surface 16 of the layer of melt 15 in the settler 2.

(19) Next the suspension smelting furnace will be described in greater detail.

(20) The suspension smelting furnace comprises a reaction shaft 1.

(21) The suspension smelting furnace comprises additionally a concentrate burner 12 for feeding non-ferrous metal sulfides 13 such as sulfidic copper concentrate, sulfidic nickel concentrate, sulfidic zinc concentrate or sulfidic matte, for example sulfidic copper matte, sulfidic nickel matte, or sulfidic zinc matte, and reaction gas 14 such as air, oxygen-enriched air or oxygen and possible also flux and/or fine dust into the reaction shaft 1 to have non-ferrous metal sulfides 13 and reaction gas 14 to react together in the reaction shaft 1 to produce melt.

(22) The suspension smelting furnace comprises additionally a settler 2 in communication with the reaction shaft 1 via a first communication point 3 that is formed between a lower end of the reaction shaft 1 and the settler 2, wherein the settler 2 is adapted for receiving melt from the reaction shaft 1 so that a layer of melt 15 having a top surface 16 is formed in the settler 2. The settler 2 comprises a bottom structure 6, a top wall structure 7, a first side wall structure 8 and a second side wall structure 9 between the bottom structure 6 and the top wall structure 7, and a first end wall structure 10 at one end of the settler 2 and a second end structure 11 at the opposite end of the settler 2.

(23) The suspension smelting furnace comprises additionally an uptake shaft 4 for removing process gases 17 from the suspension smelting furnace via the uptake. The uptake shaft 4 in communication with the settler 2 via a second communication point 5 that is formed between the settler 2 and a lower end of the uptake shaft 4.

(24) The suspension smelting furnace comprises additionally at least one injection means 18 for injecting at least one of fluid 19, such as liquid, for example small water droplets, and/or gas, for example technical oxygen, and pulverous matter 20, for example pulverized coal or coke, into the settler 2 from at least one of the first side wall structure 8 and the second side wall structure 9 of the settler 2, so that at least one of fluid 19 and pulverous matter 20 is injected by means of said least one injection means 18 into the settler 2 above the top surface 16 of the layer of melt 15 in the settler 2.

(25) In a preferred embodiment of the suspension smelting furnace, said at least one injection means 18 for injecting fluid 19 and/or pulverous matter 20 into the settler 2 is configured for injecting fluid 19 and/or pulverous matter 20 into the settler 2 in a direction parallel or almost or substantially parallel with the top surface 16 of the layer of melt 15.

(26) In a preferred embodiment of the suspension smelting furnace, injection means 18 are arranged at both the first side wall structure 8 of the settler 2 and the second side wall structure 9 of the settler 2. In this preferred embodiment of the suspension smelting furnace, the injection means 18 are preferably, but not necessarily, arranged in an unaligned configuration so that the injection means 18 at the first side wall structure 8 points at the opposite second side wall structure 9 and so that the injection means 18 at the second side wall structure 9 points at the opposite first side wall structure 8 as is shown in FIG. 2. In other words, in this preferred embodiment of the suspension smelting furnace, the injection means 18 are preferably, but not necessarily, arranged so that the injection means 18 are not aligned in such manner that the injection means 18 at the first side wall structure 8 would point at the injection means 18 at the opposite second side wall structure 9 and vice versa. By arranging the injection means 18 in such unaligned configuration, the possibility that fluid 19 and/or pulverous matter 20 injected by means of injection means 18 from one side wall structure 8 will collide in the middle of the settler 2 with fluid 19 and/or pulverous matter 20 injected by means of injection means 18 from the opposite second side wall structure 9 is lower, which leads to an evener distribution of fluid 19 and/or pulverous injected by means of injection means 18 into the settler 2.

(27) In a preferred embodiment of the suspension smelting furnace at least one injection means 18 is arranged in a region of the settler 2 between the first communication point 3 that is formed between the lower end of the reaction shaft 1 and the settler 2 and the second communication point 5 that is formed between the settler 2 and the lower end of the uptake shaft 4.

(28) It is apparent to a person skilled in the art that as technology advances, the basic idea of the invention can be implemented in various ways. The invention and its embodiments are therefore not restricted to the above examples, but they may vary within the scope of the claims.