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US3901489A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Continuous process for refining sulfide ores

Assignee: Mitsubishi Metal Corp
•
Filing: 1973-12-28
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Granted: 1975-08-26
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Expires: 1993-12-28
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Abstract

Abstract A continuous process for refining metal sulfide ores which is carried out by arranging a smelting furnace and a blister furnace, each maintaining discreteness in the reaction zones, wherein a separator is provided subsequent to the smelting furnace so as to limit the function of the smelting furnace to the melting of the raw material and absorption of the copper content in a slag formed in and returned from the subsequent process furnace into a matte layer thus achieving the smelting process at a higher furnace rate. The reaction products in the smelting furnace are all tapped out simultaneously without being separated each other, and transferred to this separator where they are separated and tapped out therefrom individually.

Inventors

  • 👤 Takashi Suzuki
  • 👤 Kazuo Tachimoto

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-26 19:39
CPC Classifications
C; C22; C22B; C22B5/00; C22B5/02; C22B15/00; C22B15/0026; C22B15/0028; C22B15/005; C22B23/00; C22B23/02; C22B23/025

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim 383 words
A SYSTEM FOR CONTINUOUS PROCESSING OF METAL SULFIDE ORES TO PRODUCE CRUDE METAL THEREFROM, WHICH CONSISTS OF: A. A SMELTING FURNADE 1 FOR SMELTING THE RAW MATERIAL METAL SULFIDE ORES, WHICH IS PROVIDED WITH A LANCE 6, A BURNER 7, A MELT DISCHARGING PORT 8, A SEALING DAMPER 9 FITTED ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE MELT DISCHARGING PORT 8 IN A MANNER TO BE SUFFICIENTLY WIDE TO CLOSE THE DISCHARGING PORT AND MOVABLE UP AND DOWN TO CONTROL A SLAG LAYER IN THE FURNACE AT A REQUIRED CONSTANT THICKNESS, A MELT OVERFLOW WEIR 10, AND A REVERT SLAG CHARGING PORT 22A, B. A SEPARATOR 2 FOR SEPARATING MATTE AND SLAG IN THE MELTS TRANSFERRED FROM THE SMELTING FURNACE, WHICH IS PROVIDED WITH HEATING MEANS 13 TO MAINTAIN THE SAME AT A REQUIRED TEMPERATURE, A MELT CHARGING PORT 14 BEING COMMUNICATED WITH THE MELT OVERFLOW WEIR 10 TO THE SMELTING FURNACE, A SLAG DISCHARGING PORT 15, A MATTE TAPPING PORT 16, A MATTE SIPHON 17, AND A MATTE OVERFLOW WEIR 17A, AND C. A BLISTER FURNACE 3 FOR MAKING WHITE METAL, CRUDE METAL AND BLISTER FURNACE SLAG FROM THE MATTE TRANSFERRED FROM THE SEPARATOR, WHICH IS PROVIDED WITH A LANCE 26, A MATTE CHARGING PORT 18, A BLISTER FURNACE SLAG DISCHARGING PORT 22, A CRUDE METAL TAPPING PORT 23, A CRUDE METAL SIPHON 24, AND A CRUDE METAL OVERFLOW WEIR 25, SAID SMELTING FURNACE, SEPARATOR, AND BLISTER FURNACE BEING ARRANGED IN SUCH A MANNER THAT THE REACTION CONDITIONS SUCH AS TEMPERATURE, COMPOSITION, SURFACE LEVEL, AND INTERFACIAL LEVEL OF A MELT RESIDING IN EACH FURNACE MAY BE CONTROLLED INDEPENDENTLY OF THE OTHER, THE FEEDING QUANTITY OF THE MELT INTO THE SEPARATOR BEING EQUILIBRATED WITH THE RATE OF FEEDING OF THE RAW MATERIAL INTO THE SMELTING FURNACE BY MAINTAINING THE MELT OVERFLOW WEIR 10 AND THE BOTTOM END OF THE SEALING DAMPER AT THEIR RESPECTIVE REQUIRED CONSTANT LEVELS TO SET THE RESIDENCE QUANTITIES OF THE MATTE AND SLAG IN THE SMELTING FURNACE, AND THE FEEDING QUANTITY OF THE MATTE INTO THE BLISTER FURNACE BEING EQUILIBRIATED WITH THE FEEDING RATE OF THE MELT INTO THE SEPARATOR BY MAINTAINING THE SLAG CHARGING PORT 15 AND THE MATTE OVERFLOW WEIR 17A AT THEIR RESPECTIVE CONSTANT LEVELS TO SET THE RESIDENCE QUANTITIES OF THE MATTE AND SLAG IN THE SEPARATOR.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 383 words
A SYSTEM FOR CONTINUOUS PROCESSING OF METAL SULFIDE ORES TO PRODUCE CRUDE METAL THEREFROM, WHICH CONSISTS OF: A. A SMELTING FURNADE 1 FOR SMELTING THE RAW MATERIAL METAL SULFIDE ORES, WHICH IS PROVIDED WITH A LANCE 6, A BURNER 7, A MELT DISCHARGING PORT 8, A SEALING DAMPER 9 FITTED ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE MELT DISCHARGING PORT 8 IN A MANNER TO BE SUFFICIENTLY WIDE TO CLOSE THE DISCHARGING PORT AND MOVABLE UP AND DOWN TO CONTROL A SLAG LAYER IN THE FURNACE AT A REQUIRED CONSTANT THICKNESS, A MELT OVERFLOW WEIR 10, AND A REVERT SLAG CHARGING PORT 22A, B. A SEPARATOR 2 FOR SEPARATING MATTE AND SLAG IN THE MELTS TRANSFERRED FROM THE SMELTING FURNACE, WHICH IS PROVIDED WITH HEATING MEANS 13 TO MAINTAIN THE SAME AT A REQUIRED TEMPERATURE, A MELT CHARGING PORT 14 BEING COMMUNICATED WITH THE MELT OVERFLOW WEIR 10 TO THE SMELTING FURNACE, A SLAG DISCHARGING PORT 15, A MATTE TAPPING PORT 16, A MATTE SIPHON 17, AND A MATTE OVERFLOW WEIR 17A, AND C. A BLISTER FURNACE 3 FOR MAKING WHITE METAL, CRUDE METAL AND BLISTER FURNACE SLAG FROM THE MATTE TRANSFERRED FROM THE SEPARATOR, WHICH IS PROVIDED WITH A LANCE 26, A MATTE CHARGING PORT 18, A BLISTER FURNACE SLAG DISCHARGING PORT 22, A CRUDE METAL TAPPING PORT 23, A CRUDE METAL SIPHON 24, AND A CRUDE METAL OVERFLOW WEIR 25, SAID SMELTING FURNACE, SEPARATOR, AND BLISTER FURNACE BEING ARRANGED IN SUCH A MANNER THAT THE REACTION CONDITIONS SUCH AS TEMPERATURE, COMPOSITION, SURFACE LEVEL, AND INTERFACIAL LEVEL OF A MELT RESIDING IN EACH FURNACE MAY BE CONTROLLED INDEPENDENTLY OF THE OTHER, THE FEEDING QUANTITY OF THE MELT INTO THE SEPARATOR BEING EQUILIBRATED WITH THE RATE OF FEEDING OF THE RAW MATERIAL INTO THE SMELTING FURNACE BY MAINTAINING THE MELT OVERFLOW WEIR 10 AND THE BOTTOM END OF THE SEALING DAMPER AT THEIR RESPECTIVE REQUIRED CONSTANT LEVELS TO SET THE RESIDENCE QUANTITIES OF THE MATTE AND SLAG IN THE SMELTING FURNACE, AND THE FEEDING QUANTITY OF THE MATTE INTO THE BLISTER FURNACE BEING EQUILIBRIATED WITH THE FEEDING RATE OF THE MELT INTO THE SEPARATOR BY MAINTAINING THE SLAG CHARGING PORT 15 AND THE MATTE OVERFLOW WEIR 17A AT THEIR RESPECTIVE CONSTANT LEVELS TO SET THE RESIDENCE QUANTITIES OF THE MATTE AND SLAG IN THE SEPARATOR.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 52 words
The system according to claim 1, wherein the separator is elongated in the direction of the flow of the melt and wherein the separator contains at one end thereof, a matte sump, a matte siphon and a charging port for the melt and at the other end thereof, a slag discharging port.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 43 words
The system according to claim 1, in which the bottom end of the sealing damper is adjusted to be at a position lower than the level of the melt overflow weir to maintain constant thickness of the slag layer within the smelting furnace.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 51 words
The system according to claim 1, wherein the matte overflow weir and the slag discharging port 15 are positioned at constant levels having a definite difference in heigHt therebetween to maintain a constant thickness of the slag in the separator as well as the residence quantities of the slag and matte.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 54 words
The system according to claim 1, wherein the crude metal overflow weir and the slag discharging port 22 are positioned at constant levels having a definite difference in height therebetween to maintain a constant thickness of the slag in the blister furnace as well as the residence quantities of the slag and crude metal.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 54 words
The system according to claim 1, wherein the crude metal overflow weir and the slag discharging port 22 are positioned at constant levels having a definite difference of height therebetween to maintain a constant thickness of the slag in the blister furnace as well as the residence quantities of the slag and white metal.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 51 words
The system according to claim 1, in which levels of the melt overflow weirs of the smelting furnace, separtor, and blister furnace are sequentially lowered to permit transfer of the melt under its own gravity, while the blister furnace slag is recycled to the smelting furnace by a forced transfer means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 57 words
The system according to claim 1, wherein the blister furnace slag discharging port is positioned at a level higher than the melt surface of the smelting furnace to permit the blister furnace slag to be transferred under its own gravity, while the matte from the separator is transferred to the blister furnace by a forced transfer means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 62 words
The system according to claim 1, wherein the liquid surface in both smelting furnace and separator is made common by maintaining the level of the melt discharging port 8 of the smelting furnace lower than the level of the slag discharging port 15 of the separator, thereby maintaining constant the residence quantities of the matter and the slag in the smelting furnace.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US728701A Cited
US813824A Cited
US895939A Cited
US1351877A Cited
US1938582A Cited
US2438911A Cited
US3617042A Cited
US3725044A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1978-08-25 1979-02-24 1979-08-26 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1982-08-25 1983-02-24 1983-08-26 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1986-08-25 1987-02-24 1987-08-26 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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